93: Musical Gifts to Give Your Kids this Christmas - Educational, Clever, & Fun!

Are you looking for Christmas gifts that won’t be forgotten by January, but will spark creativity, confidence, and joy in your homeschool? In this Black Friday–themed episode of the Music in Our Homeschool Podcast, Gena Mayo shares more than 25 meaningful, musically rich gift ideas for toddlers, teens, and even parents. Instead of filling your home with toys that lose their appeal, discover gifts that support lifelong musical skills and inspire your children to explore rhythm, melody, creativity, and self-expression.

In this episode, Gena walks through her favorite musical instruments, books, games, tech tools, and stocking stuffers, along with personal stories from her own homeschool journey. You’ll hear recommendations for beginner-friendly ukuleles and guitars, rhythm instruments for active learners, keyboards for budding pianists, and quiet, melodic options like the kalimba. You’ll also learn how these gifts pair naturally with courses such as KinderBach, Beginning Music Theory for Elementary, and Advanced Music Theory for Teens.

Gena also shares her best Black Friday strategies for choosing the right instruments, setting a budget, finding quality brands, and knowing which deals are truly worth grabbing. With ideas for toddlers, elementary-aged kids, teens, and moms and dads, this episode will help you choose gifts that bring genuine beauty and connection into your home.

If you want a Christmas season filled with more music, more learning, and more joy, this episode will give you a practical and inspiring place to begin.

Find links to all resources mentioned in this episode here: https://musicinourhomeschool.com/musical-gifts-kids-christmas/

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Transcript

E93 Musical Gifts to Give Your Kids this Christmas update and redirect for Black Friday

Speaker: [00:00:00] Hello, Harmony Heroes, and welcome back to the Music in Our Homeschool podcast. I'm your host, Gena Mayo, and today's episode is going to be a fun one. It's all about musical gifts to give to your kids this Christmas. If you're like me, you've probably noticed how Christmas shopping can get overwhelming.

So many toys and gadgets that end up forgotten by January. But musical gifts, they're different. They last, they spark creativity, connection, and joy. So today, I'll share 25 of my favorite musical gift ideas for all ages, toddlers to teens, and even a few for mom and dad. I'll also sprinkle in some stories, show how these fit into your homeschool rhythm, and give you some Black Friday shopping tips.

So grab your hot cocoa, settle in, and let's make this year's gift something truly musical and meaningful.

Speaker 3: If you are a homeschooler looking for ways to easily and [00:01:00] affordably include a quality music education in your homeschool, you've come to the right place. This is the music in our homeschool podcast. I'm Gina Mayo, homeschooling mom of eight, a music teacher for over 30 years.

Speaker: Let's start with our youngest kids, because this is such a magical time to begin exploring music. When my own kids were little, I remember giving them simple instruments that made music feel like play.

One of our favorites was the Melissa and Doug Band in a Box. It's a little wooden set with a tambourine, maracas, a triangle, and more. It's perfect for group music time.

If your little one loves to explore sound with their hands, another favorite is the Hape Pound & Tap Bench with Slide Out Xylophone. They can hammer the balls and hear the xylophone tones or pull it out to play melodies.

And for a quieter, beautifully made option, check out the [00:02:00] Baby Einstein Magic Touch piano. It's a wooden piano that plays by touch.

All of these work beautifully alongside my KinderBach courses or 10 Songs All Preschoolers Should Know. The lessons in KinderBach encourage ear training and rhythm play, and these instruments make it hands-on and fun.

Now, rhythm instruments are some of the best musical gifts because they can work for any age. One that every homeschool family should have is a Remo, hand drum. These come in lots of sizes and are nearly indestructible, and they sound fantastic. Hand drums are great to practice steady beat, rhythm patterns, and dynamics, such as in the Beginning Music Theory for Elementary course. Kids absolutely love drumming along with songs they already know, as well.

