9 Of The Best Pianos For Kids – Major Scale Impact for Minor Scale Pianists

We want to encourage our kids to have hobbies (ie things that keep them busy and are hopefully educational). Meaningful, long-term hobbies like learning the piano are one of the most purposeful and long-lasting. Buying a piano for kids is a financial gamble that begs the question, is it worth it? Hell yes— is the short answer. You don’t have to go crazy, buying a full-size piano before you even know if they are interested (or have any potential). It’s better to start with a scaled-down version or a digital piano until your LO has decided it’s still interesting after the first month.

How Can Kids Learn How To Play Piano?

With apps such as Piano Maestro providing digital piano lessons, it’s easy to get our kids started— it even keeps them busy for periods of time. There are no paying teachers or having to drive to lessons, but they still get to learn notes and follow a rhythm. ABC Music is another app that teaches kids about musical exploration, they can even watch videos showing all the instruments for kids in action.

What Are The Benefits Of Learning Piano?

There are a lot of studies that look into the effects of learning to play the piano on the development of the brain. Everything from improved concentration to higher levels of emotional intelligence to increased math ability has been associated with skills credited to the piano. According to Stanford University professor Keith Devlin, “Mathematics is about understanding and analyzing patterns. And music is audible patterns in time. And so reasoning about music and reasoning about mathematics, understanding music, understanding mathematics, listening to music, thinking about mathematics, there’s a lot of similarities between them.”

Whether or not you’re looking for an activity to bring everyone back to breathing after your last Common Core Math session (seriously who's idea was that?) or are simply looking for a kid-friendly outlet for stress or anxiety, we have rounded up some options for the best piano for kids and toddlers. Play on mini-Mozart!

Best Pianos For Toddlers

A Piano That’ll Make Them Look Like Tiny Professionals

This child-size baby grand piano is perfect for our classiest of little ones. The GoPlus Classical Kids Piano is designed for small hands (aka kids), but also sized large enough to work for children up to age 7. Styled with 30 keys (25-30 is the goal for toddlers), this beautifully designed baby grand will evoke a feeling of love for music long term. We all know how tempting it is for kids to stick their hands inside everything, but don’t worry, the focus is on safety and design. The hardwood bench and piano include rounded corners and the lid is made with safety hinges. Aside from providing safe entertainment, this makes a beautiful gift as it comes with a music stand and a bench (hello grandparents, you asked what to get for bday?). It’s also available in bright pink as well, for those who want their piano to be as loud when it's off as when it is on.

One Reviewer Says: “The day this came in, last week, my husband and I couldn't even wait to open it. We tore the box open, put this together [within] a few minutes, and my daughter went to town on this adorable piano. The piano and bench [are] made of real wood and the top opens just like a real piano. I have noticed that when the top is open, the sound is a lot louder. The piano is a bell sound but it's so freaking cute! We have posted so many pictures and videos on Facebook of our daughter playing this piano and so many people have [complimented on] how awesome it is”

The Perfect Piano For Little Learners

The Best Choice 30-Key Baby Grand Piano produces unique tones (think xylophone more than piano) as our little one begins their musical journey. Ideal for ages 3 and up, it is a complete musical experience, sized right for little ones, but with wide enough keys to learn proper finger placement. Getting the basics down early on will ease the transition to bigger pianos down the road. This Best Choice toddler piano comes with a bench, to ensure the right posture as the kids play (right because toddlers ALWAYS sit properly). Pro-tip, when looking to determine if a piano is the right size for a LO, the keyboard should be the same height as the child’s hands when standing. This removes the strain of holding their hand up.

One Reviewer Says: “Bought this for my 1-year-old daughter and she loves it! She can't sit on the stool yet, because she isn't walking, but she can stand at it and bang away on the keys. Great quality and is adorable in photos.”

The Little Piano That’s Built Just Like The Real Thing

Specifically designed for kiddos between the ages of one and three, the Korg is a large scale investment in a miniature package. Certainly, the name says “toy” piano — but at this price point, this is anything but. We know, who the hell would pay that kind of money for something our toddler is probably going to most certainly sit on? Stay with us. KORG is a leading producer of high-quality digital musical instruments, this one included. Set aside the cute design and this “toy” is actually a miniaturized upright piano. A true sign of a good piano for a kid is that it is specifically designed for the heights and weights of a toddler. Constructed out of solid wood this piano will suit the decor of any room (unlike some other kid toys), yet is light enough that it can be easily transported wherever you go. This piano houses a 25-note keyboard that’s perfect for little hands. It has a library of 25 built-in sounds and 50 pre-recorded songs that will help LO learn fast. Oh, and its muted volume makes it perfect for little ears (and big ears) too!

One Reviewer Says: “Love this little piano! Adorable and clearly well made. The sound quality is great and my toddler loves all the songs it plays. He keeps it on to auto-play through all the programmed songs. Bought the adaptor to plug it in bc he keeps it on so much.”

A Keyboard That’s Great For Beginners

When shopping for a piano, there are two types you could go for – a full-sized digital piano or an electric keyboard for toddlers. The aPerfectLife is the best piano keyboard for toddlers ages three and up, as it is lightweight, cost-effective, and rightly sized. When shopping for portable keyboards, lightweight products matter so that they can be moved around by our little ones. Furthermore, toddler pianos really only need 25-30 keys to give them enough range when learning to play. Aside from serving as an educational toy and training tool for beginners, it is also a multifunctional instrument! Including 22 songs, different rhythms and percussion sounds as well, and a built-in microphone for our budding pop star.

