Ukulele Wooden Instrument for Kids - Hape Early Melodies Wood Toy (Green)

This is no concert-quality ukelele, but it's actually pretty darn good. It's probably fair to say that I'm a bit of an instrument snob. I play cello, violin, electric and acoustic guitar, and piano, so I know a thing or two. But I'm really happy with this purchase.As I'd expect of any instrument with nylon strings, it takes A LOT of tuning over the first few days as the strings stretch out — especially since it came completely loose and untuned (which is the right way to ship it). But the tuners do their job nicely and after a few days the tuning starts to get pretty constant. Just get an app for your phone; they're free and do the job perfectly.The sound is pleasant: timbre is good; it's not so loud that the kids get on my nerves while playing it, unlike when they bang away on the piano; the frets are all just about where they need to be, so it's not dissonant or hard to play. It's sturdy enough that I expect it to take the inevitable beating without disintegrating. (I've even taught my dog to strum it!) Though we do make an effort to make sure they don't use it as a club. And the bright colors and somewhat whimsical graphic design make this more interesting and fun for the kids.But it's still a real instrument, so I can get a pretty good sound out of it, and play actual songs. That encourages the kids to make a real effort to produce something resembling music. Of course, I'm also careful not to be a jerk about it, and just let them strum nonsense so it stays fun.For the $21 I paid, this is very well worth the price. Very very happy with this purchase.EDIT: After a year of use and abuse, it's still going strong. One of my toddlers was banging away on the strings with a spoon, and we just lost the first string. No big deal. Will buy new strings for a few bucks.

Bought this for my two year old so he would leave his sisters violin alone. It worked! He loves it! I can tune it (although he un-tunes it when he plays with the knobs). I had to figure out which way the knobs needed to go since it has gears in addition to the knobs, but I like that. It can't just slip out of tune on its own, not that my two year old cares, but it sounds nicer when it is in tune. For being a plastic strings toy (yes, it is a toy) it has a pretty good sound, just tune it. Lots of places online show you how. My other kids like to mess around with it, too. It's been dropped, bopped heads (hey, he's two, and not always a perfect angel), stepped on and knocked into walls and furniture. No damage that I can see. Just right for introducing a two year old to an instrument.

This thing was perfect for our 2 year old. Instead of ruining moms expensive instruments, he can play right along side her! He has used this thing not only for playing, but also as a hammer, and a step stool. It's held up to the abuse like a champ! My only complaint is that it does not stay in tune. This has not gotten better with time and stretching of the strings. This isn't a big deal to us because lets face it he doesn't know the difference.

My son is two years old and enjoys watching my older son play the viola, so we decided to gift this ukulele to him and see if he was going to use it as it is supposed to, a d, of course, he didn't. He uses it as a viola instead, which we weren't expecting that to happen. It is of great quality, the color is as shown in the picture, and it is perfect to give as a gift. Just to add to the story, we also ordered a viola bow and will see how it goes...

This is a nice toy that can actually be tuned and it holds the tune where other similar products don't. Sturdy enough for play time with preschoolers and a great intro to musical instruments in the home that aren't nearly as annoying as some other options (bells, drums, or even preprogrammed electric guitars). Good to teach some basic musical concepts and the fun colors make it appealing. The sound is fine and the strings aren't too cheap so, they don't break too easily. I have purchased other brands that are much cheaper both in price and the product. this is worth paying the slightly higher price for an instrument that will hold up.