The 11 best drum sets and e-drums for kids

I myself was always fascinated by drums as a child and played them whenever I saw one. And I think a lot of kids feel the same way! Because as a kid, there's nothing more fascinating than being able to make real noise.

Children's drums are designed for this very reason - they are smaller and therefore more accessible for children, yet retain the feel and playability of a drum kit. This means that children as young as 3 can start practicing, and the skills they learn can be transferred 1:1 to larger drums later on.

The best acoustic drums for kids (ages 3 and up)

Let's start with the acoustic drums. To play an acoustic drum kit at home, you either need to have no neighbors or very nice neighbors. Acoustic drums (even for children) are very loud and difficult to play quietly.

So if an acoustic drum kit is out of the question for your child, consider an electronic drum kit instead - see my e-drum recommendations in this category below.

Millenium Youngster Drum Set Azure

This compact drum set for kids offers the basic equipment you need to learn to play drums: a bass drum, a snare, a hi-hat, a tom and a crash cymbal. It's not much, but with these elements you can learn the basics and play along with any song.

This set is specifically designed for younger children ages 3 and up and offers a combination of child-friendly design and a playful learning experience. It is characterized by its compact size, which is perfect for children's hands and body size. The small design makes it easier for young drummers to effectively reach the drums and cymbals, which is crucial for proper playing technique.

The special thing about this drum kit is that both the hi-hat and the crash cymbal are from the LowNoiz series, which is known for its quiet sound. This means that this drum kit might even be suitable for your living room.

The shells are made of hardwood and the set is available in 4 different colors (blue, green, pink and silver). With a price of 111 € and an unbeatable price-performance ratio, it is the cheapest model in the comparison.

Fame 3 PC Junior Drumset

This children's drum set from Fame is also unbeatable in terms of price (it costs exactly the same as the Milenium) and offers the basic equipment for children in a great, modern look. The drums are covered with foil and are easy to tune for the perfect sound.

The sound is impressive - it almost sounds like a real drum kit, just a little quieter and a little higher overall because of the smaller drums. Still, it sounds quite loud and powerful.

Everything is height adjustable, so the drum set can easily be used by children ages 3 to 9. A child-sized drum stool and sticks are also included so you can get started right away.

The 3-piece version is only available in green with bassdrum, snaredrum and tom as drums (in addition to hihat and cymbals) and costs only €111. There is also a 5-piece version with additional tom-tom and standing tom for €189. This version is also available in black, red and blue.

Also interesting: How to read drum sheet music

Millenium Focus Junior Drum Set Black

For an additional €68, you can get a slightly more advanced version for kids, the Millenium Focus Junior Drum Set Black. The big difference here is that this kids drum set also has two toms, a larger tom-tom and a standing tom. This expands the playing possibilities considerably.

The sturdy construction is designed to withstand the energy and enthusiasm of young drummers. The size of the set is designed to be comfortable for children and teenagers to use, while still allowing room for growth so that the set can be used for many years. For example, the set can be expanded later by purchasing additional cymbals.

The Millenium Focus Junior Drum Set with its black finish and foil-coated cymbals looks very professional and appeals to young drummers. The sound of the set is also impressive: the slightly larger drums make the set sound almost like an adult drum set.

A complete drum set for 179 Euros - it doesn't get any better than that. Your child can play with this set for many years and will hardly reach its limits.

Pearl Roadshow Jr. Jet Black

This children's drum set is one of the best, if not the best, in its category. Pearl, a renowned brand in the world of drums, offers a combination of professional quality and child-friendly design with this set, making it an excellent choice for young drummers looking to develop their skills.

The set includes a bass drum, a snare drum, two tom-toms, a floor tom, a hi-hat and a crash cymbal, plus a pedal, a bench and sticks. So you really get everything you need and can get started right after assembling the drum kit.

The sound of this drum set is the best in its class and is no less than that of a larger drum set. With the right microphones it can be played live without any problems. It is designed to be easily accessible for children, but adults with a larger seat can also play on it (although not optimally).

So if you're looking for the best possible quality in a children's drum kit and are willing to spend a little more money (just under €400), then I can definitely recommend the Pearl Roadshow Jr Jet Black for your son or daughter.

More articles:

• The best drum sets for beginners (full size)
• Recording drums: A comprehensive guide

The best electronic drums for children (from 3 years)

If an acoustic children's drum set is out of the question because of the volume, you should look for an electronic children's drum set. These are much, much quieter - but not 100% silent, as you can still hear the sticks hitting the rubber skins (similar to tapping your hand on a table). They can also be played with headphones so that only the player hears the drums.

Millenium HD-120 E-Drum Set

The Millenium HD-120 E-Drum Set is an electronic drum set designed specifically for beginners and young drummers. Due to its small size and the small distance between the drums, the drum set is easily accessible for children.

It offers the usual beginner's configuration of any drum kit: bass drum, snare, 3 toms and hihat, plus 2 additional cymbals. However, the bass drum is not a drum, but a pedal, as is often the case with cheap electric drums.

The children's drum set has a built-in metronome, which is ideal for beginners to learn - any drum teacher will teach you to play with a metronome in the beginning. There is no need to buy an additional device. Also included are a pair of inexpensive headphones, a child-friendly seat, sticks, and a stick holder.

Included are 12 different drum kits that can be selected from the central console. In addition, this e-drum kit can be connected to a computer via MIDI or USB to play completely different drum kits or samples.

