Best Toddler Drum Set

If you’re in a hurry and just want to find out what the best toddler drum set is, I’d recommend the Vtech Zoo Jamz Stompin’ Fun Drums.

Kids sure can drive you crazy with their constant fidgeting and unnecessary noise-making. However, you can help them release all of that pent up energy with some of the best toddler drum sets, allowing them to learn and play all at once.

Here are the toddler drum sets I will be reviewing:

• Vtech Zoo Jamz Stompin’ Fun Drums
• Electric musical drum set with microphone
• Pretex kids’ electric toy drum set
• iBaseToy toddler percussion set
• B. Toys drum kit
• Hape rock and rhythm wooden drum set
• Jazzales drum set for kids
• Mendini 13” kids junior drum set
• Eastar 14” kids drum set
• Best Choice 3-piece kids drum set
  

Benefits of a Toddler Drum Set

A drum set can channel all of your toddler’s energy into something constructive. Science has long since proven that learning how to play a musical instrument has a huge number of benefits. Here are just a few reasons why you might want to consider a toddler drum set for your child.

Developing motor skills

Drummers are insanely coordinated, so this one is pretty obvious. Nonetheless, teaching your toddler simple rhythm will help them develop control over their body faster than other toddlers who don’t have a drum set.

Developing social skills

It’s probably too early for your toddler to join a band, but it’s still a good opportunity for them to take lessons from a professional or join a toddler music class and socialize with the other children.

Developing listening skills

Learning any musical instrument trains your ears to listen better. You hear small noises and pick up on the nuances of sound better than other people. Your toddler will quickly learn what to listen for and to pick those sounds out of a lot of other noise.

Coincidentally, this also helps your toddler hear and understand what you’re saying better, without the need for you to yell. Your child can no longer claim they didn’t hear you ask to pick up.

Staying active

Chances are your toddler doesn’t need any help staying busy, but there’s a physical aspect to drumming that will ensure your child will be fit and healthy. It’s a highly physical activity that can assist with muscle development.

Academic learning

Drumming activates their minds as well as their bodies. Learning to drum out a beat can help with basic numbers and counting in toddlers. Learning a musical instrument has been linked to increased academic performance as well.

Reducing stress

Toddlers often struggle with stress. It exhibits itself as temper tantrums or defiance. Everything is new to children this young and they often don’t know how to cope with this immense lack of control over just about everything.

A drum set helps focus that negative energy into drumming. Turning negative energy into something positive will give your toddler an outlet, a sense of purpose, and affirmation that there’s nothing wrong with having emotions, as long as they have a constructive way to deal with them.

When you read the title of this article, did your mind automatically jet to all the noise your child is going to make with this new contraption? Never fear. That’s a reality with any toy you buy for them. Being a parent of a toddler, you should probably already know that.

You may want to think twice about adding such a noisy musical toy to the mix if you don’t think you can handle it. However, if you think it’s a good investment, you’ll enjoy all of the great benefits it comes with.

The Best Way to Use a Toddler Drum Set

You could buy your toddler a drum set and let them pound away on it endlessly without any real structure or instruction. However, for your toddler to get the most out of this new and exciting toy, make sure they have some idea of how to use it.

Set it up

When you first get the set, you’ll want to pick the perfect place to set it up. Toddler drum sets aren’t as big as traditional drum sets but if it has a lot of components, you won’t want to move it a lot.

You get to decide where that perfect place is, but here are some things you may want to consider before you decide:

• How big it is
• How much noise it will make
• The time of day you want your child to use it
• Whether or not they can use it unsupervised

If you want your child to be able to get away from the noise, the basement is a logical place to put it. If you already have a music room full of instruments, perhaps you want your child to join you there.

Engage

It’s fine for your child to have unstructured time with their new toy. However, it’s important that you try to engage with them, especially if you truly want them to learn to play it. If you can play the drums, teach them what you know. If you don’t know anything at all, find someone who does.

YouTube is always a great resource. From beginner videos to more advanced lessons, your child could learn from a young age how to be a very successful musician. However, as we’ve already discussed, there are plenty of other benefits to using a drum set.

