Yoto Player – Kids Audio Music player 6 Audiobook Story Cards | Plays Children’s Audiobook cards, Music, Radio & more | Screenfree, wireless speaker player box for Boys & Girls 3+
Introducing Yoto Player
Putting kids in control
Yoto Player, a carefully connected screen-free speaker. Made for kids, controlled with physical cards and playing only the audio content you want them to listen to.
Plus: The Gruffalo and Friends Pack, a Card Pack featuring 6 brilliant stories from Julia Donaldson. (see below for full listing)
We Are Yoto
Yoto is the screen-free audio platform built for kids. And we’re on a mission to help inspire the next generation of independent, creative minds.
We’re bringing together the best stories, music, activities, podcasts and radio into one place. And we’re giving children the freedom to play this audio in a safe environment.
How It Works
The Yoto experience is built around the cards: Pop a card into Yoto Player and the audio starts, take the card out again and the audio stops
The free mobile app helps to get set up, so Yoto Player can get online, download and play audio cards. Once downloaded to Yoto Player, card audio plays from local storage, with no Wi-Fi needed (unless you are listening to one of the streaming radio stations).
Key Yoto Features
- Kids in control with physical cards
- Gruffalo and Friends Pack featuring 6 Audio Cards of brilliant Julia Donaldson Stories
- Play audiobooks, music, podcasts, radio and more from the Yoto Card Store
- Educational content, including language and math
- Pixel display to help bring audio to life
- Use Yoto Player as a regular Bluetooth speaker
- Headphone jack for personal listening
- Clever magnetic dock to recharge the built-in battery, for portable play
Yoto Player features in more detail
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Physical CardsKids as young as 3 can play their favourite audio simply by placing a card into Yoto Player. Cards are durable and designed to survive the trials of family life. | Pixel DisplayA simple dot matrix display brings audio to life. Perfect for educational games, or showing the time or weather, without becoming addictive like smartphones or TV. | NightlightYoto Player makes bedtime easy! Turn it face down to activate the nightlight feature. And set sleep and wake times as well, so Yoto player works as a Sleep Trainer. | BluetoothYou can use your Yoto Player as a regular Bluetooth speaker. Just connect your phone or laptop to the speaker in your device’s bluetooth settings. |
What’s in the Gruffalo and Friends Collection?
This pack includes a selection of 6 audiobook cards from Julia Donaldson:
1. The Gruffalo A worldwide phenomenon and modern classic. A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood. A fox saw the mouse and the mouse looked good. Walk further into the deep dark wood, and discover what happens when a quick-witted mouse comes face to face with an owl, a snake…and a hungry Gruffalo! In Detail – Running time: 25mins; Age: 0-5 years old; Language: English; Read by: Imelda Staunton; Author: Julia Donaldson (c)2002 Julia Donaldson (P)2002 Macmillan Publishers International Ltd
2. Room on the Broom How the cat purred and how the witch grinned, as they sat on their broomstick and flew through the wind. The witch and her cat fly happily over forests, rivers and mountains on their broomstick until a stormy wind blows away the witch’s hat, bow and wand. Luckily, they are retrieved by a dog, a bird and a frog, who are all keen for a ride on the broom. It’s a case of the more, the merrier, but the broomstick isn’t used to such a heavy load and it’s not long before… snap! It breaks in two! And with a greedy dragon looking for a snack, the witch’s animal pals better think fast. In Detail – Running time: 24mins; Age: 0-5 years old; Language: English; Read by: Josie Lawrence; Author: Julia Donaldson (c)2001 Julia Donaldson (P)2004 Macmillan Digital Audio
3. The Snail and The Whale One tiny snail longs to see the world and hitches a lift on the tail of a whale. Together they go on an amazing journey, past icebergs and volcanoes, sharks and penguins, and the little snail feels so small in the vastness of the world.But when disaster strikes and the whale is beached in a bay, it’s the tiny snail who saves the day. IN DETAIL: One Audiobook card; Running time: 23mins; Age: 0-5 years old; Language: English; Read by: Imelda Staunton; Author: Julia Donaldson; (c)2004 Julia Donaldson (P)2004 Macmillan Digital Audio
4. Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book Charlie Cook is reading a book about a pirate captain, who is reading a book about Goldilocks, who is reading about a knight, who is reading about a frog… From kings and queens to aliens and ghosts, there’s something for everyone in Charlie’s amazing book of adventure! In Detail – Running time: 17mins; Age: 0-5 years old; Language: English; Read by: Steven Pacey; Author: Julia Donaldson (c)2006 Julia Donaldson (P)2006 Macmillan Digital Audio
5. Monkey Puzzle ‘I’ve lost my mum!’ Where is Monkey’s mummy? It’s not too much fun being lost in the jungle, and little monkey wants his mum. A kindly butterfly is keen to help, but they don’t seem to be having much luck and keep finding the wrong animals! But eventually, they find… Dad! It’s just as well that he knows exactly where mum is, and she’s waiting with a well-deserved cuddle. In Detail – Running time: 18mins; Age: 0-5 years old; Language: English; Read by: Imelda Staunton; Author: Julia Donaldson (c)2005 Julia Donaldson (P)2005 Macmillan Digital Audio
6. The Smartest Giant in Town George wished he wasn’t the scruffiest giant in town. So when he sees a new shop selling giant-size clothes, he decides it’s time for a new look: smart trousers, smart shirt, stripy tie, shiny shoes. Now he’s the smartest giant in town… until he bumps into some animals who desperately need his help – and his clothes! In Detail – Running time: 30mins; Age: 0-5 years old; Language: English; Read by: Imelda Staunton, Jim Carter and Steven Pacey; Author: Julia Donaldson (c)2004 Julia Donaldson (P)2003 Macmillan Publishers International Ltd
Yoto is way more than just a speaker – it’s a whole world of audio, a lot of which you can play for free!
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Make Your Own CardsGet creative and put your home recordings, or your music collection, onto Yoto blank cards. Then play them in Yoto Player. What can I make a card from? – You can make a card from stories, songs and sounds that you record yourself, from your own music collection, and from our curated selection of radio stations and podcasts – which are available on the app. How it works – There are three steps to make your own cards; deciding which audio you want to use, creating a virtual card in the app, and then linking that virtual card to a real card. | Free ContentBeyond our Card Store, there is more great content you can access for free! From kid-friendly podcasts to radio stations from around the world. Yoto Daily is our own micro podcast. Delivered fresh to your Player each day, it’s guaranteed to give you something to laugh to, talk about and take away. You hear it by pressing the right hand button on Yoto Player (once). Yoto Radio is our in-house radio station that plays an eclectic mix of songs to dance to, singalong with, and help to wind down when the time is right. Listen to it by pressing the right hand button (twice). | Total FreedomYour audio is not tied to the Player. You can play it from Yoto Player by using the cards or straight from the app, the choice is yours! Audio on the go – when you buy audio through Yoto it gets added to your library in the app. This means you can listen to Yoto audio on any Bluetooth speaker or even in your car. Tap a card to play – another useful feature is the ability to tap a card on your phone and have it play directly, no Yoto Player needed! | A Safe Way to ExploreYoto lets you introduce your children to a world of audio, so they can explore and develop in a safe environment that’s been built for kids from the ground up. Family Accounts – during set up, you have the option to pair your phone to Yoto Player. This allows you to control features behind the scenes, like setting sleep and wake times and customising the colour of the nightlight Parents United – when a second parent or guardian then pairs with the same Yoto Player, they will join this family account, and both of you can see and play all the cards your family owns, as well as manage Player settings |
Make Your Own Cards
Pick some audio > ‘Link’ it to a blank card > Play it in Yoto Player
| Dimensions: | 10.2 x 11 x 11 cm; 600 Grams |
| Batteries Included: | 1 Lithium ion batteries required. (included) |
| Manufacture: | Yoto |
| Origin: | China |
| Reference: | Player + Gruffalo & Friends |
The Yoto Player is an excellent investment for parents who want to encourage independent play and learning for their kids. Its ease of use, variety of content, and durability make it a great choice for families looking for an interactive and engaging screen-free device.
