What musical gift to buy a child? 10 ideas for little musicians

Children are naturally drawn to music, and a musical instrument is a gift that entertains them while developing their sense of rhythm, hearing, fine motor skills and concentration. With young children it's not about playing from sheet music straight away, but about trying out music, discovering sounds and enjoying playing. The best choices are simple instruments on which a child can play something nice from the very first moment, such as a shaker, tambourine, kalimba or xylophone. For slightly older children who are about to start music school or already attend one, a children's keyboard, recorder or children's drum kit are great choices. When choosing, always check the manufacturer's age recommendation, especially for the youngest children and small instruments. We've ranked the tips in a countdown from ten, so the biggest gift is waiting for you at the end.

A shaker is often a young child's very first musical instrument, because all they need to do is pick it up and shake it, and a rhythm sounds straight away. Children naturally discover rhythm and tempo with it, can use it when singing, dancing or for songs at nursery, and it fits nicely into a small hand.

The colourful Noicetone M005 egg shakers are small and light, make a pleasant gentle sound and thanks to their cheerful colours children pick them up all by themselves. The classic Noicetone PM001 shaker is one of our best-selling percussion instruments and so affordable that it's worth buying several, so siblings or friends can play along too.

If you want something typically childlike, go for the colourful Noicetone maracas, which children know from cartoons and songs. You'll find more types among our shakers.

The tambourine, triangle and jingle bells are instruments children know from music lessons at nursery and school, which is why they love trying them out at home too. They're cheap, easy to play and each sounds completely different, so the child learns to tell sounds apart and play in rhythm with others.

The Noicetone DP900 tambourine is one of our best-selling children's percussion instruments, it can be hit or shaken and sounds cheerful and loud. The Noicetone DP404 triangle has a bright ringing tone that fascinates children, and the Noicetone DP105 jingle bells bring a Christmas atmosphere to every carol.

Together they make a little home band in which the whole family can play. You'll find more among our tambourines.

The recorder is one of the first melodic instruments children meet at nursery, at school or at music school, and it teaches them the basics of playing an instrument, breathing and reading music. It's small and light and the child can take it anywhere, so it's ideal for first songs and for practising for lessons.

The Noicetone DP129 SET recorder is an affordable soprano recorder that suits first attempts and playing at home. If the child takes recorder lessons, they'll love the Yamaha YRS-322B, one of the most popular school recorders that's easy to learn on.

When choosing, check whether the teacher requires baroque or German fingering, as they differ in finger positions. You'll find more recorders among our soprano recorders.

The kalimba is a small African instrument with metal tines that's played with the thumbs and sounds gentle and magical, a bit like a music box. Its big advantage is that it's tuned so all the notes sound nice together, so the child never plays anything out of tune and enjoys the melody straight away.

The Shamann KalimbaGo is a small, affordable pocket kalimba that makes a great gift even for younger children and can be taken on trips or in the car. The larger Pasadena Calimbas 17 kalimba has 17 notes and is one of our best sellers, so an older child can play well-known songs on it using simple notes or numbers.

It's a quiet instrument, so parents and neighbours will appreciate it too. You'll find more models among our kalimbas.

Boomwhackers are colourful plastic tubes of different lengths that play a specific note when struck against a palm, a table or the floor, and children love them because music literally comes from play. Each colour corresponds to one note, so the child playfully learns to tell pitches apart, and with a few friends or siblings they can play a whole melody together.

The Boomwhackers BW-DG C Major Diatonic Scale Set contains eight tubes tuned to the C major scale, so children can play lots of simple songs and carols on them. If you want a set where any combination of notes sounds nice, go for the Boomwhackers BW-PG Pentatonic Set, which is ideal even for the youngest.

For families and classes who want to play melodies together, the colourful Boomwhackers Chroma-Notes handbells in the same colours are also great. You'll find more sets among our children's percussion.

