Best Kids Guitars and Ukuleles for 2 to 7-Year-Olds
Contents
This guide covers five kids guitar and ukulele picks ordered by age line, from 6 months all the way to 8 years. The first two are toy guitars for 2-year-olds and younger toddlers, played by strumming, pressing buttons, and watching lights. The last three are real-string ukuleles, and the youngest age line in that group starts at 2.
Which type suits your child? Toy guitars with lights and built-in tunes work well as first musical instruments for toddlers who like to strum and press buttons. Real-string ukuleles let older toddlers and preschoolers strum and hear the sound their own fingers make. Both categories are covered below, ordered youngest to oldest, so you can match the right instrument to your child's age in seconds.
If you are still exploring what else works well at this age, our guide to the best toys for 2-year-olds covers a wider range of play options alongside musical picks like these.
Our picks at a glance
- Light Up Strum Along Magic Touch Wooden Guitar: Ages 0-3, $50 to $100
- Baby Avocadancer Guitar: Ages 0-3, $50 to $100
- 17 Inch Educational Ukulele: Ages 2-5, $50 to $100
- Learning Classical Ukulele Guitar: Ages 3+, Under $50
- Kids Beginner Ukulele: Ages 3-8, $50 to $100
Kids Guitar Picks for Toddlers (Ages 6 Months to 3 Years)
These two picks are toy guitars your child plays by strumming, touching, and pressing buttons. Colorful lights and built-in tunes play along with every strum and press. They suit children from 6 months to 36 months and make a strong first musical instrument for a 2-year-old.
Light Up Strum Along Magic Touch Wooden Guitar
$50 to $100
Your child strums the wooden body to create their own melodies or joins in with pre-recorded tunes. The guitar switches between acoustic and banjo sounds, so the same strum can sound completely different depending on the mode. Light-up features flash along with the music, and the whammy bar activates Silly Mode sound effects for an extra playful twist. The guitar has a classic wooden design. This is a first kids guitar for a 2-year-old who wants to strum. Its age line runs from 6 to 36 months, so it suits a baby or toddler who likes to strum, switch between acoustic and banjo sounds, and set off Silly Mode with the whammy bar.
Age Appropriateness: 6 to 36 months.
Baby Avocadancer Guitar
$50 to $100
Your child presses buttons fitted along the neck of the guitar to perform a total of six songs and six guitar riffs while colorful lights pulse in rhythm to the tunes. Roll the avocado pip to pop some amazing guitar riffs. The guitar measures 11 x 6 x 2.8 inches. This is the press-and-play pick for a 2-year-old who loves lights and music together. Rated 6 months to 36 months, it suits a baby or toddler who likes to press buttons, roll the avocado pip and watch the colorful lights keep time with six songs and six riffs.
Manufacturer Recommended Age: 6 months to 36 months.
Kids Ukulele Picks with Real Strings (Ages 2 and Up)
These three picks are ukuleles for kids with real strings your child can strum. If you are looking for a small ukulele with real strings for toddlers, the youngest manufacturer age line in this group starts at 2. Each kids ukulele below is ordered from the youngest age line to the widest range. For a broader look at starter instruments beyond guitars and ukuleles, see our guide to the best first instruments for kids ages three to seven.
17 Inch Educational Ukulele
$50 to $100
Your child strums 4 carbon nylon strings that are fully playable as well as easily tuned. The strings are described as durable and resistant to breaking, which matters when a toddler is doing the strumming. The ukulele comes in a Sprucewood finish and includes a ukulele strap and a gliding fret. It is lightweight and easy to carry, so your child can bring it from room to room. Parents can also enjoy spending time teaching kids rhythm with this one. This is the only real-string pick whose age line starts at 2, making it the right choice for a toddler ready to explore genuine strings. With an age line of 2 years to 5 years, it suits a child who wants to strum real strings from the toddler years through preschool.
Manufacturer's recommended age: 2 years to 5 years.