Compact and sturdy. Good sound and easy to carry abou
The story’s and interactive pictures and the way the system works is unparalled. I love it, my daughter loves it and her daughter loves it. The card system is so user friendly. A little pricy but the way the kids can make it work on their own more than out weighs it.
I’d wanted one of these for ages, this was a fantastic price at time of Purchase, and came with the gruffalo etc. It’s really sturdy and easy to use – you have to download the app on a phone to be able to use it. You can then play the songs/stories on phone or Yoto. Lovely nightlight and displays the time too – great if you don’t want children to get out of bed until certain time. I’d recommend buying the case to protect it and make it easier to carry around the house. I have the charging dock by her bed but it’ll last a good while on battery around the house. Also somewhere to keep the cards safe is needed.
We we did our research around buying one of these and we heard a lot of good things.
It hasn’t disappointed yet. My daughter listened to it al the time. Mostly the story cards but is getting used to the radio and podcast part- more of an age thing than a issue with accessing it.
Have made cards for friends with one as well and great for presents and sharing stories.
This has so many more features than I realised.
Not only is it easy to work for kids but the grandparents can even work it!!
Absolutely obsessed with it. Love i
It was meant to be an interactive story telling device that might suit an older child , with a longer longer attention span. She will probably use it when she is older.
In my view it will not replace being read to .
Really great for toddler! No stupid figures to loose and once the story is on the player it’s on there!
Weighed this up over the biggest competing alternative and I’m so glad we went for Yoto.
Yoto have a huge selection of books available, as well as the Yoto club (9.99 a month for 2 books), but also the beauty of Make Your Own cards, meaning audiobooks you have from another platform (or CD) you can create a card of your choice. I also love the idea that you can record a family member reading a story too! We’ve bought for my 3yo and it gets plenty of use, a great option for parents who aren’t keen on their kids using screens.
Do the research on their website if you’re confused on what this is. Once you know I 100% recommend getting it. I’ve used both the large and the mini and love both. For travel I recommend the mini, we love it.
Love that we can record our 5 y/o’s fave songs and books, and help her stay awake during mandatory naptime. 🙂
I bought this item as a birthday present for my young granddaughter. I have no knowledge of how it works but it was very well received and all three grandchildren love it. Whether it is value for money, I don’t know because technology seems to be passing me by now.
We use this with my 6 year old as a way to unwind before bed. Listening to soothing stories helps them drift off to sleep. Great bedtime tool for us
I was sold on this Yoto player when I saw the advert they have with the cute little girl giving a demo of the product, we got one for our daughter for Christmas and it has become part of our daily lives in a magnificent way. We wake up and switch on the Yoto to listen to the Yoto daily podcast while my daughter scoffs her weetabix. In the afternoons we often dance around the living room to Yoto radio and in the evenings we have story time and it evens functions as a night light and white noise machine at night! It really and truly lives up to all the promises made on the advert. Get one, ideally with the carry case to protect it from drops! A great product.
Great sound and easy to use. I recommend buying the carry case if you’re purchasing for a toddler.
Bought for 2 yr old grandson who quickly learnt how to operate the device. Loves the carry case which also protects the item. He enjoys playing his stories and music without the help of an adult.
