A Christmas gift guide for grandparents
6 Reasons the Drums Live at Grandma's (2026)
Updated October 20263-minute readSkip to the set ↓
Every grandparent wants to be the house they beg to go to. The one where the coat comes off at the door and they disappear straight into the living room.
I'm Anj. I run an early childhood centre, and I'm mom to William, who's two and a half. If there's a toddler in your family, you've probably heard the concert already. A wooden spoon, an upside-down pot, and a grin that says they made that racket all by themselves.
Then Christmas comes, and by the afternoon there's a pile of new toys under the tree that nobody's touching. I've watched it happen at a lot of houses, including mine.
So here are six reasons a little wooden drum set belongs at yours. It lives at my mom's.
In short: a low wooden table with two drums, a brass cymbal, chimes, a 7-bar xylophone and two ribbed wooden blocks. Two mallets, no batteries, for ages 18 months and up. Free shipping.
1 They already drum on everything, so give them one
Pots. Tables. The high chair tray. The back of your chair at dinner. I see it every day at the centre: toddlers drum on anything that answers back.
So give them something that's meant to be hit. Two drums, a brass cymbal, and a mallet in each hand.
The noise is the whole point. It's the sound of a little person having the time of their life, and wanting you to hear every bit of it. Don't be surprised if the parents text you a video. I've sent my mom plenty.
He found the cymbal in about four seconds. We had a concert before his coat was even off.
2 The real thing, not another plastic toy
These are real wooden instruments they strike themselves. Not buttons that play a recording of a drum.
No batteries. No speaker. No electronic song on a loop. I've seen enough of those toys to know where they end up: in a cupboard, with the batteries mysteriously missing.
It only makes a sound when someone plays it, and the sound is whatever they decide it should be. Just a wooden table, a brass cymbal and two little hands.
3 Built to be banged on
William doesn't tap politely. He swings.
This set is built for exactly that: a low wooden table on four short legs, made for little drummers who play hard. He kneels at it, sits beside it, or stands over it and gives it everything.
It's been through a lot of very enthusiastic concerts at my mom's. So when the cymbal gets its fiftieth whack of the morning, you can sit back and enjoy the show.
Our grandson plays it hard and it still looks brand new. It sits by the fireplace between visits.
The drum set, in short
Two drums, a xylophone, chimes, a brass cymbal and two wooden blocks on one low table, with two mallets. For ages 18 months and up.
Free shipping on every order.
4 There's a mallet for you, too
The set comes with two wooden mallets. In our family, one is William's and one is Grandma's.
He hits the cymbal, she answers on the drum, and they go back and forth until somebody starts laughing. Usually both of them.
Ten years in early childhood has taught me this much: the toys that get played with are the ones a grown-up gets down on the floor for. They won't always hand you a mallet and wait. Right now they will. Say yes.
And when the solo starts, my mom gets to look across the room at me and grin. I put her through plenty of noise once. Fair's fair.
5 A gift made for going back to
Two drums, a xylophone with seven colored bars, chimes, a brass cymbal and two ribbed wooden blocks. That's five kinds of instrument on one table.
I'll be honest, I was skeptical. I've watched plenty of toys get opened, played with for a day and left in the corner. This one never was. There's always something new to try: the chimes one visit, the ribbed blocks the next.
And when two grandkids come over at once, they can both play and take turns. Or argue about taking turns. Either way, they're playing together.
The two of them fight over the mallets, then end up playing together. Best thing in the toy basket.
6 It lives at your house, and looks lovely there
Some toys live at Grandma's. William knows exactly where this one is. He runs straight past the hugs, coat still half on, and goes to the drums. Cymbal first. Always the cymbal.
At home, he asks to call her. "Grandmaaa... can I come over? I want to play with drum." Honestly? Should've bought two.
You remember your grandmother's house. The biscuit tin, the cupboard of toys. One day they'll remember yours. Real wood and soft colors, so you won't mind it sitting out between visits.
And the noise stays at your house. My mom says it doesn't bother her one bit.
What's in the box
Two drums, a 7-bar xylophone, chimes, a brass cymbal, two ribbed wooden blocks and two mallets.
Size: about 15 × 9 inches. Big enough for two to play, small enough for a coffee table.
For ages 18 months and up.
Free shipping on every order.
Questions grandparents ask
How big is it?
About 15 × 9 inches. Big enough for two little drummers, small enough for a coffee table or the floor by the armchair.
What age is it for?
18 months and up. Little ones can kneel at it, sit beside it, or stand over it.
Does it need batteries?
No. No batteries, no speaker, no lights. It only makes a sound when someone plays it.
How loud is it?
It's a real drum set, so yes, it makes real noise. The brass cymbal is the loudest part. My mom hears it every visit and says it doesn't bother her one bit.
Will it arrive before Christmas?
[OWNER: order-by date for Christmas delivery in the US.]
Can it be returned if it isn’t right?
[OWNER: returns. The refund policy excludes sale items. Offer gift returns (e.g. until January 15) or remove this question.]
Who is Toujours?
Toujours is a small shop. Questions? Email contact@toujour.ca and a real person will answer.
If you’re buying for Christmas
I recommend this set to every family at our centre, and I'm recommending it to you. Keep both mallets together when it arrives. You'll be needing one.
With love,
Anj
P.S. Clear a spot near the dinner table. Everyone's eating and talking, and William is beside us playing in his own little world. It's my favorite part of every visit.
Free shipping