Have fun

There’s no right or wrong way for your child to learn, as long as they’re learning and having fun doing it. Keep an open mind and remember that for some toddlers, this will truly be a toy. They’ll go through this phase and move on without looking back.

For children who truly enjoy it, seem to benefit from it, and want to continue, encourage them and foster their growth.

My Toddler Drum Set Reviews

My kids have always loved music, so I wanted to give them plenty of exposure to it at an early age. I’ve included my top toddler drum set reviews below.

Vtech Zoo Jamz Stompin’ Fun Drums

This is by far the best toddler drum set out there. If you’re looking for a fun toy for your young child that plays music and allows them to interact physically, the Vtech Zoo Jamz drum set allows them to do just that.

It’s another drum toy made of colorful plastic, but it’s larger than the others I’ve reviewed here. It comes with a stool and a bass pedal for a more realistic configuration.

One of the stand out features included in this drum set is that it has interactive sounds, buttons, and lights on top.  All told, the five buttons can make 20 different noises.  This makes that set much more accessible for young kids, even one year olds.

It also has some educational benefits, as there are four modes for teaching counting, following the lights, drumming, and following the leader.  This is really helpful for kids that are just starting to learn about and explore music.

In total, there are sixteen different songs, six sing-alongs, and four drum styles that help kids create their own beats.

It’s a great drum set with an adorable design that is engaging without a lot of complicated set up.

Electric Musical Drum Set With Microphone

This brightly colored drum set is stimulating for ages 18 months and up. It’s one of the best beginner drum sets for young kids who have never used one before. The sound effects are exciting and it’s a great introduction into the world of music.

This drum set takes four AA batteries, so unlike other children’s toys, you don’t have to worry about buying bulky batteries that you’ll never use for anything else. I love it when kids toys use batteries I already have lying around.

When you turn this drum set on, you’ll find flashing lights and fun sounds.Three dum pads and two cymbals simulate a real drum set and your toddler can follow the guiding lights on each pad so they know when to hit it.

Pair these instructions to five different songs and your toddler will soon get the idea. My kids had something very similar to this when they were kids and they would pound away on it for hours.

Once they get their feet wet, the four different learning modes include a freestyle mode, allowing them to create their own drum solos and rock out to their own beat.

The microphone is a nice added bonus, so your child can put on a rock concert and feel like a superstar. The only problem with this component is that the cord has some static feedback and it requires some supervision so that it doesn’t get tangled.

The adjustable volume makes this product superior because it doesn’t always have to be as loud as possible for your child to have fun.

Pretex Kids’ Electric Toy Drum Set

This product is similar to the musical drum set with bright colors and fun sounds, but it’s probably better suited to kids who are at least four years old, and maybe slightly older. It’s much more like a real drum set with a stool and a bass drum pedal.

Your child can simulate playing the drums and practice their hand-foot coordination while using the working microphone.

Two snare drums, a cymbal, and a bass drum are positioned in much the same arrangement as a real drum set to help ease the transition when they’re ready. It includes four music modes, each with its own flashing light sequence.

It does come with a lot of components, but it seems to be sturdy and easy to set up. It’s on the pricier end of the plastic drum set spectrum, but it still comes at an affordable price. It’s bigger and more sturdy than other similar products as well, so it’s the best transition drum set for young kids.

The colors are eye catching and the sounds are exciting, but the auto shut off feature is perhaps my favorite. I can’t count how many times I’ve woken up in the middle of the night to a toy that got left on.

With this feature, you’ll preserve the batteries and you won’t hear random annoying noises from it when your child isn’t playing with it.

As a plus, even though the noises it creates when you hit the drum pad are electric, they sound more real than most of the other toy drum sets out there. Your child will learn to hear drums in the correct register, making it even more accurate and lifelike.

iBaseToy Toddler Percussion Set

The iBaseToy group of toys is a set of instruments that includes some drums and some other musical items that your toddler can experiment with. In fact, it’s the best toddler drum set with variety.

One of the most affordable drum sets I’ve reviewed so far comes with a marching drum, a tamborine, a harmonica, a microphone, two maracas, two clappers, a recorder, and two drum sticks.