This is an absolutely brilliant product. Easy for toddlers to use, carry and interact with. Great choice of story cards to go with it and grow with the child through the ages. Would highly recommend
Well we got the Yoto player for our 5.year old for Christmas. Since Christmas day it shad been on every day and night. First thing he does in the morning when he wakes first thing when hes in from school. He carries it around everywhere. The little jacket has been brilliant to use as a carry handke. Love the different types of cards you can buy. He adores the ladybird adventures and will literally sit and listen to the hour long ones only thing that keeps him still and so educational.he loved Yoto daily and the other podcasts amazing product. His 8 year old sister is now also asking for one for her birthday. Worth every penny especially as new cards are being released all the time we love i
The Yoto store has lots of books my 6yr old likes, and some good classic novels for my 9yr old. Hope they keep adding to their book card list!
We are so happy we got the yoto player. Excellent product and the kids love it. Highly recommended
my granddaughter loving her yoto! sound quality is great and choice of songs and stories very good. so happy with this gif
So easy to set up. Lots of variety of cards to purchase. Radio podcasts and sleep sounds. Can be a night light and a sleep trainer. Very impressed.
We all love it and use it every day. I bought it for my 4yo, but I’m also using the white noise option for my 2yo during the night. Such great investme
This is great for my 3 year old and has really helped out at bed time.
Fast delivery and well packaged, its a Christmas present so don’t know how well it works yet, but looks good
My grandaughter loves it! Ww bought it for her 4th birthday and while we all read her bedtime stories and always will she often pops a book in early mornings and gives her parents the little reprive all parents need at 5am
Bought for my daughter and she absolutely loves it. Easy to use and easy to navigate for her.
We bought for our son. He loves it and we love it. We love every aspect of it. Yoto daily, Yoto radio…
Bought for my 5 year old’s birthday after it being recommended as an older version of the Tonies player. My son takes himself to his room and listens to it on a daily basis, as well as at bedtime. He loves listening to the stories we have already read together, preferring the longer ones like The Enchanted Wood. He doesn’t tend to listen to the podcast or radio at the moment so the starter pack wasn’t really necessary, and should have spent the money on more stories.
Battery life is great and sound is good. Highly recommend.
A great buy for my 7 year old. She listens to stories before bed or the podcast/radio. Easy to use and portable.
Once the equipment is setup it works perfectly and thoroughly enjoyed by my daughter. I recommend to any parent who wants their children to be interested in stories and not be distracted by the TV.
Out of the Yoto and the Tonie, the Yoto gets my choice as it offers everything the Tonie has but so much more. It maybe a bit more expensive to buy the Yoto Player itself but the stories etc…are a lot cheaper and you get so much more in the Yoto App than you do with the Tonie App! The Sleep sounds are impressive and all the radio options are great too!
Got this for my sons 4th birthday and he absolutely loves it. Used it every day before bed.
I was recommended the yoto player by my friend and I don’t regret it. My daughter is 3 and her speech isn’t very clear yet. Since having the yoto player her speech is improving so much. It’s super easy to use and the battery life is great! She loves the nightlight function and we have a new colour almost every night. Can’t wait to get more stories for her!
Great for slightly older kids 4/5+. Fairly easy to use and a great distraction for kids that enjoy being read to. Shame about not being able to configure the buttons to other radio stations or podcasts. Good product.
Fantastic machine. My son absolutely adores it – to the point where he will insist that he brings it downstairs with him when he wakes.
The app that supports it is fantastic and so easy to use.
The programmable cards are a real treat and again, are very easy to use and set up. He already loves listening to stories read by his favourite family members, but these will become invaluable in years to come.
I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending this machine to any parents of book/story loving children.
My 2yr old loves it. What else is there to say!
We started listening to the Julia Donaldson stories after she had seen them on TV over Christmas. She was instantly hooked and better yet she was able to change the stories herself and move through chapters giving her a great sense of independence. Since then I’ve added more cards to our collection and we listen together or she will choose a story herself before she goes to bed.
