As an occupational therapist, I use music and rhythm in my practice more often than most parents realise. It's not just about entertainment, sound and rhythm play a genuine role in how a baby's brain, body, and emotions develop. When a parent asks me what toys are actually "worth it" in those first two years, musical toys are almost always on my list.
Here are five ways musical toys support your baby's development, and why I lean toward wooden instruments in particular when I'm recommending them to families.
1. Musical Toys Build Brain Connections
Every rattle shake, drum tap, or xylophone note is doing more than making noise, it's helping to wire your baby's brain. Exposure to a variety of rhythms and pitches supports listening skills, and because the rhythm of music mirrors the rhythm of language, musical play also lays groundwork for speech and communication down the line. Repetition is key here: the more often a baby hears and creates a range of sounds, the stronger those neural connections become.
Try this: Our Natural Music Instruments collection lets you build a little personalised set, tambourine, xylophone, maracas, and more, so your baby gets a wide variety of tones and textures to explore.
2. Musical Toys Strengthen Fine and Gross Motor Skills
Shaking a maraca, banging a drum, or grasping a bell rattle all ask a baby's hands and arms to do real work. Actions like gripping, shaking, and reaching help refine both fine motor skills (small, precise hand movements) and gross motor skills (bigger, whole-body movements), while also building hand-eye coordination as babies learn to connect what they see with what their hands are doing.
As an OT, this is one of my favourite things about musical play, it sneaks motor skill practice into something that feels like pure fun rather than "therapy."
Try this: Simple, easy-to-grip options like our rhythm sticks, egg shakers, and bell rattles are ideal for little hands still building strength and control.
3. Musical Toys Support Sensory Integration
Musical toys naturally engage multiple senses at once; touch, sound, and sometimes sight; all in a single play experience. This kind of layered sensory input helps babies develop sensory integration: their ability to take in information from their body and environment, make sense of it, and respond appropriately. This is a cornerstone of occupational therapy, and it's exactly why musical toys show up so often in sensory-focused play.
Try this: Our sensory toy collection includes musical instruments chosen specifically for their sensory value, alongside other tactile tools that pair beautifully with music play.
4. Musical Toys Encourage Emotional Regulation and Bonding
Music has a calming, grounding effect that many parents notice instinctively, a favourite lullaby can soothe a fussy baby, and a shared "jam session" with a parent can turn a difficult moment into a connected one. This emotional response to music becomes a foundation for emotional intelligence, as babies begin to associate certain sounds and rhythms with comfort, calm, or joy. Musical play with a caregiver also builds early social skills, like taking turns and responding to another person, well before your baby says their first word.
5. Musical Toys Introduce Early Math and Pattern Recognition
It might surprise you, but banging out a beat is one of your baby's first encounters with patterns and sequencing. Learning to keep a beat and recognise repeating patterns in music lays a foundation for early math skills, including counting, sequencing, and later, an intuitive sense of proportion and fractions.
Why We Recommend Wooden Musical Instruments
You'll notice that most of the instruments I've linked above are wooden, and that's a deliberate choice. A few reasons why:
- Softer, warmer sound. Wooden instruments tend to produce gentler, more natural tones than plastic or electronic versions, so babies can explore rhythm without harsh or overwhelming noise.
- Open-ended play. Plastic and electronic toys often come with preset sounds, songs, or flashing lights. Wooden instruments have no "right" way to play them, which means your baby is creating their own music, not just triggering a pre-programmed response. That open-endedness matters for creativity and problem-solving.
- Safer for mouthing. Babies explore the world with their mouths, and quality wooden toys, finished with non-toxic coatings, are a safer choice for this stage than toys containing chemicals like BPA or phthalates.
- Durability. Wooden instruments are built to last, often well beyond the baby stage, and sometimes even passed down to siblings or the next generation.
- Fewer distractions. Without batteries, lights, or preset sounds competing for attention, wooden instruments tend to hold a baby's focus for longer and support calmer, more regulated play.
Bringing Music Into Everyday Play
You don't need a music room or formal lessons to give your baby these benefits, a basket of a few simple wooden instruments within reach is enough. Rotate through shakers, a small drum, a xylophone, and a tambourine, and follow your baby's lead. Let them explore the sound and weight of each one in their own way.
If you'd like to put together a starter set, our Natural Music Instruments range is designed exactly for this, mix and match tambourines, maracas, xylophones, drums, and more to build a collection that grows with your baby. You can browse the full range in our Musical Toys collection.