1. Egg Shakers Little hands can easily hold the classic egg shaker and feel the delight of 'cause and effect' when they shake their hands. Made of soft plastic, they are easy on the gums for young toddlers still in the 'mouth everything' phase and wipe clean easily.

2. First Note 8-Note Wooden Xylophone An early introduction to the concept of playing different notes, a sturdy xylophone is a guaranteed win in any music toybox.

3. Meinl Nino Plastic Maracas Playing in time or asynchronously can be introduced with a maraca in each chubby hand. These are also a 'safe' toy for the perambulatory toddler.

4. Junior Hand Drums You could always just hand out some pots and pans and let them jam, but a hand drum offers some subtly in its tones that even a toddler can appreciate.

5. Rhythm Band Sleigh Bells Bring the noise with classic hand bells! Not just for holidays, these low-cost bells offer some of the loudest music a small child can make. Bells are not recommended for children still in the habit of 'mouthing' an object due to the potential for choking on the small ball inside each bell.