Appropriate time to introduce instruments

It is developmentally appropriate to introduce instruments early in school years but they have to be the right ones.  Rhythm sticks, finger cymbals, and kazoos are appropriate for younger children becasue they do not require the use of fine motor skills.  A young child is very capable of using any of these three instruments in the correct manner with a little bit of guidance.  The recorder and xylophone are instruments that require a bit more hand eye coordination and fine motor skills that children do not develop until later in their lives.  Third grade is a good time to introduce these instruments to them because they are developed enough to play them correctly and also understand them.  It is important though that you integrate all these instruments into a child's life before they are 9 years old because after 9 years of age a child's brain stops taking in as much information as it did before and it is proven that children with musical involvement before the age of 9 will be more musical in thier adult lives also.