For something smaller, try a rhythm stick set. Kids can tap, roll, click, rub, hammer. There's so [00:03:00] many different ways to play them.

And if you want something that feels a little more cool for older kids, a kalimba thumb piano is it. It's soothing and melodic, perfect for quiet playtime or music moments.

Maybe you have a child who's always wanted to learn to play the guitar or the ukulele? Christmas is the perfect time to start. For little ones, the Loog Mini Guitar is my top pick. It's designed for ages three and up. It only has three strings, so they can learn chords easily and build confidence.

Older kids might prefer a Kala Learn to Play Ukulele starter kit. It comes with a tuner, some online lessons, and a case.

If you've got a piano loving kid, consider a Casio SA-81 44-Key Mini Keyboard. It's lightweight, inexpensive, and offers 100 tones. Or for a full size option, which is always my recommendation, if you [00:04:00] can spend a little extra money and find a spot for it in your home, the Alesis Melody 61-key MK4 Keyboard bundle comes with a stand, bench, headphones, everything you need to start learning piano at home.

Pair these instruments with Beginning Music Theory for Teens o r Guitar Time with Ben if you'd like to start learning to play guitar.

Books also make wonderful musical gifts. They combine reading, imagination, and sound. The Story Orchestra Series is absolutely beautiful. Each book tells a famous classical story, like The Nutcracker or Swan Lake, with buttons that play snippets of real orchestral music.

Another favorite is Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin by Lloyd Moss. It's a charming, rhyming introduction to the orchestra.

Family game night can be musical, too. Try Composer Go Fish. It's educational and [00:05:00] fun, helping kids learn about composers and musical eras while they play. Another favorite is Music Bingo. F or teens and families, the Spontuneous Party Game is always a hit. Someone says a word, and players have to sing a lyric containing that word.

And, for something digital, check out GarageBand for iPad, which is a free app, and gift a pair of Logitech H390 USB Headphones for better sound while recording.

If you want gifts that fill your home with Christ-centered music, consider the album Sovereign Grace Kids: Walking with the Wise or Slug and Bugs Sing the Bible. Both are Scripture-rich and beautifully produced.

You can also gift a family subscription to a streaming concert platform or a local symphony. Performances make unforgettable gifts.

If you're looking for some small, inexpensive stocking stuffer ideas. [00:06:00] Here are a few easy wins. Clip-on tuners for guitars or ukuleles, metronome, music note pencils and erasers, composer coloring books, and music note socks. These are perfect for adding a little music magic to your stockings.

For older kids who want to write or record music, try a Blue Snowball Microphone for home recording or a Novation Launchkey Mini MIDI Controller for composing on the computer. These are amazing tools to accompany our Advanced Music Theory for Teens course, where kids learn about harmony, rhythm, and composition, and they can actually record their own ideas.

And let's not forget mom and dad, if you love to paint or unwind to music, you might love. a hymns piano book. After all, the best musical homes are one where the parents can [00:07:00] enjoy the arts right alongside their kids.

Before I close, here are a few tips for your musical shopping lists. Set a budget first. Many instrument kits are discounted 20 to 40% on Black Friday. Shop early, especially for beginner instruments because they might sell out. And read the reviews carefully.

Remember, you don't need the most expensive option. Kids need accessibility, not perfection. And if you can, support your local music store, too. Sometimes they'll even match Amazon prices, and they'll let your child try out the instrument.

As we wrap up today, I want to remind you this Christmas to give things that nurture creativity, beauty, and joy, gifts that don't just fill our homes with noise, but with harmony.

If you'd like to see all the products I mentioned today, you can find them linked in the accompanying blog post. Find it [00:08:00] in the show notes or description.

Thank you so much for listening today, my Harmony, Heroes. I pray your Christmas is full of peace, laughter, and a whole lot of music. Until next time, keep making music in your homeschool.

Find links to all resources mentioned in this episode here: https://musicinourhomeschool.com/musical-gifts-kids-christmas/