The marching drum has a strap so your toddler can wear it around their neck and it opens up to allow for storage of all the other instruments in the set. There’s no set up and no batteries. If you’re looking for a comprehensive set of musical instruments that doesn’t take up a lot of room, this is it.

You’re not going to be able to expect a lot from an insanely affordable toy that is meant for children. The recorder and the harmonica don’t make a huge variety of notes, but when it comes to noise makers that stimulate your child’s senses, this set has plenty of it.

The drum is possibly the best part of this set. It’s worth the cost for the drum alone. Versatile play includes sitting, standing, and marching. It makes a satisfyingly deep reverberating sound.

The clappers are, as you might expect, pretty annoying once your child gets going. However, that’s part of what you should expect when getting your child a drum set. Not to mention, the maracas sound smooth and are fun to shake.

With everything included in this set, the whole family can get in on the fun, and your child will have plenty to choose from when it’s time for independent play.

B. Toys Drum Kit

Here’s another self contained kit with several musical instruments in one. This one is a tad big, but still on the cheaper end of the spectrum. Its bright colors make it exciting for young eyes and all of the components fit in the drum.

This set comes with castanets, a toy drum, two drumsticks, a whistle, a tamborine, and a Shaka egg. The neat thing about the instruments that come with this set is that they’re all textured differently, making this option suitable for very young ages.

It’s listed for 18 months and older, but I would venture to say that a one year old child would love the bright colors, unique feel of each material, and the noises they can learn to make with every item.

This is the best drum set for babies and toddlers, as long as it is used with supervision to prevent choking on the drumsticks. I’m not advocating giving your newborn a drumstick by any means, but I do think this is an awesome option for younger ages than any of the others I’ve mentioned.

Because it’s all self contained, it’s a great portable option for car rides, vacations, and going to Grandma’s. It takes up very little space with the storage design of the drum, and it’s built of better quality materials than some of the cheaper options out there.

The neck strap is designed for growing with your child, beginning with floor drumming and graduating to carrying it in their fictitious marching band.

Hape Rock and Rhythm Wooden Drum Set

This high quality wooden set is a durable drum set with more than just drums. Wooden kids toys tend to hold up better than plastic, so while the design is minimal and it’s a little bit more expensive, it should last a long time.

Wood is an environmentally-friendly, renewable resource, so buying wooden kids toys is a priority for those who care about sustainability.

It comes with two drums, a cymbal, a wood block, and two drum sticks. Despite the fact that it’s a toy, it’s built with quality materials that make excellent sound. Each drum has its own pitch, just like a real drum set.

It does have a lot of components and can be a bit difficult to put together, but once it’s done, it’s lightweight and easy to move around, due to the small size.

This set is ideal for children ages two and up. The screws can sometimes work themselves loose, and I’ve heard people say they simply put it together with super glue instead. It holds well and will last even longer.

There are no electronic parts to worry about and no batteries. This is the best wooden drum set for kids because of the compact size and the variety of noises they can make. Learning to drum will require additional interaction on the part of the parent, but it’s worth it.

Jazzales Drum Set For Kids

For even more lifelike drumming, this set includes real drums on a kid-sized scale. There are no lights, music, or interactive learning modes, so it’s the best beginner drum set for those who want something that looks, feels, and sounds more real.

It’s affordable and small enough for young kids. The stool allows for sitting or standing play while the drum configuration includes six drums, one cymbal, and one kick pedal.

The sounds it makes aren’t as close to the real thing as you might hope, but the material is durable enough for the price and it gives kids a great introduction into what a real drum set is like.

While some may be turned off on the idea that it’s not colorful or exciting like some of the other kids drum sets out there, the colors and the set up are intended to provide toddlers two years old and up with something that is close to what they would experience with a full size set.

Because this is not an electric drum set, it will require some interactive training outside of the set itself. If you’re interested in teaching your child how to play the drums, this is a great set to start early.

This is the most lifelike toddler drum set at this price. You can’t expect something this affordable to last forever, but you can be sure that it will provide a great beginner drum set that doesn’t look fake.

