Q. Are musical toys educational or just loud?

A. They’re educational and loud. Children love listening to music, be it pop, rock, jazz or classical music—and moving to music is as natural for children as crawling and walking.

Hearing is one of the first senses to develop. Many of us who played music or sang to our unborn babies already know that they often respond to music by kicking or moving. In fact, babies prefer listening to the same music they heard in the womb for up to a year after birth! Interestingly, they prefer to listen to maternal singing over talking. When moms sing to their babies they emphasize the emotion using a high pitch and slow tempo. In addition, the songs they sing are often highly repetitive in terms of the rhythm, sound and words. Many of the rhyming songs used in LeapFrog toys have these same characteristics. But hearing music isn’t just about emotion—it’s a complicated process that interacts with our emotions, but needs the logical and reasoning parts of the brain to interpret. This is why listening to music can help memory, learning and thinking.

Music impacts virtually all aspects of development:

• Physical development—Music helps children develop timing, coordination and rhythm.
• Language development—Rhyming songs teach children about the pace and structure of language.
• Number sense—Counting to music beats can help children learn about numbers and their relationship to each other.
• Sorting and classifying—Children’s songs are a great way for children to learn about different categories of object in the world, such as animals or vehicles.

Passive exposure to music is also beneficial. Some studies have shown that children do better on IQ tests and in math tests if they’ve listened to music beforehand. Other research suggests that children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder learn better with music in the background. One reason is that the emotional quality of music can promote a relaxing and positive state of mind. It can also stop intrusive thoughts popping into your head when studying.

Musical toys help children structure and develop their physical play. They also use these toys to express themselves, which builds confidence and makes learning easier. However, most importantly musical toys are fun; they engage children and get them ready for learning. What more could we want from a toy?