Children's Wooden Bear Xylophone

Five bars, one mallet and a bear to play on

A bear cut from wood, five bars laid across it and a single mallet: that is the whole of the Children's Wooden Bear Xylophone, and at 12 months that is plenty. Your child grips the mallet, brings it down on a bar and a note rings out. Moving along to the next bar gives a different sound. With only five to choose from, a small child is not overwhelmed and soon starts going back to a favourite.

The bear shape is more than decoration. It gives a one year old something familiar to recognise and name, and it makes the xylophone feel like a toy that belongs to them, not a scaled-down adult instrument.

Why it suits a child from 1 year old

Around the first birthday, children love anything that answers back. Striking a bar is cause and effect at its clearest: I hit, it sounds; I stop, it stops. The gesture itself is one they already know from banging a spoon on the highchair tray, so there is nothing to explain.

The mallet adds a small challenge. Holding it in a full fist, aiming at a bar and landing on it calls for hand-eye coordination, and it is good early practice for holding a spoon or a crayon. Expect plenty of misses at first, and some taps on the bear instead of the bars.

As with any toy that has a stick, stay close while your child plays, and put the mallet away with the instrument when the session is over.

Small enough for a lap, light enough for a bag

The Children's Wooden Bear Xylophone measures 14 x 24.5 x 1.4 cm and weighs 310 g. In practice, that means it lies flat on the floor between a seated child's legs, sits across a lap on the sofa, and slips into a changing bag or a rucksack for a weekend away. A child of 1 can carry it from room to room without help, which matters a great deal at this age.

Simple music games to try from 12 months

• Your turn, my turn: tap one bar, hand over the mallet, wait. Then tap twice. Children quickly catch on to the back and forth.
• Loud and soft: play a strong tap, then a very gentle one, saying the words as you go. Your child hears what a change of force does.
• Up and down: slide the mallet across all five bars one way, then the other, and let your child try the sweep.
• Tap along: sing a nursery rhyme and tap the beat on a single bar. Rhythm comes long before tune.
• Stop and go: play while you say "go" and freeze on "stop". It turns listening into a game.

A tip from the shop floor: keep sessions short and leave the Children's Wooden Bear Xylophone on a low shelf, not at the bottom of a toy box. An instrument a child can see and reach is one they come back to several times a day.

Bear, lion, maracas or rainmaker: which to pick

Each of our first instruments asks for a different movement. Maracas are shaken, with no mallet to manage, and give rhythm only. A rainmaker is tipped over and listened to, a quiet and soothing sound. The bear xylophone is struck, and it is the one where each bar has its own sound, so it suits a child who is ready to aim and wants to hear a difference. If you are torn between this model and our Wooden Lion Baby Xylophone, let the animal your child likes best decide.

You will find them all with our musical toys for 1 year olds.

Questions about the bear xylophone

What age is the bear xylophone suitable for?

It is designed for children aged 1 and over, with an adult nearby while the mallet is in use.

How many bars does the bear xylophone have?

It has five bars and comes with one mallet.

Is a xylophone a good first instrument for a 1 year old?

Yes. It needs only one gesture, striking, which children of this age already enjoy, and it rewards them straight away with a sound. A small model with few bars, like this one, is easier to manage than a long one.

How big is the bear xylophone?

It measures 14 x 24.5 x 1.4 cm and weighs 310 g, small and light enough for a one year old to carry.

Bear xylophone details and cleaning

• Wooden xylophone in the shape of a bear
• 5 bars and 1 mallet
• Size: 14 x 24.5 x 1.4 cm
• Weight: 310 g
• For ages 1 and up
• 2-year guarantee, as on all our Montessori education toys

To clean it, wipe the wood with a soft, slightly damp cloth and let it dry in the open air. Do not soak it or leave it on a radiator.