Welcome to Monday’s Apps For Kids, a new Cult of Android feature where we take a look at kid-centric apps. Many of us are parents with kids who seem to know their way around our mobile devices better than we do. With the Google Play Store having over 400,000 apps, it can be quite a daunting task trying to find apps appropriate for our young tech enthusiasts. With Monday’s Apps For Kids, we hope to make that task easier by suggesting an array of topics and apps that have been kid tested and parent approved. So grab whatever crayon is lying around and get ready to write down a few apps worth checking out.

“Music is the universal language of mankind” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

From the moment we’re brought into this world, our brains become stimulated by the sounds that surround us. Lullabies and nursery rhymes are played on almost every infant mobile, toy, or glider. Whether it’s through voice, musical instruments, or now mobile devices, music plays an integral part in any child’s development and sticks with us throughout our lives.

Today we’re going to take a look at five examples of music apps which will not only introduce your child to basic tones but also gives them an early start on how musical instruments function. These apps will all be paid apps in order to prevent your child from being exposed to inappropriate ads but you’re always welcome to check out their free counterparts.

Baby’s Musical Hands (Streaming Colour Studios) – This early stage musical educational tool offers brightly colored squares that can be touched by your toddler to initiate different instrumental notes.

Tablets – 15 Squares
• Red squares make drum sounds
• Yellow squares play piano notes
• Blue squares play guitar notes

Phones – 10 Squares

• Yellow squares play piano notes
• Blue squares play guitar notes

Baby’s Musical Hands offers both audio and visual stimulants to keep your child engaged all while enhancing their understanding of cause and effect. It’s fun, colorful, and one of the cheapest musical toys at only $.99. Follow the link below to download Baby’s Musical Hands for Android.

Google Play Store Link | Baby’s Musical Hands ($.99)

Kids Piano (Sunny Day) – This cute eight-tone children’s piano (more like glockenspiel) is a great way to introduce your child to basic tones and melodies. They’ll enjoy fun free play with various child-themed skins and games. Play songs with easy to follow sheet music or simply set it to auto play and use it like a music box.

Kids Piano is another fun musical toy that won’t clutter the toy box and costs less than its physical counterpart. To download Kids Piano from the Google Play Store, follow the link below.

Google Play Store Link | Kids Piano ($2.49)

Xylophone (AppBadger) – This simple Xylophone app featuring realistic animated bars and authentic sounds will have your toddlers tapping away and making musical magic without the need for mallets. This digital Xylophone is a great musical toy for your music beginner and costs less than a candy bar.

Google Play Store Link | Xylophone ($.99)

Innocent Harp (Code Rebel Base, Inc.) – I would have never thought it possible to turn the harp into such a fun and zany musical tool. From furble minion monsters to angelic lullabies, Innocent Harp has it all:

FreeStyle your own songs, or play along with your furble minion monsters using +4+ instrument sounds.
• CONCERT HARP
• AMPED HARP
• TONE SYNTH
• CRUNK SYNTH

Each note is shown as it’s played, helping new harpists learn chords & perfect pitch.
An elegant multitouch harp you can:

• STRUM
• SLIDE
• GLISSANDI
• PLUCK
• PLAY CHORDS

Innocent Harp is one of the more expensive apps at $3.99 but if you can find a more creative way to teach your child about the instrument used by angels, let me know.

Google Play Store | Innocent Harp ($3.99)

Drums Droid realistic HD (IDteam) – Some kids just aren’t made for the melodic harp, piano genre and prefer to make as much noise as humanely possible. If your child happens to resemble animal from the Muppets then chances are this next app is for them. Drums Droid realistic HD introduces your little rocker to the basics sounds of drums, cymbals, and other percussive instruments such as congas. Drum Droid is fully customizable and features:

• 17 Instruments to choose and play
• 130 high quality sounds
• 4 personalizable layouts
• Max 20 instruments to add for each layout
• Realistic animations
• Play on touch move
• Super Multi-touch
• Loop recording and play

Google Play Store | Drums Droid realistic HD ($2.62)

That does it for our melody making Monday’s Apps For Kids. We hope these apps stimulate your child’s inner Ludwig van Beethoven while sparking their interest in early musical education. So grab the ear plugs and be sure to check back next Monday for more apps for kids.