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     With kids that are really young it is best to use Open Tunings - If you are teaching your toddler how to play guitar, you will have to learn how to tune their guitar and take the role of teacher too - With an open tuned guitar, you just strum all six strings and it will sound a chord. A good example is the "Toy Song" which is a toddler strumming the guitar while she tells the story of losing her toys (we wont go into that scenario). Songwriting is simple as that, Tell a story and strum the guitar - You may have to make up songs of your own to show them the basics.

     To sing an example just strum the guitar in a slow 1 2 3 4 rhythmn and make up words that go with what your doing right then: (it dont even have to rhyme) Your song may sound silly but thats ok - thier first songs may sound silly too, this will set in some strong fundamentals of music that will carry on for the life of your child... Your 'silly song' may be something like:

Im just sitting here strumming my daughters guitar,
I have stuff to do but Im singing silly songs,
oh my guitar its so fun to play....
I see some jelly on my daughters shirt but thats ok,
blahhh... blah..

   It's probably a good idea to sing about what's happening right then and there so they get the sense that you are making it up, Our silly song example doesn't rhyme but the lesson idea is more about getting the child to tell real story's or made up ones (While they are strumming the guitar)...

   When you only have to strum the strings and not make any chords then its alot easier to 'play' something and focus on the story, Its hard to cram music theory into kids that are younger than three but after that you can start introducing the 'one finger' barre chords that exist on open tunings...

   Kids will lose interest if they can not make cool sounds and not using an open tuning sounds kind of blahhhhhh (very Uninteresting) When your kid is ready to make the regular chords (5 years and older) then it is suggested to start using Standard Tuning, But for toddlers you should be able to just strum the guitar and it makes a good sound...

   When you only have to strum the strings and not make any chords then its alot easier to 'play' something and focus on the story, There are some open tunings shown on our Guitar Tuner including my kids' favorite (Open E)...

These are cool little instruments...

Yamaha JR1 Mini Folk Guitar Standard

   The lower end ($25) are OK for super young kids since they use open tunings but the quality ones ($75 - $300) will last for years, Most acoustic guitars are not intonated coming out of the box, You may want to consider the miniature electric guitars and just not get an amp... (they are quiter)...