Any one has a keyboard for a toddler and would you recommend it?

[CBB]

A friend has a keyboard for his 3-yr-old and he seems to love it. I wonder if it would be a great "toy" for DD also. Does anyone have one? What age is best? I do want DD to learn piano eventually and wonder if we could do an early start by getting her interested in the keyboard. What do you think?

Thanks!

[Roleysmom]

Li, we have a keyboard in our living room that DD plays maybe every other day. It's one my DH had long before we married. We got it out when she started taking piano class a couple of months ago because we thought it would reinforce what she was learning in class. We never suggest that she play it; it's there if she's interested. She likes to thump on it and recently she has gotten a little more purposeful in her play (she will use one finger to go up and then down the keyboard.)

I'm glad that it's out for her and I do think it's helping sustain her interest in piano class. If we asked her what she learned in class, she would go to it and show us. I'm not sure I would have invested in a keyboard though at her age, if we hadn't already had one. Maybe there's a cheap one on Craig's List or you could borrow your friend's to see if she likes it? I would link 2.5 or so is about the youngest a child would show interest but maybe I'm wrong about that.

Paula -- mom to Roley Julia, January '02

[californiagirl]

DD has been fascinated by keyboards since about 12 months -- my father and I both have them, but the one I have set up at home is set up for a standing adult, while his is piano-style with a bench. She hasn't noticed the home one, but she plays his every time she's there (and last time said "Mine! Mine!" and shoved his hands away when he tried to play as well). Originally she was just fascinated by pressing keys and making noise, and recently she's worked out that the low keys make low noises and the high keys make high noises and has been playing with that. (She's 15 months.)

[CBB]

>and last time said "Mine! Mine!"
>and shoved his hands away when he tried to play as well

Oh that's just too cute! She's 15mo and saying "mine" already?

[californiagirl]

It was cute last week. It still works its magic on other people, but it's getting a bit old for us. It is now "Mine! Mine!" when you try to tie her shoes (yes, honey, they are your feet, and I'll stop fiddling with them as soon as your shoe is safe) and "Mine! Mine! Mine! MINE!" if I'm carrying her and DH puts his arm around me so his hand is on the shoulder next to her (and she tries to pry his fingers off).

At 14 months I was worried that her vocabulary was behind. Now I'm not sure we can keep up...

Anyway, the discussion reminds me that we have my old keyboard in the garage, and maybe I'll set it up under the synthesizer so she can play it.

[wendmatt]

DD got a little tykes one for Christmas. She really likes it alot and sits and pings out some music. I have to say though she likes to just push the button and dance (hop actually!) to the music it makes. I think it was only about $30 and does quite alot of things. She loves the little red stool that comes with it.