This range of xylophones and glockenspiels are specifically designed to help children take their first musical steps. Because these instruments offer a clear and often colourful overview of every note, children can actually see as well as hear how music works and even learn to play full songs and melodies in a fun and tactile way. Add some children's percussion instruments so that groups of children can play and learn together or, if you're looking for more of a challenge, take a look in our melodic percussion section for more xylophones and glockenspiels.
Playing the Xylophone for Children
The xylophone is often the ideal starting musical point for younger children. The piano-like overview isn't just great for children that want to start learning to play, but offers primary school and even play school children an excellent introduction to musical instruments in general. The xylophone is played with a beater: a stick with a ball-shaped head that's a lot bigger and softer than the tip of a drumstick. Simply hit one of the note bars and it'll vibrate and make a sound. The most simple xylophones have a diatonic tuning, making it easy to play well-known nursery rhymes, while chromatic xylophones have a second row of note bars above the first so any melody can be played. You can find even more in our full range of Children's Musical Instruments.
Wooden & Metal Xylophones
Real xylophones are always made from wood. Even the word 'xylophone' is rooted in the ancient Greek word for 'the sound of wood'. So, metal xylophones aren't actually xylophones at all, but are glockenspiels, which are part of the metallophone family of instruments.
Picking Out a Children's Xylophone
When looking for a children's xylophone, it's actually hard to find a real wooden xylophone and much easier to find a metal glockenspiel for children. Luckily, the only real difference between the two is the material they're made from. The one thing you do need to check is that the model has enough notes to play a few simple melodies. Here, you'll find an array of xylophones designed for children, but you can also find some more grown-up xylophones included in our Melodic Percussion section.
Frequently Asked Questions About Children's Xylophones
What's the difference between a toy xylophone and a children's xylophone?
Children's xylophones are actually designed for playing music while toy xylophones are usually not tuned very accurately, so while they make a fun sound, they're harder play actual melodies with.