Here is a great deal on a high-quality musical instrument that both boys and girls will enjoy. The Today’s Tot Marching Drum comes with a drum stick and a strap for marching. This is sure to be a big hit. Available in red, blue, or green, this toy is on sale for just $8.20 (down from $49.99!) at babyage.com.

This toy is a family favorite. My twins absolutely love this drum, and my husband has even admitted it’s his favorite toy in the playroom. This entertaining Crawl-Along Drum Roll by Fisher-Price lights up and has two modes of play. In the “Sit-At Mode,” your baby can hit the two bongos and get beats and sound effects as a result. You can then convert it to a rolling drum; this “Crawl-Along Mode” offers different songs and eggs your baby to push and crawl after the toy. Personally, I leave the drum in sitting mode and save the crawl-along mode for those times during the day when they seem to be getting restless and need a change of pace.

It’s amazing that day after day, my babies both still come back to this toy. And unlike other noise-making toys, this one has three noise levels—high, low, and off. So, when it’s time to take a nap, simply turn off the toy and avoid the accidental bump that will set off a song and wake up your little one.

I highly recommend this drum if you have a baby six months or older. It’s a great toy that not only teaches cause and effect, but also keeps the entire family—daddies too—entertained. Go to toyrus.com and buy it for yourself or a friend for just $17.99.  I promise you won’t regret it.

Although I’ve told myself I’m done shopping for my 4 1/2 year old son’s Christmas gifts, this wooden drum set from Plan Toys caught my eye today. Not only is it a musical toy (always a plus in our household), it’s also eco-friendly, in that it is made from recovered plantation rubberwood from old rubber trees no longer producing latex and slated for burning. No wood preservatives are used in the processing of this rubberwood, either. Non-toxic paint is used on this drum set, another thing to look for when purchasing toys for your children this holiday season. Natural latex glue is used in all Plan Toys, and their packaging uses no PVC, just recyclable cardboard.

This set just might find a spot underneath our Christmas tree this year. If you’d like to purchase one for your little percussionist, you can buy it for $49 at ModernNursery.com.

Here’s a great holiday gift idea for the child who’s shown an early interest in music. The Jamtown Junior Pak contains three instruments sized just right for small hands: Junior Coconut Claves (wood rhythm sticks), Junior Shaker (a carved, dried gourd), and Junior Drum (double headed goat skin stretched over a wooden bark frame). It also comes with a learning CD and activity guide, rhythm cards and games, and it can all be carried in its own travel bag. All of the fair trade world instruments are hand-crafted by artisans in Peru and Bali.

This toy is the winner of the Oppenheim Gold Seal and the Parent’s Choice Gold Award. You can view it at NaturesChild.com, where it sells for $44.95.

This Music Table by Little Colorado is perfect if you have an incessant little drummer in your house (as I do). If you want to keep him or her from ruining tables and other furniture, you might want to consider purchasing this percussion table as a Christmas gift.

It features a drum, two xylophones, a cymbal, and four maracas. The table is made from sturdy birch plywood, metal, and plastic. Replacement parts are also available should your little drummer wear them out. The table measures 21″L x 25″W x 15″H and must be ordered by December 4 to guarantee Christmas delivery. You can view and purchase this unique combination of furniture/musical instrument/toy at SensationalBeginnings.com, where it sells for $159.95.

If you need an excuse to get your toddler to stay in the bathtub longer (which is the opposite of my problem), Alex has created the Tub Tunes Symphony Set. This set includes a drum, flutes, and a xylophone, to make tub time a musical time. The set also comes with laminated sheet music (so it won’t get wet - they thought of everything!) and mallets for the drum and xylophone.

Children can also hear how the water changes the sounds of these immersible instruments. This musical gift is recommended for ages 3 and up, and is available at PeppyParents.com for $29.95. Although I love the idea of this musical set, I don’t think I’ll be purchasing it for my son, or I’d never get him out of the tub!

I’ve seen children play with a flat xylophone by banging away with the mallet, eventually using the mallet as a teether — a natural response, as a child’s attention span is short. When I saw this cylindrical shaped Auris Stir Xylophone Drum, I thought it might hold a child’s attention a little longer. Children can have fun “stirring” up their own music. They can add an item into the mix and experiment with the different sounds. It looks easier for them to carry around and the natural materials introduce your child to eco-friendly awareness.

The Auris Stir Xylophone Drum is handmade in Järna, Sweden of all wood, mallet included. It measures 4.33 inches in diameter and 5.7 inches high. You can purchase one for $28.99 at treehollowtoys.com