Lovevery Music Set Review: Best Musical Instrument Set For Toddlers + Preschoolers?!

If you've been on the search for the best musical instrument set for toddlers and preschoolers, we have official found it: the Lovevery Music Set.

While we've reviewed music toys for babies and musical toys for toddlers in the past, we can wholeheartedly say, we've never come across such a quality, unique, well thought out set of musical instruments for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers until now.

In this review, I'll cover what's inside the Love Every music set, dupes if you'd like to try and self curate it (though this isn't really a set you can self curate, as the music book and color coordinated instruments are the real experience), and then a discussion on the FAQs and our experience to determine if it's worth it!

What makes the Lovevery music set so good?

Most music sets for toddlers and babies are simple percussion wooden instruments that are fun for circle time or playing around the house, but not particularly unique or enriching.

Lovevery sought to remedy this with five unique musical instruments, an extremely detailed book/guide that teaches music notes and circle time songs for toddlers, and a metronome to help your child learn rhythm correctly.

Lastly, it comes with a hefty guide for parents, broken down by age, detailing developmentally appropriate ways (and expectations) for using the instruments with your child.

In other words: If you are wondering how to encourage music in toddlers, this is the perfect place to start and actually take steps forward

What's inside the Lovevery Music Set:

Color Tab Pan Flute

Made from child safe plastic, it's sort of a hybrid between a pan flute and harmonica where your child blows into it (harmonica style) so the air goes over the tubes (pan flute).

The color coded tabs correlate to a musical note which coincide with the pat bells and colors in the included Rhythm & Songs Book.

It's really beautiful, lightweight, and durable.

Pan flute dupes:

Most of the pan flutes have more than five notes and no colored tabs that correspond with a music book, so in terms of look/quality I'd say this is the most similar alternative or this one.

Granted you can also DIY a pan flute out of straws too:

Pentatonic Pat Bells

Lovevery's Pentatonic Pat Bells feature a wooden tray and combination plastic/metal bells which make noise by being tapped on.

The colors correspond with the pan flute and Rhythm & Songs Book for kids to learn their first five notes, C, D, E, G, and A.

It's worth noting that in order to make the note ring, you really need to “tap” it – if you do a gentle press it won't make the sound.

Bell dupes:

The most similar alternative to Lovevery's bells I could find are these; which come with 8 bells instead of 5 and a music book. What I like about this set, is the colors match Lovevery's so if you have siblings or want a slightly bigger set, you can get these as a nice add on.

Simple Concertina

Similar to an accordian, you press and pull the instrument and the air going past a small piece of metal inside creates the musical sound.

The Simple Concertina has no buttons on the end and produces music in the C-major chords. It's made from a mix of wood, plastic, and rubber and seems incredibly durable.

Concertina alternative:

I'd say the most similar kids concertina to Lovevery's is this one – which features simple handles, wood ends, and a rubber mid-section. Though I can't see what note it plays in, it's definitely the simplest and most comparable aesthetically.

A cheaper option is this one – which is a plastic design with a “fox” theme. Lastly you can opt for this kids accordion if you'd like keys.

Loud & Quiet Stackable Shakers

While music shakers are an easy DIY, Lovevery's are pretty great for little hands. Inside the music set you get a loud and quiet shaker that fits easily in kid's palms. The shakers are a durable plastic that can be tossed, rolled, and tapped.

I love that they can be stacked and shaken together too – a truly rare feature amongst kids music shakers!

Shaker alternatives:

The most similar in terms of size and stackability I could find is this set as most kids shakers are egg shaped, but these are flat and stackable.

Basic shakers aside, I think Lovevery's were inspired by Montessori sensorial auditory materials that produce a different sound when shaken and children need to either match or arrange by tone:

With that said, there are tons of egg shaped music shakers at various price points with one of our favorite wooden music shakers coming in this music set from KiwiCo.

Jingle Bracelet with Wooden Handle

The jingle bell bracelet with wooden handle is a fun twist on two classic toys. The wooden handle makes the bracelet almost like a rattle; while the band with bells can be taken off and worn as a bracelet or anklet for a full body music experience!

Alternatives:

I couldn't find anything exactly like Lovevery's – instead you'd need to purchase jingle bell bands and find a stick to fit them on or purchase the Jingle stick rattles:

Rhythm & Songs Book

The music set Rhythm & Songs Book is really a unique and complete guide for introducing the basics of music to kids. It starts by walking through kids how to clap through note then takes them through creating their own rhythm with visual cues.

The next section focuses on making a song with the pan flute or bells. Finally the last section includes classic circle time songs for toddlers. In lieu of musical notes, they use the colors that match the pan flute and bells.

Alternatives:

In terms of finding dupes for this, the most similar is the music book included with the bell set I mentioned earlier as most similar “beginner music books” are geared towards teaching piano or guitar – not the bells or pan flute making this a truly age appropriate experience for toddlers.

Animal Metronome

The Lovevery Animal Metronome works to teach children rhythm. Typically metronomes are silent, but Lovevery's makes a clicking sound and has a green LED light that flashes with the sound/beat to provide auditory and visual cues.

The addition of the animals around the clock, provides added information for kids about the relative speed – for instance 40 beats per minute doesn't mean much to a child, but if you say go slow like a snail it makes more sense. This essentially takes concepts they already know (run fast like a cheetah!) and expands it with the auditory and visual cues as they learn to keep pace with the music.

Dupes:

Obviously nothing with the animal factor, but you can find several metronomes with varying features from the auditory to visual cues – these all go from 40 to 208 BPM like Lovevery's too:

FAQs Lovevery's Music Set:

What makes the Lovevery Music Set unique?

Lovevery's Music Set is unique in the fact it's a mix of unique plastic and wooden musical instruments, a metronome, and book that teaches the basics of music.

Typically toddler music sets have lots of percussion instruments like drums and shakers, but very little variety like Lovevery offers with the pan flute, bells, and concertina. Additionally, most toddler music sets do not include nearly as much instruction or guidance for families looking to encourage music in toddlers!

What age is the Lovevery music set for?

Lovevery's music set is rated for 18 months and up with the tips in the guide book being staged as follows:

• By 2
• Age 2-3
• Age 3-4
• Age 4+

Given that it focuses on 5 notes, I'd say it's fairly easy to learn and get started, but if you have a 6 year old who has never been introduced to music, it would probably engage them for a time too.

How does it encourage music in toddlers?

Lovevery's music set focuses on age appropriate ways to encourage music in babies by creating vibrant, engaging instruments and providing parents with a complete guide to build on their toddlers natural interest with the instruments.

For instance, you'll find activity suggestions in the guide book for a 2 year old engaging with the bells (e.g. tapping the colors), that becomes more complex when they turn 3 (jumping when you hear the red bell, or clapping when you hear the green), and so on.

Really the focus is on building a connection with music, not playing the instruments perfectly, which ensures a lifelong connection to music.

What are good circle time songs for toddlers?

A good starter list of circle time songs for preschoolers and toddlers includes:

• Itsy Bitsy Spider
• Farmer in the Dell
• Mary Had A Little Lamb
• Hot Cross Buns
• Ring Around The Rosie
• Rain, Rain, Go Away
• Jingle Bells

All of which Lovevery includes the “music sheets” for in their book.

What are the best musical instrument sets for toddlers?

Lovevery certainly has one of the best musical instrument sets for toddlers and preschoolers.

If you want more ideas check out the best musical toys for babies and the best musical toys for toddlers.

Is Lovevery's Music Set worth it?

Financially, if you were to self curate the Lovevery music set with Amazon alternatives or other dupes, you'd be looking at spending between $100 to$160 – and that does not include the music book in either of those estimates. Thus Lovevery's Music Set is worth it from a financial perspective.

In terms of kids engagement and enjoyment, both of my kids are obsessed with the instruments included. They are pretty different than typical musical instruments for toddlers we have and my 4 year old loves actually learning to play the music properly.

Beyond that, I LOVE the activities included in the guide which include a bunch of ways to repurpose the instruments so they don't just sit on a montessori shelves untouched.