Xylophones and metallophones are an ideal first melodic instrument for children, because the notes are neatly arranged side by side and the child can see the melody rise and fall. Simple songs can be played on the colourful bars, children practise hand-eye coordination and gradually understand how notes work.

The Noicetone X022-1 metallophone is a compact instrument with a bright ringing tone that suits younger children too and fits on any table. The larger Noicetone DP4030 xylophone offers more notes and a fuller sound, so the child can play more complex melodies on it and it will last them longer.

Both are among our best-selling children's instruments and also suit nursery or music lessons. You'll find more models among our xylophones and glockenspiels.

Drumming is probably what children enjoy most of all, because they can really let off steam and hear the result straight away. Children's drums are smaller and lighter than regular drums, they're played with the hands or a soft beater, and children playfully train their rhythm and coordination.

The Noicetone DP908F hand drum is a small drum the child can hold in one hand and strike with the palm or a beater, so it's ideal even for the youngest. The Noicetone DP592 bongos are two joined drums with different pitches, the Noicetone WT-6008 djembe is an African drum with a rich sound, and on the Noicetone DP641 cajon the child sits and drums just like on a drum kit.

All of them suit playing at home, at nursery or making music together with parents. You'll find more among our hand drums.

If you can't decide which instrument the child will enjoy most, go for a percussion set containing several instruments at once. The child can try a small drum, tambourine, shaker, claves or triangle and find out for themselves what they enjoy most, and the set is also great for playing with siblings and friends.

The Noicetone DP1006 is our best-selling children's percussion set, containing lots of different instruments, so the child has plenty to choose from. Equally popular is the Noicetone P006-1 set, ideal for a home band and musical games at nursery.

Music teachers use sets like these too, because they help children playfully discover rhythm and play together. You'll find more sets among our children's percussion.

A keyboard is a great instrument for children who want to learn their first melodies, because a note sounds when a key is pressed and the child immediately hears what they're playing. On a keyboard they can learn music theory, reading music and playing with both hands, and many children discover a love of music on it that later leads them to the piano.

The Noicetone ProKeys 61 is a children's keyboard with 61 keys and lots of sounds on which the child can learn and play. Thanks to its 61 keys it also suits children who are about to start music school.

It's an instrument that will grow with the child, from first songs all the way to music school lessons. You'll find more models among our children's keyboards.

A children's drum kit is a dream come true for many little musicians and a gift that makes a child light up under the tree. With this gift, however, be careful, because drums are loud and take up space, so it's worth considering beforehand whether you can handle them at home.

The NRG Young Rocker 40 is a real little drum kit sized for children, and the Noicetone DP413 is smaller and cheaper. If you need a quieter alternative for a flat, go for the Noicetone ColorBeats compact electronic drums, which are smaller and can be put away after playing.

Before buying, check the age recommendation and the size of the kit so the child can reach it comfortably. You'll find inspiration among our children's drums and compact electronic drums.

For the youngest children, simple instruments they can play something nice on from the start are best, such as Noicetone PM001 shaker, a Noicetone tambourine or a Noicetone metallophone. If you can't decide, go for the Noicetone DP1006 percussion set, which contains several instruments at once.

For under £20 you can buy a child the Noicetone PM001 shaker, a Noicetone triangle, Noicetone jingle bells, the Noicetone DP129 SET recorder or the Shamann KalimbaGo kalimba.

For under £45 you can choose from the Pasadena Calimbas 17 kalimba, the Boomwhackers BW-DG set, the Noicetone X022-1 metallophone or the Noicetone ColorBeats compact electronic drums.

Even nursery-age children can play rhythm instruments such as shakers or small drums, always following the manufacturer's age recommendation. Melodic instruments such as a Noicetone xylophone or a recorder suit nursery and younger school children, and a children's keyboard suits children who want to learn their first songs.

At nursery and in music lessons, recorders, tambourines, triangles and xylophones are used most often. A good choice is the Yamaha YRS-322B recorder, one of the most popular school recorders, or the Noicetone P006-1 percussion set.