Hello. My granddaughter is 1.5 years old and loves music. I was thinking of getting her something like a pink dolphin soprano to play with. Is she too young? My mother bought me a baritone uke when I was about 10 or so (wish I still had it!!). Thanks for any input.
Doug
It all depends on what you want to achieve so maybe think about that and define that first.
Although we school (teach) children in year groups (well we do in the U.K.) children actually develop at noticeably different rates so what some seven year old can do a nine year old might struggle with. It’s cruel to push a child to do more than it’s comfortable with or to force some interest on them.
Some of our Primary Schools do use Ukules with their older children, I’d need to somehow check but my guess is that that’s children of nine, ten, and eleven. Of course Schools are focused on teaching a curriculum and teaching it to a whole class whereas some slightly younger children (than those year groups) might have the physical and mental wherewithal to happily strum and play in a less formalised way. Some Primary Schools have mixed ability year group classes and others stream whole classes within a year according to similar ability; mixed ability year group based classes are used by my local Primary and it sub groups children by ability (to group work tables): it works well for them, it is flexible and it is inclusive but it has a few downsides to manage.
A Baritone at ten might have been when your Mum felt that you were physically old enough for that (large) size, it might have been when she could afford for you to play, it might have been when she thought you mentally ready, etc, etc. We don’t know what your Mother’s drivers were but I recon that just a little earlier for a Soprano would be OK, so Junior School age rather than Infant School age. Of course if you’re happy for a Uke to be a toy then any age from which a child can safely play with toys, perhaps best if it has Nylon stings though (well something that’s easy on little fingers).
Edit. If I remember correctly Baz Maz gave Dolphins to his children when they were small, the Dolphins stood up to the task. Indeed quite a few people have given Dolphins to tots and the Dolphins seem to survive and do the job: they’re basically a toy to the child but can be more later. I’ve had a few second-hand Dolphins, they’re cheap and reusing stuff is good, and with a decent set up and some Aquilas Dolphins are quite usable and will last for decades.
