OK, OK... before I get killed... yes, I know... those instruments I had as a kid (apart from the bells) are not "toys". Should've worded it better.

But they are great instruments for kids because they're intuitive, not too complicated, and fairly indestructible. As a music teacher, when parents ask me - as they sometime do - what toy instruments to get their musically-inclined child, I recommend those, e.g. a uke rather than a toy plastic guitar etc. And also encourage the child to sing with them. Apologies for the unintended slight -