Best Ukulele for a Child

Numerous studies have shown that kids who are exposed to music in an interactive way (music lessons, tinkering with mom or dad's instruments, etc) have boosted IQ's.  I'm a big proponent of getting instruments in your children's hands at an early age and the ukulele is a great place to start!  The chief reason being that the ukulele is small and can fit into those little hands.  Not to mention, it's a fun instrument!

Sounds good so far, right?  But wait a minute...every parent knows that anything they put in their child's hands is at great risk of being destroyed.  So what's a good (and cheap) starter ukulele for a young child?  Here's some inexpensive and durable options....

Diamond Head DU10 Soprano Ukulele

A solid uke for a youngster coming in at the $30 mark.  

Makala Dolphin

A very respected beginner ukulele.  Many players got their start on one of these Dolphins.  You can find one for just above $40.

Schoenhut Parrot Ukulele

Schoenhut...yep, that's the same name that was on your toy piano when you were a kid.  They still make those toy pianos, by the way.  They've also started making some other kid-friendly starter instruments like this Parrot Ukulele.  They've caught a little grief for their shamless copy of the Flea (as you can clearly see).  While I'm not a big fan of stealing someone's ideas and work, it's awfully hard to pass this up.  You can find one in the $30-$50 range.

Hope one of these ukes will make your child very happy!  On a side note, you might think about investing a few dollars in some ear plugs.  :)