Quirky Musical Instruments for Kids - Harmonica, Xylophone & More- wondrfly

Quirky Musical Instruments for Kids: Harmonica, Xylophone, Accordion, Ukulele, and Banjo!

Did you know that May is National Accordion Month? The accordion is one of those underrated and underutilized instruments we rarely encourage children to play. However, weird and quirky instruments like the accordion have many surprising benefits for kids.

Our top 5 quirky musical Instruments for kids to learn are not your average instruments. They include the harmonica, the xylophone, the accordion, the ukulele, and the banjo. Each of these instruments offers its own unique benefits and challenges to kids who choose to learn how to play them over more traditional ones like the piano or violin. Here’s how each of these instruments works and some tips on how kids can learn how to play them properly!

The Harmonica

A harmonica is a great instrument to learn if you’re looking for something portable. It can be played by itself or with other instruments. This makes it a good activity for kids on road trips or in waiting rooms. However, you should keep in mind that it’s also an instrument that can get very loud, so it might not be suitable for small children without much impulse control.

Because playing the harmonica requires kids to both inhale and exhale (it’s the only wind instrument like this!) it’s essentially a breathing exercise in itself, that strengthens the lungs and circulatory system. In fact, some hospitals even offer harmonica classes to patients with lung illnesses to help them recover!

Overall the harmonica is a terrific beginner’s instrument that has more physical benefits than we give it credit for.

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The Xylophone

The Xylophone is an instrument that improves kids’ hand-eye coordination because they have to learn how to properly hit each note. It also helps them understand musical notes and how they work together. Another benefit of learning to play the xylophone is it can help children develop their sense of rhythm. It’s a great musical instrument for kids who are just starting out with music.

The xylophone is part of a family of instruments including the smaller glockenspiel and the larger marimba. These instruments are fairly common in the percussion section of orchestras, as well as in many other musical styles. If kids can learn to play one, they can soon master all three, opening up many new musical doors!

The Accordion

When you think of the accordion, you probably don’t picture a kids’ instrument. However, it can be a great way to introduce your little one to music. The keyboard on a child-sized accordion is small enough that children can learn how to play without having to worry about not having enough reach. It also helps them improve manual dexterity because they must operate the keyboard and the bellows (the stretchy part) at the same time. This also promotes upper body strength, as it can be quite a workout!

Accordions are somewhat of an investment-- more so than a harmonica or a xylophone. Start with a toy model, perhaps, to gauge your child’s interest in continuing. However, the financial investment may just pay off for your child if they stick with the instrument for the long haul. Accordion players are likely in demand in any given local area because there are often so few of them! They may be able to book gigs performing at weddings, in the orchestra of a theatrical production, and more!

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The Ukulele

The ukulele is another instrument notable for its portability and relative cheapness. A basic child-sized ukulele is a pretty easy thing to obtain. Ukulele tabs and chords for popular songs are also widely available. So, if your child chooses to learn the ukulele, they’ll be able to easily learn to play their favorite songs and have sing-alongs with their friends. This makes the ukulele a uniquely social instrument as well. And who doesn’t love promoting their child’s social development?

Ukulele can be taught to kids before they’re even old enough to read music. It’s a terrific choice of instrument for all ages!

The Banjo

Yippee Kay-Yay! The banjo doesn’t get enough credit for being one of the most challenging stringed instruments out there, due to the fast “picking” techniques popularized by country and bluegrass music. If your kid loves this kind of music and is up for a challenge, the banjo may be perfect for them!

Like the accordion and the ukulele, the banjo promotes high levels of manual dexterity, which will aid kids in tons of future everyday activities, from typing to painting to tying their shoes!

How do I Know What Instrument is Right for My Child?

Deciding what instrument is best for your child can seem like a daunting task, but it’s only a matter of weighing a few simple factors against each other. These factors include your child’s age and motor development. For example, are they able to hold and manipulate the instrument properly?

Cognitive development in relation to age also plays a role, as kids need to have the attention span to focus during longer practice sessions, and some of these instruments might take more practice to master than others.

Another consideration is, of course, your child’s relative interest in different instruments. Whichever one naturally appeals to them most is more likely to be the one they’ll be willing to devote time and energy to learning.