The bonus here is that it only makes noise if someone is banging on it, and it doesn’t take batteries, so you don’t have to worry about wasting any of those.

Mendini Kids Junior Drum Set

If you’re looking for the best realistic drum set for kids, the Mendini junior set is awesome. It is recommended for ages three to six, and offers an experience that is both natural and most like a real drum set.

The set has a bass drum with a foot pedal, a snare drum, a tom drum, and a cymbal. It includes a drum throne and two drum sticks. The instructions are clear for easy, hassle-free set up.

Perhaps the coolest thing about this drum set is that it comes in six different colors. Choose your child’s favorite from blue, royal blue, black, green, purple, or red. Each one glitters metallically and looks totally rockin’.

The genuine hardwood shells make for realistic sounding beats. The small footprint makes it easy to find a space for it at home but provides a true drumming experience for your aspiring drummer.

This item is definitely in a more expensive range, but it comes with a one year manufacturer’s warranty in case you encounter any problems. It’s well worth the investment if you want something that is more like a real set and will last.

To be totally honest, this would also probably be a great investment for any adult who wants to play the drums recreationally or keep a simple beat along with another musical instrument.

Eastar 14” Kids Drum Set

Here’s another realistic option that’s similar to the Mendini drum set. Eastar is a well-known manufacturer of drum sets, so you can for sure count on the quality of this one. It’s meant for kids ages five and up, simply because it’s more like a real drum set and it’s important that it’s cared for as such.

The high quality drum skin is transparent on the tom and the bass. The frosted skin on the snare drum stains easily, which is typical of a genuine drum set. The more you use it, the more character it shows, so that’s a good thing.

It comes with a snare drum, a bass drum, a foot pedal, a tom drum, cymbals, and two drum sticks. The design of this set looks pretty professional, which is a plus, and it’s versatile enough to add your own drum on a stand if you want a different configuration.

The assembly is fast without tools and it’s very easy to tune. The sound is quality and genuine. In fact, I’ve seen many lifelong drummers report that the snare is nice and loud, the cymbal has a good timbre, and the tom is high and clear.

While this set is smaller than an adult set, it’s very much like a mini version of the real thing. It’s a fantastic option for kids who really show an interest in music and drumming. Even an adult dabbling in drumming might find it amusing and fun.

While this set is slightly more expensive, but because of its quality, it’s the best value drum set on the list. However, it’s important to keep in mind that a set like this really isn’t a toy, so depending on the age of your child, it should be used with supervision.

Best Choice 3-Piece Kids Drum Set

This set comes with a bass drum, a foot pedal, two tom drums, and one cymbal. While it doesn’t have a snare drum, it does actually come with the cushioned stool. You have three colors to choose from.

The solid wood construction makes this set a bit more durable than the Mendini or the Eastar. It’s the best advanced toddler drum set available. It’s made for ages three and up and will hold up to some pretty heavy pounding if you think your child needs that kind of durability.

While it’s on the more expensive end of the spectrum, it has both quality and value. It’s on the smaller side, at 12.5 inches, but it’s still just the right size for an older toddler or a younger child who wants to learn.

The set tunes like full-size drums, so if you’re familiar with drum sets you won’t have a problem. It’s easy to put together, and most people I’ve talked to rave about how great the quality really is. It’s even better than they expected. It’s designed like it’s supposed to be hit with sticks. Go figure.

This set offers a really nice middle ground between buying something super cheap and flimsy that sounds horrible and spending the money on a really high quality professional set that you wouldn’t want to turn your three year old loose on.

This is a children’s drum set, but the full-size drums make the transition from kids set to adult set even easier. As an added bonus, you could even transfer some of these drums and stands to a full-size set and they would work just fine.

Wrapping Up

The VTech Zoo Jamz set is by far my top winner because of its range of functionality. It has multiple types of drums, several different game modes, and tons of songs. It has bright colors and it’s engaging for a wide age range, from ages one and up.

It gives your child a way to get familiar with musical styles while remaining active and energetic. It gives them something constructive to do while engaging their sensory learning abilities. It’s fun and functional, at an affordable price.