Majorly major

Why are all baby toys in major keys? Yelena got a cute little toy tiger xylophone/piano combo from Bubbie when we were in Erie. She likes hitting the keys, just like on our big kids electric piano, but it's in C major, without any accidentals. Ditto her Octotunes octopus. All her musical toys play stuff like "Twinkle Twinkle," which is majorly major. Listen to a kids album and it's all major. Why? Do children intrinsically like the major scale? Do adults perceive it as happier and thus more tot suitable?

Ever since she was tiny -- as opposed to little, like she is now -- Yelena has really enjoyed us playing scales. Like stop playing with the spinning gorilla on the Exersaucer and smiling enjoyment of scales. She particularly grooves on me playing harmonic minor scale or dominant scales/arpeggios in the circle of 5ths. Now, I'm not suggesting she's musically advanced (oh, who am I kidding -- of course I think she's musically advanced. She's got a much better sense of rhythm than that guy who davened Musaf a few weeks back.), but perhaps toy makers should break out of this major mold.