Every parent should encourage their children to play and explore. However, most of us get confused about what musical instruments to buy for our children when they show an interest in music. So we wonder, should I buy my child a piano keyboard, a drum set, or a guitar? They are all excellent choices for beginners, but you should choose one that is easy to learn and will help learners build a solid foundation in the basics of music.
A piano keyboard becomes the instrument of choice for most beginner kids when learning music. Everyone, from children to adults, can benefit from learning how to play a musical instrument. Music is a personal experience. What is inside our hearts can be expressed in more ways than just words. When you give your child the opportunity to learn piano at an early age, you are giving them a priceless gift that will last a lifetime.
Choosing the right piano keyboard is essential for both kids and adults. Piano keyboards designed for kids and adults should either have semi-weighted or weighted keys so that they feel like they are playing a piano. We’ve put together a list of the 10 best piano keyboards for beginners and kids.
Top 7 Best Beginner Piano Keyboards for Kids
1) Yamaha Piaggero NP12 Piano Keyboard

The Yamaha Piaggero series, available in two sizes – the NP12 has 61 keys, while the NP32 has 76 – is a no-frills, lightweight piano-style keyboard that looks great and sounds fantastic. Compact and ultra portable, these keyboards feature a built-in speaker, a velocity-sensitive keyboard, and sounds sampled from a Yamaha concert grand piano.
You’re limited to only ten different sounds, but they’re all high quality and just right if you’re looking to learn piano without distractions like one-finger chord accompaniment and animal sounds. The onboard recorder can be used to record and playback your performances to evaluate your progress.
New Yamaha keyboards come with a free, three-month FlowKey Premium membership, and the 61-key model is also available with a 12-month Playground Sessions subscription, headphones, sustain pedal, and USB cable.
Read: Best MIDI Keyboards Under $100 2022
2) Alesis Recital Pro Piano Keyboard

Kids who are serious about learning to play should consider the Alesis Recital Pro. Recital Pro has quality speakers, weighted keys, and a wide variety of sounds.
Check out our complete guide to the best digital pianos for more information about digital pianos.
Alesis Recital Pro has split and layer modes that allow you to split up the keyboard to have different sounds in different octaves. The layer mode allows you to layer multiple sounds simultaneously.
Here are some of my favorite Alesis keyboards.
This keyboard has a lot of educational purposes. Skoove is included, which allows your child to practice online for three months with a live person. Skoove also offers countless lesson videos to help your child learn the piano.
Read: Best Keyboard Piano Under $100
3) Casio Casiotone CT-S1 Piano Keyboard

During the 1980s, Casio introduced a revolutionary entry-level keyboard that offered state-of-the-art sounds, full-sized keys, and eight-note polyphony, all at a very affordable price. Casiotone’s original model was a huge success, but it hardly stands up to today’s standards. With the release of the CT-S1, Casio has brought the Casiotone into the modern era.
Built upon the legacy of the original Casiotone, the CT-S1 is a fully portable keyboard with 61 built-in voices, 61 full-size, touch-sensitive keys, and now 64 notes of polyphony. As a result of the simplified control layout, the keyboard looks sleek and uncluttered, while the various colours – red, white or black – let you match it to your personal style.
The AiX Sound Source is at the heart of the Casiotone. The sound engine delivers dynamic and expressive tones, perfect for both beginners and professionals.
Read: Best 88 Key Weighted Keyboards
4) The ONE Smart Piano Keyboard

The ONE Smart is a really nice keyboard. It has 61 keys that light up when you play. On your I-pad or I-phone, you can use over 4,000 different sheet music pieces, free games, and lessons.
Lessons, Games, & Songs
The keyboard was specifically designed to connect to smartphones to help you further your knowledge of the keyboard, which is a wonderful feature to have.
With the One Smart Piano, your child can play games and take lessons. Moreover, some of these games will teach your child how to write and play different melodies on the keyboard.
With the One Smart keyboard, kids get a memorable learning experience at an affordable price. Since the keys are not weighted, the only drawback would be if weighted keys were a deal-breaker.
In summary, this is a great option for kids ages 5-8 who enjoy using their tablets to learn.
5) Roland GO:KEYS 61 Piano Keyboard

Roland’s compact, 61-key digital keyboard includes Bluetooth connectivity, so it can communicate wirelessly with online piano lesson apps and stream audio through its built-in speakers so you can play along. In addition to being battery-powered, it contains over 500 piano, electric piano, and organ sounds and comes with a music stand for holding a tablet.
Add a digital metronome, an onboard Loop Mix function, and a recording feature to capture your practice sessions, and you have almost the perfect online lesson plan companion.
6) Yamaha P-45 Piano Keyboard

Again, the Yamaha P-45 is an excellent choice for students at the beginner to intermediate level who want to graduate from a smaller keyboard. I’ve owned it and recorded with it for over 3 years now, so I have a lot to say about it.
Firstly, you are getting weighted graded hammer action keys for a very low price. Yamaha was actually one of the first companies to offer a key-bed like this at this price point.
While the keys aren’t going to blow your mind if your child has played an acoustic piano for years, they are great for meeting their purpose and giving your child a really close experience to an acoustic piano.
In case your child wants more or less resistance in the keys, they can adjust the key resistance by following the keyboard manual.
No Interface
The only complaint with this digital piano is that it is a little confusing at first to change the sounds.
7) Casio CT-S300 Piano Keyboard

When it comes to portable beginner keyboards, Casio has a solid pedigree, and their current lineup is no different. The CT-S300 was chosen for its ability to balance features and price.
With a full-size, velocity-sensitive 61-note keyboard, convenient built-in carrying handle, a library of over 400 sounds, 77 rhythms, integrated reverb, dance music mode, aux input, and compatibility with Casio’s Chordana teaching app, there’s more than enough to keep beginners entertained – you even get a 60-song songbook!
If you don’t need a velocity-sensitive keyboard, you can opt for the slightly cheaper CT-S200 or the top-of-the-line LK-S250 which features illuminated key teaching.
Frequently Asked Questions
Piano lessons for kids can be started at any age. Typically, kids start playing between the ages of 6 and 9 when they start to walk.
Piano lessons might also be appropriate for children younger than 6. Before taking piano lessons, make sure your child can recognize numbers and follow instructions.
Though learning piano at a young age has many benefits, it is important that your child shows a passion for it. Choosing a good starter keyboard is also crucial.
There are a few crucial things you should consider before buying:
You have probably heard that the more keys you have, the better. That shouldn’t be the case for a kid’s keyboard. A regular piano has 88 keys, but keyboards with keys between 25 and 61 are recommended for children.
The sound of a piano keyboard should be interesting and beautiful. This feature is important for piano players of all levels. You can check the reviews section for user comments on the sound quality of the inbuilt speakers.
Yamaha, RockJam, Alesis, and Casio all design piano keyboards for kids. Kids should choose a keyboard with a variety of features and sounds. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to buy a high-end keyboard at the beginning by investing in a good quality keyboard.
Conclusion
Each of the instruments on our list has something to offer beginners and kids alike. Even the simplest of keyboards can help you gain the skills needed to play the piano. Learning takes on a different perspective for everyone, and the piano design you select will influence the player your child will become.
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