Popularised by jazz musicians such as Charlie Parker, a saxophone is one of the most entertaining musical instruments for children to practice playing. Whilst many of the toy versions you'll come across are designed for role-playing rather than actually making music, they provide a great way to get kids interested in music. This helps them get a feel of what it must be like to be a musician performing to a crowd.
If you're after fully-working models then there's still plenty to choose from. Distributors like The Little Little Toy Company make simplified but fully-functional toy saxophones that can be played by toddlers as young as three. These are designed to let children explore music in their own way and to practice learning simple tunes which they can then perform to their family or friends.
Other saxophones, particularly those aimed at slightly older children, have brightly-coloured keys and come with a few song sheets that they can learn as they build up their confidence of playing the instrument and reading music. These, and a great selection of other toy instruments, can be found at most good toy shops and online retailers.
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