Toy Pianos & Keyboards are perfect musical instruments for introducing kids to music; the ones for infants are more to generate curiosity, whereas the ones for toddlers can actually be used for learning music. We have covered a range of toy pianos here – the acoustic ones, and the electronic ones.
Toy Pianos are miniature pianos designed to encourage the very young to play and develop a love of music. Toy pianos are ideally meant for kids in the 1 to 4 years old age group. The aim of these pianos is to enhance a child’s creativity and develop fine motor skills at an early age.
The benefits of music on kids is well documented; research has shown that learning to play a musical instrument enhances brain development. The price of these toys is too little to pay considering the long term benefits to your child.
Recommended / Best Toy Pianos
Toy pianos are available in both – spinet as well as baby grand looks.
- Most toy pianos are available in 25 keys, 30 keys, 37 keys (arund two-octaves)
- They are available in various colors – Black, White, Pink, Red
- A removable color-coordinated strip fits behind the keys to guide the piano player from chord to chord
Most toy pianos reviewed here are actual acoustic instruments (do not depend on power/batteries). Some of these may require assembling but its pretty easy to set them up.
In the past Schoenhut and Korg toy pianos were very popular, but now you find pianos from other manufacturers as well.
These toy pianos look cute and produce pretty sounds. A toddler piano also makes a unique gift idea for a child’s birthday!
Checkout these popular toy pianos and keyboards.
Best Toy Pianos for Toddlers
ZIPPY Kids Piano Keyboard
ZIPPY piano keyboards are designed in the form of upright wooden pianos (the wooden encasing is solid MDF) but these are actually electronic pianos with features such as volume control, record & play-back, multiple instrument sounds, etc.
The pianos are available in various colours and require some assembling to fit the side boards to the main piano body.
ZIPPY piano keyboards are available in 25 Keys and 37 Keys models. The pianos come with color coded keyboard stickers and a songbook.
Hape Happy Grand Piano
The Happy Grand Piano is a 30-key piano from leading German toy maker Hape. The piano is made from wood and has a classic grand piano design with real lid (it is easy to set up as well).
The piano comes with a musical scale that makes it easy to learn the piano’s notes and scales, and a song booklet that includes simple songs such as twinkle little star, row your boat, etc.
Melissa & Doug Piano (25-Keys)
If you child seems to have an ear for music, and is willing to learn, this can be good piano to begin with. It is brightly painted piano with 25 keys (2 octaves), sounds good and fairly durable.
Schoenhut Toy Pianos
Schoenhut is the world leader when it comes to manufacturing toy pianos, and they have a wide range of models that are shaped like upright as well as grand pianos. Checkout their entire range of toy pianos here.
Schoenhut 25 Key “My First Piano II” is a nice little toy piano, with a distinct sound, and more importantly its an inexpensive option (compared to the other options). See PRICE on Amazon
Toy Pianos/Keyboards for Infants / One Year Old
Here are smaller sized toy pianos/keyboards for babies around 1 year old and younger.
LeapFrog Play Piano
This toy keyboard is fun and colorful. Your kids will love watching the balls go up and down every-time a keys is pressed. Every time you press a key, the piano plays out a different musical phrase. You can easily select one of the various modes while playing, such as music, color, or counting.
Electronic Toy Keyboards
Depending on the age of your child, you may also choose toy pianos and musical keyboards that are available from various brands.
Electronic Keyboards can be used by kids aged 3-4 years (and above).
Casio Mini Keyboard
The Casio Mini Keyboard is a 44-key keyboard with several voices and rhythms; perfect for introducing your kids to the wonderful world of electronic music. Read more…
You can explore more Electronic Keyboards here.
Other Musical Toys
- Baby piano mat: A piano mat is a fun game for children. They can dance and play popular tunes on a piano keyboard mat.
- Piano Stickers: Makes it easy to find the right keys
You can also check out some cool learning systems, software, and electronic learning toys here for grownup kids.