One Reviewer Says: “My niece is really shy and reserved but she went absolutely bonkers for this! As soon as she unwrapped it she could not stop playing with it, singing into the microphone and carrying it around!”

Best Pianos For Kids Age 5 & Up

A Keyboard That’s Easy To Carry From Room To Room

Sized perfectly for younger players, the Shayson Kids Piano Keyboard will provide hours of engaging fun for aspiring musicians. If you’ve never exposed the kids to piano playing before, this is the perfect beginner step. With 37 full-size keys and 3 octaves, this digital keyboard makes learning to play easy and fun on an instrument that’s rightly sized. The keyboard features a sound library of tons of instrument sounds, play-along rhythms in many musical styles, and a record & playback function. Warm up those vocal cords, parents — we’re probably going to be asked to record a few rounds with them. We promise there’s no feature that allows for our performances to be uploaded to YouTube.

One Reviewer Says: “My son loves his new bday gift! He’s wanted one for quite some time now! Great sound quality for a toy, and [the] perfect size for 8-year-old beginners. User friendly and easy to learn on. Feels very durable even though it’s very lightweight! Which makes it easy for him to carry along with him to his father's house.”

The Keyboard That’s Equipped With A Headphone Jack

Once a kid has outgrown a toddler-sized piano, it’s time to move to a children's musical keyboard. The Casio 44-Key Mini Personal Keyboard is the next right-sized move for young kids looking to take on piano, or move up from their first one. Keyboards on the smaller side usually have 61 or 76 keys and usually do not have weighted keys. 90% of us don’t care about this, we just want our kids engaged and out of our hair for a while. However, there is quite a debate in the music community about training young pianists with weighted keys or not. This model does not have weighted keys but adds more keys over the toddler models (this is important the bigger they get). It also includes over one hundred sounds and rhythm patterns. As a result, creativity can flow freely as they create their own unique songs to either the piano or the organ setting. Did we mention the headphone jack? Win!

One Reviewer Says: “I bought this for my grandchildren and they love it. Because it has percussion keys separate from the keyboard, they could use it at the same time. I do not think there's a better keyboard for the money. The sound quality is very good (I'm a music enthusiast) and the build quality seems good. It does not come with an external 120v power supply but it has a port for one. We put 6 AA batteries in it and they've lasted through the holidays”

A Keyboard With An Impressive LCD Screen

The RockJam 61-Key Electronic Keyboard Piano SuperKit is a one-stop-shop music factory that offers a lot of value for minimal pricing. This SuperKit includes the keyboard, a stand, stool, headphones, and power supply (buh-bye batteries). The LCD screen is another reason we’re such big fans of this electronic piano. The easy-to-read, light-up display clearly shows which tone, tempo, and rhythm is being used. The LCD screen also demonstrates which of the 61 keys need to be pressed to play along. This teaching mode will save money on a piano teacher initially with kid-started lessons, but is versatile enough to be used daily. There are over 100 piano sounds, more than 100 catchy rhythms, and 50 demo songs for our little ones to experiment all day long. With over 3000 positive reviews on Amazon, the RockJam beginner keyboard is loved by new pianists, children, and adults alike. Why not join in on the fun, mom? (The stand will adjust to your size too!)

One Reviewer Says: “This is a great keyboard for beginners. I bought it for my 6-year-old son [for] his kindergarten graduation and he is so excited to learn how to play! It has everything you'd expect from a good quality keyboard, plus it has a teaching mode! Even my wife and I fight over playing time now.”

The Keyboard That Comes With Three Months Of Free Lessons

The Alesis Recital Beginner Digital Piano is the go-to product for anyone looking to give kids an idea of what it’s really like to play the piano. The 88 hammer-action keys (this is full size, BTW) have an adjustable touch response, which bridges the gap between a touch-sensitive keyboard, and a piano with fully weighted keys. Equipped with a “lesson mode”, the Alesis Recital allows for both a teacher and student to play at the same time (how cool is that?!). The sound can also be adjusted to a traditional acoustic piano, electric piano, organ, synth, or bass. This pro version also includes a “Record Mode” so our littles can feel like real recording artists as they hear their work played back to them. So that we don’t have to suffer their musical growing pains with them, we can plug in headphones and let them enjoy the music all by themselves. This piano is one that our kids can continue to grow into for years to come. It also comes with a limited-time subscription for lessons.

One Reviewer Says: “This piano did not disappoint. I opted for the pro version with the hammer keys vs the semi-weighted keys just to get [a] better feel while playing, and trust me when I say it is extremely enjoyable to play this piano. I may be [biased] coming from a cheap plastic price of junk, but the quality of this instrument is outstanding, especially when the low price is factored in. The sound is amazing, the hammer action keys work really well, and the piano itself is very sturdily built.”

This exclusive bundle is an amazing deal for any moms looking to invest in a long-term piano for kids. The Yamaha P45 Digital Piano bundle comes with a digital piano with 88 keys, a furniture stand, a bench, and a sustain pedal. It’s excellent for older kids who want to create music online and has a tone that sounds legit. When it comes to musical instruments, plenty of parents trust Yamaha. Getting everything in a bundle all at once is a great deal if your child’s already in love with music.

One Reviewer Says: “I am taking private piano lessons via Skype and my piano instructor absolutely loves this digital piano; she said that's perfect to learn on weighted keys. The tone is wonderful and I am very happy that I purchased this Yamaha bundle; the price is affordable. I recommend this product 100% I'm happy!”

Looking for more ways to entertain the littles? Shop all of our mom-approved best kids toys.