However, this drum kit has the small disadvantage that it does not send MIDI-off messages. For a DAW, this means that each note played will continue to run endlessly and will not stop, so that after a few bars the available polyphony is used up and the DAW will not recognize any new notes. There is a great application that solves this problem here. However, this is only important if you plan to record with a DAW - it doesn't matter for pure playing.

All in all, it's a very versatile electronic drum kit that can be used in many different ways and that you can play in your apartment at 2 a.m. without waking up the whole neighborhood.

Fame DD-KIDDY V2

This electronic drum set from Fame, Music Store's own brand, is particularly interesting. It is equipped with mesh heads that are extremely quiet but still offer a very real playing feel.

The height can also be adjusted to allow it to grow with the child, ensuring that they continue to play for many years to come. The choke function of the cymbals should also be highlighted, which makes it possible to stop the sound abruptly by holding it.

A total of 12 kits and 144 sounds are included, covering all possible styles. A metronome is included and there is also an AUX IN to connect external sound sources and play along with your favorite songs.

Especially recommended if you have very sensitive neighbors and want to keep the noise to an absolute minimum without sacrificing playability and fun.

Alesis Debut Kit

This electronic drum kit from Alesis is designed for kids because of its small size. In principle, it offers the same as the Milenium HD-120: bass drum, snare, hihat, 3 toms and 2 cymbals. However, the quality of the pedals is not comparable to the Milenium.

The bass drum and hi-hat pedals in this Alesis kit are pretty bad, as they don't give any real feedback and very often make double or triple hits. So unfortunately they are not very precise. But after a while, when you get used to it, you can handle it.

However, this electronic children's drum kit can send MIDI out commands, so recording in a DAW or playing with VST plugins is no problem. This opens up endless possibilities.

Included are 10 drum kits, 120 sounds, a built-in metronome, a bench, sticks and headphones. So you can get started right away without having to buy anything extra.

Roland TD-02K V-Drums Kit

This electronic drum kit is not designed specifically for children, but it can be customized so that any child can use it. You can slide the drum pads together and adjust the height to fit your child.

The great thing about this set is that it can grow with your child - it can be used in the beginning when the child is still small, but it can also be expanded to be used by adults.

The quality is excellent, but you wouldn't expect anything less from Roland. The quality of the pads is incredibly good and the feel is very realistic. Even the pedals feel real and are extremely quiet. Best of all, the crash and ride pads have a stop function! So you can stop the sound instantly with your hand, just like on a real drum kit.

The 5 built-in coaching functions are very handy for practicing and learning, and are designed to improve timing and endurance. There is also a mix input to connect external audio sources to play along with your favorite songs.

In my opinion, the Roland TD-02K V-Drums Kit is the best electronic drum kit for kids - but at €309 it is the most expensive on this list. But when you consider that it can be adjusted so that adults can play with it, the price does not seem so expensive anymore.

Toy drums for children under 3

The other drums in this list are probably a little too big for the little ones, so in this case you should look for a toy drum set. These may not be real drums, but they allow children to learn to play drums at an early age. It's more about fun and feel than technique or sound - which is of course the most important thing for young children.

Music Alley Junior Drum Kit for Kids

This small children's drum set is perfect because it is very small but still has a snare, a tom, a bass drum and a cymbal. Even the youngest kids can play a lot of beats and maybe even learn some basic rhythms!

What's more, the children's drum set looks great in all three colors (blue, black, and red), making it a perfect addition to any child's room or living room.

Price: 101€; Link: Amazon

Noaideoi children's drum kit

This children's drum set is even smaller and more of a toy than an instrument. However, it is great for kids because the design looks pretty "cool" (even though real drums look a little different) and it is extremely small.

Price: 27,72€, Link: Amazon

Uverbon electronic drum set

This toy drum kit is electronic and therefore very small. It works much like an electronic drum kit: You hit pads that are connected to a central console that produces the sounds you hear through the built-in speakers.

It is shaped like a small rug so it takes up very little space and can be taken anywhere. It can also be played through headphones so as not to disturb other residents.

Price: 72,99€, Link: Amazon

What are the advantages of learning to play the drums at an early age?

Learning to play the drums, like any other instrument, promotes musical development and creativity in children. A child who plays music from an early age is usually more creative as an adult than a child who does not play music. This not only has musical benefits, but is also very beneficial in general because you learn to solve problems in creative ways.

Another benefit, this time specific to drumming, is the improvement of motor skills and coordination. Playing the drums requires a high degree of coordination because different rhythms are always played with both feet and hands. This teaches the child to concentrate and improves their motor skills tremendously.

Therefore, learning to play the drums - and learning to play a musical instrument in general - has only benefits as long as it is fun.

Electronic or acoustic drums for kids - which is right for your child?

Electronic drums have the clear advantage over acoustic models in that they don't make noise. And in 90% of cases, this is the reason for choosing an electronic drum set. After all, not everyone has a room where they can play an instrument as loud as a drum set.

Because practicing is all about one thing: practicing as much as possible. What good is a great acoustic drum kit if I can only play it for half an hour a day because otherwise my neighbors will call the police?

That's why it often makes sense to start with an electronic drum kit that you can practice on at home, and then buy an acoustic drum kit when you're ready to play your first gigs.

However, if you live in a house and have a well-insulated garage, basement, etc., there is no reason not to use an acoustic children's drumset. The feel is a bit better and the coolness factor is much higher, which is very important for kids.

Also interesting: The best microphones for kids