Toy Pianos: Buying Guide / Factors to Consider
Want to expose your children to music at an early age? Looking for a birthday gift for your little one or for someone close to you? Looking for something to entertain your kids?
Baby Toy Pianos are perfect in such situations!
Some of these are actually mini acoustic pianos that look elegant as well.
Why Buy One?
There is no doubt that music has the power to improve a child’s intelligence and life’s skills, and that is why the gift of music is one of the best gifts you can ever give your children.
With these toy keyboards and pianos, you can introduce your little ones to music as early as possible, and maybe even prepare them for future piano lessons.
You can always start on an electronic kids keyboard but if you want something that sounds (as well as looks) better, these can be good options.
What to Buy?
Most of the toy keyboards are usually meant for toddlers/children who are less than 5-6 years old, with some of them for infants as well.
When choosing the right toy piano for your child, consider getting something that is small, colorful, and fun, something that can attract your child’s attention.
For most practical purposes, the best toy pianos for toddlers and small children are usually the ones that are colorful, appealing, fun and above all has a bit of unpredictability built in it.
Once, your child is around 6 or 7 years old, you may consider getting them a full sized electronic keyboard, or maybe even a digital piano.
Types of Toy Pianos
There are several, smaller sized toy keyboard models available (most of these are electronic), but you do get proper piano (and grand piano) shaped toy pianos as well (most of these are acoustic). You get toy pianos that are designed as upright or grand pianos that resemble real pianos. 
The ones for infants have colourful keys and produce various sounds and nursery rhymes. These instruments are actually toys that come in various colors and designs. The sound quality is okay and sounds more like a toy.
For What Age Group?
Most of these toy pianos are suited to kids in the 3 to 6 years old age group (we have listed a few for infants as well).
Buy As Per Age (Right Size of Piano)
We have listed several toy pianos here because even though a toddler is between 1-3 years, what a 1 year old may require could be different from what a 3 year old wants, so pick up something that suits the age of the child.
An electronic toy piano also serves as a creative baby preschool educational tool. In addition to teaching the musical notes, it also teaches the about animals and musical notes. Its a great way to keep your baby entertained and a great addition to any toy collection.
Keep an Eye on Safety
A word of caution though, if you buy one of the bigger toys!
You need to remind your kids not to get on top of the bigger sized toy pianos, especially the grand piano ones. Though they are designed to be sturdy, they could topple over.
More than damage to the toys, your kids could end up hurting themselves. Nothing to be worried about, but you need to be careful!
Toy Pianos Used by Composers Too
If you think toy pianos are only for toddlers and kids, think again.
There are lot of composers who always strive to do something different, and in that quest, a lot of them have composed pieces specifically for the toy piano and many have even extensively used the sound of the toy piano in various music compositions.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a piano for kids, you have several options to begin with. A toy piano not only provides entertainment but also teaches important skills to kids. So looks like a perfect gift for your little ones! Your kids can use these until they are ready to progress onto the bigger sized digital piano keyboards.
Read: Our comprehensive piano keyboards guide.
KeytarHQ editorial team includes musicians who write and review products for pianists, keyboardists, guitarists & other musicians. KeytarHQ is the best online resource for information on keyboards, pianos, synths, keytars, guitars and music gear for musicians of all abilities, ages and interests.
There are several brands, such as Schoenhut, Dexter, Fisher-Price that make toy pianos. While they all look cute, they are only meant to see if your child is really interested in music. Kids love toy pianos because they make pretty sounds and anything that attracts kids towards music is good for their intellectual development. If you’re willing to spend more, you could even get an electronic music keyboard, such as the ones from Casio or Yamaha. If your child is above 5-6 years old, do consider the electronic music keyboards; they have wider keys while toy pianos often have “mini” keys. Electronic keyoards also have lots of features which appeals to kids more, toy pianos on the other hand may only produce one sound. Nevertheless, a toy piano can be a great introduction to music, which will eventually benefit the child as s/he grows up.
Kiddie keys Toy piano (YouTube)