The Pixiphone was a range of toy glockenspiel

Glockenspiel

A glockenspiel is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, and making it a metallophone...

s (although they were inaccurately labelled as xylophones on their packaging). The larger Pixiphones had a 'raiser-bar' which could be used to end a note abruptly, rather than letting it fade naturally. Although marketed as a children's toy

Toy

A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...

, the Pixiphone could be tuned pitch-perfect and was very robust, resulting in many children using them at British schools.

They were manufactured by Chas E. Methven Ltd, Chatham, Kent, England and distributed by Playcraft Toys Ltd England from the 1950s to the 1970s (or possibly later). The instrument was also used on the Badfinger

Badfinger

Badfinger were a British rock band consisting originally of Pete Ham, Ron Griffiths, Mike Gibbins and Tom Evans, active from 1968 to 1983, and evolving from The Iveys, formed by Ham, Griffiths and David "Dai" Jenkins in Swansea, Wales, in the early 1960s. Joey Molland joined the group in 1969,...

song, "She Came Out of the Cold" which featured on the compilation album, Without You.