Remo Rhythm Club Bongo Drum RH-5600-00

I purchased this as a gift for my son’s first birthday. He has a lot of interest in music and was drawn to the Remo lollipop drum in our music class. Unfortunately, the bongo falls a little short in my opinion.

Tapping the drums lack the satisfying pop that I expect from a bongo. Rather, they emit more of a dull thud unless they are hit with a stick or at very particular location on the drum. That being said, a dull thud is A-OK for me when a 1 year old and his 3 year old sister are jamming out.

The drums themselves can actually be separated, which is nice if you have two kids! They appear to be sturdy enough to withstand some toddler action.
With a reputable brand such as Remo, my expectations were a little higher.

My 9 month old son loves to bang on stuff. I would put him on my lap and let him bang my Remo djembe. When he was in his walker and found the djembe and started playing it on his own, I knew it was time to get him a drum. I looked in toy stores but all they had were plastic drums that flashed and played the same lame music that every other baby toy plays when you hit it. I wanted a real drum for him. I’m glad I decided to look here, because I didn’t think Remo made drums that were so inexpensive. I was trying to decide between the tom and the bongos and ultimately decided on the tom, my reasoning being it would be harder for him to knock over when he’s playing on the floor (and thus have better luck hitting the drum head, and making a quality sound). The other reviews are right – it’s very durable and sturdy. He often uses it to help stand up, drops toys on top of the head, and scratches the head with his fingernails. This drum won’t show a ding or scratch. All around the rim is smooth and there are no sharp pieces for a baby to hurt himself on. The drum makes a nice sound and is sufficiently raised off the floor, enough for a thick carpet, so that the sound won’t be muted. My son really likes the drum stick but I had to take it away because he liked putting it in his mouth and I was afraid he’d fall over on it or stick too far into his mouth. He’ll get it back when he’s past the “everything goes in the mouth” stage. The drum makes fine sounds playing with just your fingers or hands and my son really loves it. This is something that will last years – I can’t wait until we can have a little family drum circle.

Great sound off these.

This drum was bigger than we were expecting and very sturdy. The head is synthetic and not paper, so it is built to be beaten on. Our grandson loves it and can also use it as a little stool. The graphics are very bright and beautiful.

Bought this for our 7 month old granddaughter, who’s starting to bang on things. The construction quality is really excellent – the interior bolts and wingnuts pose no risk to a child this young, who isn’t strong enough to upon a tightened bolt, which is deep enough inside that she can’t put it in her mouth. To those several reviewers who fault the sound, well, what do you expect for twenty bucks – a good bongo set goes for $300 or so. The drums sound best if placed on a hard surface (table, wooden floor – a rug will further dampen the sound). Any bongo will sound dead if you leave your hand/fingers on the head, you must “bounce” your fingers/hand off the head to allow it to vibrate.
Acid test – within the first 60 seconds of seeing the drums, granddaughter was hitting each drum, one with the left and one with right hand. without prompting. I let her “play” a while, then I did some short couplettes, then she played some more. After five minutes or so, of course, she was ready for another toy (one she could put in her mouth). Sometime later I sat with her and played a youtube video on a laptop of a “first bongo solo” lesson. She immediately looked around for her bongos and began beating away again.
My overall impression is that this is a great toy instrument to develop dexterity and rhythm. I also got some small mallets, which I am presently withholding as the handles need to be shortened and she’s just not ready for them. When I do introduce them in a few months I expect her to be pleased with the different sound and hopefully she’ll be ready by twelve months for a djembe or tomtom. Kimberley Thompson, we’re comin’ for ya!