It is never too early to begin exposing a child to music. While a baby might be too small to hold an instrument, that doesn't mean that music is not already an important part of an infant's life. Babies enjoy being sung to, they may hum themselves and enjoy toys that rattle or make particular tones. Young toddlers sometimes sing to themselves and may listen to rhymes and jingles for three minutes or more. Children enjoy hearing music, including repeated and rhythmic tunes, simple songs, and nursery rhymes.
Young toddlers enjoy true rhythm instruments, such as bells and rattles.
Instruments for this age should be very sturdy and have a rounded, molded appearance, with no sharp edges or small parts. Parent Resources Baby Center BabyCenter is a complete resource for pregnancy and baby. Created by parents and reviewed by doctors and other experts, it contains current articles, answers to thousands of questions, week by week information, a baby name finder, connections with other parents online, and more. A guide to understanding how the first three years affect your child's life-long development. Learn more about recent brain research and how it affects our lives.