Learning Classical Ukulele Guitar
Under $50
Your child picks up this ukulele and starts to learn rhythmic patterns and basic notes. It features real tuning gears and nylon strings, and it is perfectly sized for younger players with smaller hands and fingers. It is light-weighted and easy for a preschooler to hold. This is the lowest-priced pick in the guide, suited to a child of 3 or more who is ready for a real-string experience. Rated 3 years and up, it suits a child who wants to work on rhythmic patterns and basic notes on a ukulele with real tuning gears and nylon strings.
Manufacturer's recommended age: 3 years and up.
Kids Beginner Ukulele
$50 to $100
This beginner ukulele for kids ages 3 to 8 is made of durable wood and painted with non-toxic paints, finished with brightly colored polka dots that give it personality on a shelf or in a child's hands. It measures 21.06 x 6.89 x 2.36 inches. The listed skill level is Beginner, so it is built for a child who is just starting out. This is the pick with the widest age line, for a child who will keep playing past 7. Its age line of 3 years to 8 years suits a beginner who wants a wooden ukulele with brightly colored polka dots through preschool and the early school years.
Manufacturer recommended age: 3 years to 8 years.
Toy Guitar or Ukulele: Matching the Pick to Your Child's Age
Every pick in this guide carries a manufacturer age line. Here is where each one fits, from youngest to oldest.
From 6 months to 2 years. The two toy guitars are the picks rated for this age. Your child strums the Light Up Strum Along Magic Touch Wooden Guitar or presses the buttons on the Baby Avocadancer Guitar.
At 2. Both toy guitars still fit, and the 17 Inch Educational Ukulele, rated 2 years to 5 years, adds 4 carbon nylon strings to strum.
From 3 to 5. All three ukuleles fit their age lines, and the toy guitar age lines end at 36 months.
From 6 to 8. The Learning Classical Ukulele Guitar (3 years and up) and the Kids Beginner Ukulele (3 years to 8 years) are the two picks whose age lines reach this age.
Should You Choose a Toy Guitar or a Real Ukulele for a Toddler?
Should you choose a toy guitar or a real ukulele for a toddler? Both toy guitars in this guide are rated for children 6 to 36 months. Your child strums, presses buttons, and watches the lights respond. From age 2, the 17 Inch Educational Ukulele gives your child 4 real carbon nylon strings to strum, making it the earliest entry point to real-string play in this lineup. If your child is under 2, a toy guitar is the clear starting point. If your child is 2 or older and you want them to hear the sound of real strings under their fingers, a ukulele is ready for them.
What age can a child start ukulele? The youngest manufacturer age line among the real-string picks in this guide is 2 years, the rating for the 17 Inch Educational Ukulele. Two more picks start at age 3: the Learning Classical Ukulele Guitar and the Kids Beginner Ukulele, which carries an age line stretching all the way to 8 years. Your child can start a ukulele as early as the manufacturer says the instrument is sized and built for them.
What comes with each ukulele? The 17 Inch Educational Ukulele includes the 17-inch mini ukulele, a ukulele strap and a gliding fret. The Learning Classical Ukulele Guitar has real tuning gears, nylon strings and quality details. The Kids Beginner Ukulele is made of durable wood and painted with non-toxic paints, with brightly colored polka dots.
Which pick suits a two-year-old? Three picks have age lines that include age 2. The Light Up Strum Along Magic Touch Wooden Guitar suits a two-year-old who wants to strum, and the Baby Avocadancer Guitar suits one who likes to press buttons and watch colorful lights. The 17 Inch Educational Ukulele, rated 2 years to 5 years, is the pick for a two-year-old ready for real strings.
Which pick lasts the longest? By age line, the Kids Beginner Ukulele covers the widest span, from 3 years to 8 years, and the Learning Classical Ukulele Guitar is rated 3 years and up, an open-ended age line.
Conclusion
Two touch-and-light toy guitars for toddlers up to 3, and three real-string ukuleles from age 2 to 8: that is the full range of guitar for kids covered in this guide. Every ukulele here, the 17 Inch Educational Ukulele, the Learning Classical Ukulele Guitar, and the Kids Beginner Ukulele, counts as one of the best kids ukuleles under $100, so you can pick the one that matches your child's age line.
