Kids MP3 Player

Adults enjoy music, kids love it. Music brings a smile to a baby and comforts them at bedtime, pre-schoolers love to dance, and school age kids enjoy their favorite tunes and sharing them with friends.  A kid's MP3 player is a perfect gift for these reasons. 

On this page learn a bit about selecting a good MP3 player for a kid of any age and learn what risks the may present and how to counteract them

Graphic illustration by: TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³

For many people, when shopping for a kid's MP3 player, affordability is key because prior to their teenage years, many kids aren't as careful with their belongings as we would like them to be. For this reason, lifespan can be limited. While durability is needed, affordability also helps to reduce our risk. You'll see recommendations below for some features to consider when buying a player for kids of various ages, but at all levels we make suggestions for devices that are affordable.

If you're looking for an MP3 player for an infant, you probably just want to entertain them with music. Clearly, you wouldn't want earphones for such a device, you would probably want something that would rest on a table nearby or hang on their crib. Bright colors and even lights would help attract attention. Pre-recorded music or stories are good things to have, but the ability to record your own voice or perhaps some favorite tunes is nice as well.

For toddlers, the big buttons, large handles and so forth are good to allow little hands to operate the device safely. No small parts, as these can present a choking hazard. Non toxic materials can also be important and overall durability is a key feature. Again, earphones really aren't recommended. Some devices give parents control over volume since kids often aren't a good judge about safe listening levels at this age. Some devices also offer animations that preschool age kids love.

Young kids obviously want to begin controlling their environment. So kids MP3 players that offer easy controls over more than start and stop are good to use when possible.

Shake control is one example of this. Even most 2 and half to three year olds can shake a device to advance through songs.

For kids four and up, durability is still imporant but the device can be a bit smaller and more complex. The ability to record a variety of music can be important so you want enough memory to store several hours of songs. If you opt for headphones, the over-the-ear type are safer than the in-ear type. Of course, if there is a volume control that limits loudness, this can also provide adequate hearing protection too. Once the child is old enough to read, then a screen that displays song title, artist, and so forth becomes meaningful.

Once kids can be trusted with handling a smaller device safely and can operate more complex controls, you can opt for a standard MP3 player. Many of these can be purchased well under $100 and some even less that $40. Older versions of standard players are often a good bargain. These device have more memory, more controls, smaller size, and compatibility with more file types. Some include a radio or voice recorder.

With the youngest children, the first risk to consider is parts that present a choking hazard. Ideally however, the device you choose for a child under age 3 would not have any small parts.

The second significant risk is hearing loss. Listening to loud sounds obviously can damage hearing. But even at levels that seem loud but reasonable, prolonged exposure can damage hearing as well. Earphones move sound closer to the ear, and in-the-ear type headphones are of particular concern. Learn a bit about the risk of hearing loss here. To reduce the risk, parents should consider: