It looks like now, your child’s first piano experience will be iPad friendly. The iTikes Keyboard is a fun, light way to get kids seriously into the world of music.
This is a 24-key keyboard with both major and minor keys, volume control, and a tempo/pitch tuner. Those major keys light up, hopefully attracting your child so that they don’t start channeling angsty Beethoven with the minor key. With just the keyboard, kids can enjoy free play mode without background music, free play with accompaniment, and another mode where beautiful music will be played no matter which keys your little one bangs on haphazardly. There’s a playback option for the four songs stored on the keyboard, as well.
The iTikes Keyboard really shines when it is used along with an iOS device and the accompanying app – there are docking stations for both the iPad and the iPhone/iPod Touch right on the keyboard (cases for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch are also included). The app opens up a world of musical education, with games and activities to help children learn how to read music and practice recognizing pitch.
The iTikes Keyboard is selling for about $50 on the Walmart, Toys ‘R’ Us, and Little Tikes websites. The iTikes Piano App is available for free on the iTunes App Store. It looks like there is only an iOS app at this time.
