Carved Wooden Guiro Frog Musical Rasp

The first stroke always gets a laugh: the stick bumps over the ridges and out comes a croak that sounds remarkably like a real frog. Played slowly, it creaks in separate clicks; played quickly, it rolls into one long ribbit. Children try both straight away, then start answering each other from across the room.

Playing the frog guiro: croak, click and rhythm

One hand holds the frog by its belly, the other draws the stick from tail to head. Doing two different things with two hands takes a little practice at 3, and the croak tells your child at once when the stroke was smooth. Once that is easy, add the head tap: croak, click, croak, click, and a first rhythm is born.

A game that works well: tell a short story about a pond and ask your child to croak each time the word frog comes up. Listening, waiting and playing at the right moment is real musical training, even if it feels like a joke.

Which size of frog music instrument?

• Small: 6 x 4 x 4 cm, 8 cm stick, 40 g. Fits easily in a three-year-old's palm and in a pocket.
• Medium: 7 x 5 x 5 cm, 11 cm stick, 90 g. A good all-round choice for home.
• Large: 9 x 6.5 x 6.5 cm, 14 cm stick, 150 g. A bigger body for a fuller croak, comfortable for older children and adults.

Bought in two or three sizes, this frog musical instrument turns into a little chorus, each frog with its own voice. As the wood is natural, the grain and shade of each frog vary slightly from one piece to the next. Among the wooden Montessori toys that make a sound, it is one of the few that a child can play convincingly from the very first try.

Details

• Material: carved wood
• Sizes: small, medium or large, each with its own stick
• Age: from 3 years
• 2-year guarantee on all products