When I saw these two similar toys right next to each other at the thrift store I couldn’t help but begin to compare them! Check out my rundown of each and which one ultimately wins out for me as a music educator and Montessori Mom:
The Hape Baby Einstein piano is really aesthetically pleasing - it has some wooden elements along with the plastic, which I really like. However no matter how hard I tap the keys the volume is not affected, unlike a real musical instrument.
It also comes with preloaded songs. When you switch modes you can also tap out the melody, regardless of which key you hit, which is strange. Overall, this toy doesn’t allow for a lot of spontaneous feedback, and the automatically loaded songs make it more of a close-ended experience.
Pros:
aesthetically pleasing
wooden elements
correctly pitched
child-sized
Cons:
not sensitive to touch
pre-loaded songs w/ button push
tap any key to play the melody (I truly don’t get this)
requires batteries
doesn’t encourage open-ended play
This is a more traditional xylophone style keyboard, but with the wooden sides honestly, it’s pretty cute. The letter names do not line up to concert pitch unfortunately but the bars respond to how hard or softly they are hit. This toy is all acoustic, allowing the child to freely play and experiment.
One downside is that it requires a mallet which could get lost.
Pros:
metal and wooden elements
responds to touch
acoustic (no batteries or power source required)
child-sized
pretty cute
Cons:
letter names do not match concert pitch
requires a mallet which could get lost
Neither toy is “good“ or “bad” - I’ve had both in my home! But for me, the xylophone wins out. At the end of the day it’s a real, acoustic instrument that inspires more open-ended musical exploration.
Both were found at the thrift store: The Magic Touch keyboard was $4.99 and the xylophone was $5.99.
The Magic Touch Keyboard can be found at Indigo: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/baby-einstein-magic-touch-piano/6943478024854.html
A similar xylophone (pitched correctly!) can be found at the link* below:
*affiliate link
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