Turn Your Messy Attic Into a Music-Making Paradise for Kids

If it's high time for the attic to get de-cluttered and your kids to start exploring their music-making skills and talents, why not make both things happen by turning your messy attic or junk room into a music paradise for kids? There are plenty of ways to do it - even if you're on a limited budget!

Starting Out

It's probably best to start off by finding out whether or not your kids actually like making music. If they do, you might want to start simple and set them up with something that's a little easier to get to grips with. Of course, if they're already a bit older and ready to learn an instrument that takes more than gross motor skills, there's plenty of options as well!

BoomWhackers

BoomWhackers are a great way for any wee one to take their first musical steps. These inexpensive percussive plastic tubes can be used to make music and, at the same time, let players get a little physical exercise in. As demonstrated in the video below, boomwhackers can be played in various ways.

Cajon

A tune played on the BoomWhackers could be easily backed up with a beat played on a cajon. All it takes to play a cajon is sitting down on it and striking the playing surface with your hands. Next to special children's cajons, our range includes cajon construction kits which are a lot of fun to put together with the help of your kid. If they're already around 12 years old, feel free to check out the rest of our cajon assortment.

Piano Mat

If you want to get your kids moving even more, why not treat them to a piano mat?! This unique piano is stretched out across the floor and played by stepping on the 'keys' - just like Tom Hanks in that famous scene from Big.

Drum Kits

While percussion is awesome, a real drum kit is even better. And no, don't worry about the neighbours, you can keep things as quiet here as you'd like. Have a look at our collection of children's drum kits to find various affordable and/or compact kits.

Electronic Kit

Take the Alesis CompactKit 4 for instance. This tiny drum kit is simply set up on a table and played using two sticks. We warn you though, the CompactKit is pretty addictive, and we wouldn't want you to hog your kid's new toy. Also, if you'd rather pick up something that's a little more like a real drum kit, go for the Alesis Debut Kit. This electronic drum kit includes a kick, a snare, toms, a hi-hat and even a stool and a pair of sticks. See our children's drum kits for more options.

Acoustic Kit

Fair enough, we can imagine there are plenty of little beat-makers out there who won't settle for anything less than a real acoustic drum kit. In that case, there's the Pearl Roadshow Junior. Sure, acoustic kits can be loud, but they do offer the classic drumming experience and there are even models available for beginners up to the age of 10. Browse our catalogue of other children's drum kits or look at all beginner's drum kits. If you need some help keeping drum noise to a minimum, check out this blog.

Guitar

You could also let your kids pick out the musical instrument they want to play. If you do, there's a good chance they'll immediately go for a guitar. For some reason, guitars are extraordinarily popular. Hmm, we wonder if this could be down to the fact that guitars are played by virtually all famous pop and rock stars? Either way, if your potential prodigy hasn't yet reached the age of 12, we recommend going for a children's guitar.

Electric Guitar

You'll need a (small) amplifier and a jack cable along with it, but once you've got the essential gear you can go all-out with an electric guitar! Once they're around the age of 11-12 and big enough to handle one, fresh-faced beginners are ready to pick up a standard-size electric guitar. Younger students are better off with a smaller electric guitar like the super-affordable Fazley FST034BK. Have a look through our dedicated Buyer's Guide for more information!

Classical Guitar

Don't let the name fool you, classical guitars aren't only built for playing classical music. Equipped with supple nylon strings, these guitars are known for shaping a beautifully warm and round sound. The LaPaz 002 BK 1/2 is a nicely compact, attractively-priced starter model. Feel free to browse through our all of our smaller classical guitars or check out the purpose-written Buyer's Guide for more information about sizes.

Acoustic Guitar

Granted, steel strings take a little time getting used to, but persevere and you'll soon relish that typically bright, sparkling steel-string sound often heard in pop and rock music. As is the case with classical models, size and age need to match up. Explore our smaller acoustic guitars or grab a standard-size acoustic guitar if your kid's around the age of 12. Need more help making an informed decision? Have a look at our Acoustic Guitar Buyer's Guide.

Piano / Keyboard

If it turns out your kid isn't into that guitars, odds are they'll take more of a liking to pianos and keyboards.

Keyboard

While children's keyboards usually aren't a whole lot smaller than standard models since there's simply no need, they're definitely more affordable and offer a great introduction to making music. Available in black and pink, the Fazley FKB-050 is a bang-for-your-buck pick.

Digital Piano

The same thing applies to children's pianos. The difference between keyboards and digital pianos is that keyboards are loaded with the sounds of a large collection of musical instruments, while pianos are mainly focussed on (superior) piano sounds. Pianos also come equipped with more keys, but generally don't feature an automatic accompaniment function while most keyboards do. Why not ask your kid what they think about the Fazley FSP-200-BK?

DJ Bundle & Disco Lighting

Deejaying may not be the same as making music, but both are certainly specialised skills that can be learned and honed - even by those that start out a little tone-deaf. Children's DJ bundles are great for an early start and let kids experiment with a DJ controller and a fun track list. Our range of Children's DJ Sets includes all affordable, complete DJ controllers. To fully deck your young one out, you could even pick up a set of atmosphere-enhancing disco lights on the side!

To Hire or to Buy?

Okay, say you've arranged a nice list of music gear for your kids. Now, go to your basket and take a look at the total order value. If you're unsure about spending that much money in one go, we might be able to help out: all musical instruments, DJ gear, lighting equipment is up for hire. Check out our Hire Gear page for more information!