Childrens Toys

Our friends at Mumsbabymagazine.com have been kind enough to review the Plan Toys Wooden Musical Band for us. Take a look at what they had to say…

Drumming is beneficial to the physical, mental, social, spiritual, educational, emotional and Musical development of children. Drumming is a physically active form of musical expression which gives children a ‘voice’. The act of drumming is well known for increasing attention span and enhancing self esteem. Drumming exercises the brain, memory and self control required to make rhythms. Drumming can be especially rewarding and beneficial for children with special needs or disabilities.

It is never too early to teach your children how to create and follow beats and rhythms accurately. Some expecting parents even play Music to their child/ children before birth by placing headphones upon their pregnant belly! When your child is born they may respond to rhythms and beats through movement, clapping, stamping, verbalising or even physically drumming upon an object. Children as we know love to play with our pots and pans making bangs and crashes, whilst pots and pans are ideal for young infants, once your child is a little older it may be wise to invest in something a little higher quality to nourish and encourage your child’s desire to create Music.

Suitable for ages three and up, the Plan Toys Musical Band is perfect for toddlers and children wishing to practice Music with a realistic, quality instrument. The Plan Toys Musical Band features two drums differing in size and tone, a guiro/ scraper, a cymbal and two wooden drum sticks. Mums Baby Magazine were sent the ‘Plan Toys Musical Band’ to rate and review for our readers from ‘Bouncy Happy People’. Bouncy Happy People are a family run activity toy company based in Cornwall, UK. Bouncy Happy People are renowned for sourcing and retailing fabulous activity toys to encourage energetic, creative and imaginative play. Mums Baby Magazine put the Plan Toys Musical Band to the test with a delightful little drummer…
The Musical Band is extremely easy to assemble, requiring only two screws in total. The main board simply screws to the stand, the three sturdy legs are then twisted into place and from this point the drums and accessories can be added with elastic fastenings. Due to the simplistic design of the Musical Band, it is also very easy to disassemble for storage and could therefore fit into a medium sized box along with other Musical instruments for storage purposes.

Unlike many drums/ instruments made for use with children, the Plan Toys Musical Band is very high quality in terms of material and sound produced. The skins of the drums are made from a rubbery textured material which produces a wonderful tone when struck with a drum stick. The skins of the drums are made from cotton coated with natural latex (the distinctive character of natural latex can mean that white stains/ marks appear on the material when exposed to high temperatures/ humidity. In order to clear the white stain simply use a sponge and water to gently wipe from the material).
Each drum is attached to the mainframe of the Musical Band set with strong elasticated wooden toggles. Each drum can be easily added or removed from the set and used individually if required.

The guiro is also attached by elastic (as shown in pictures featured) and be easily added or removed according to the users requirements. The guiro can be turned either horizontal or vertical to the Musical Band set for easy access during play. The cymbal is also attached via elastic and produces a fantastic sound when struck,

Whilst the Plan Toys Musical Band may seem small measuring 35cm in length, 25cm in width and 35cm in height, it is the ideal size for young child as it is lightweight, mobile and ideal for ‘floor play’ or placing upon a table top.
Our little drummer took great joy in striking the cymbal over and over for some time. Whilst the cymbal is satisfyingly loud enough for children, it isn’t too loud for adults and therefore bearable for parents to allow children regular play. Our toddler tester soon discovered that each drum altered in tone and took great pride in creating alternate sounds with each drum. Whilst we encouraged him to make use of the guiro he found it awkward to access and therefore we twisted it so that it was vertical for easier access during play.

The Plan Toys Musical Band provided hours of entertainment for our dainty drummer. We believe that this item is also ideal for use within the classroom as due to its high quality and smaller size, the Musical Band could be placed in front of a child upon the floor or a desk during music sessions within nursery, primary or even secondary school. We were so greatly impressed by the quality and design of the Plan Toys Musical Band that we awarded this item ten out of ten!
The Plan Toys Musical Band helps to develop a broad range of skills including two vital skills for development: motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Whilst the Plan Toys Musical Band is classed as a toy, we believe that it should be classed as an instrument as it is such quality and enables children to explore music, discovering a range of sounds in order to develop a broad range of skills whilst having a whole lot of fun!

The Plan Toys Musical Band retails at £35 upwards in most stores and online shops. However, Bouncy Happy People currently sell the Plan Toys Musical Band for (drum roll please…) only £29.95! For further information visit www.bouncyhappypeople.co.uk

For the full review including images please click here