More recently I’ve been making her cards using Yoto’s Make Your Own feature, she even has a card of songs that her Daddy loves so I’m giving her my own terrible taste in music from a young age 🙂 I’ve also used the Make Your Own cards to have stories read to her by her Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles – this has been particularly brilliant during lockdown when she hasn’t been able to see relatives face to face.
Yoto produce a free daily podcast which has become a staple over breakfast too. (Quick game of Cheese of Chocolate? anyone?) There are also free child friendly radio stations and a brilliant white noise machine all included. It’s a pleasure that I don’t feel I have to look over her shoulder to see if she’s found something inappropriate on YouTube.
Now her Yotoplayer travels everywhere with her and it’s been lovely to see her choosing what to listen to and starting her day with a dance session. She starts and ends her day with stories, songs, and music and not a screen in sight!
My 4.5 year old son loves his new Yoto Player!He carries it everywhere at home or in the garden and listens to his favourite songs we’ve uploaded onto a card!Many other great features kids can explore themselves.Perfect for cutting down on screen time.I use it myself when I need a Bluetooth speaker which is a bonus!The only thing I would like to be added for Yoto players in the future is a small handle,protective case or a little child-friendly carrier bag.As it’s been taken around a lot and there is nothing to hold on to,it slipps off my son’s little hands sometimes and the player has few deep scratches on the edges already..Otherwise very happy with the purchase!
Bought the Yoto for my grandson (3), he absolutely loves listening to stories that I have recorded on one of the cards. Has started rise read by his Auntie too, listens to them every night.
This has been a great idea for our daughter. Her teacher recommended it to us as well.
She loves to listen to stories at her room but also enjoys listening to the radio and dancing to the music.
We would definitely recommend it!
Great!!! Couldn’t recommend it more 🙂
I brought this for my granddaughter after extensive research it’s an excellent product and does far more than I anticipated. The next one I’ll buy will be for my grandson. I would highly recommend this radio.
Brilliant design. Very easy to use. 2 yr old loves it.
Super easy to use for my small grandchildren. Well made sturdy with a clarity of tone!
Kids just loved this toy. Crazy thing is they know how to use it without looking at the instructions unlike us adults.
He listens to the cards and the radio during the day, and has a story every night with the nightlight activated. He finds it really easy to use and can listen to whatever he would like to without any help. My daughter has now asked for one too!
Due to covid we haven’t seen much of our family recently, so they all recorded a story each on their phones and we loaded them on to Make Your Own cards. It was so easy to do and he loves to listen to the stories they have recorded for him!
Got this for my grandson 4 years old for Christmas. There was a problem with it. So returned which was easily done. Ordered a replacement which arrived the next day. My grandson absolutely loves it.
He absolutely loves his Yoto player. We used to scan the QR codes in books for their audios, but now he has full control over what he listens to. And he can control when and where.
He has even become an avid listener of the “daily podcast” and tells me about them every day. And when he is playing alone in his room I can almost always hear the radio on.
Just a fantastic product!
Why the Yoto Player:
Was torn between Yoto Player and the Toniebox. Most members on the Yoto Player Facebook community group have both players and concurred that their child loves the Toniebox. They would recommend a Toniebox for a younger child under 4 and the Yoto Player for an older child. The Tonie is perfect for a toddler, robust and extremely simple to use. I decided on the Yoto over the Tonie for our 2.5 year old for the following reasons:
1. I try to avoid buying plastic toys. Although cute and fun for a toddler, I don’t like the plastic Tonie figurines and feel the novelty will wear off pretty quickly especially as he gets older with limited content for an older child. Most reviewers said by age 4 their child had outgrown the Tonies content as wanted more challenging stories.
2. Storage: I love that the cards come in a little pouch that can be stuck to the inside of the book, or you can simply store away in a business card folder, a basket, or drawer rather than adding to toy clutter.
3. Cost per card. Yoto cards vary from 4.99, 6.99, 8.99 to a collection for 19.99. One Tonie figurine costs 14.99 to 22.49. Long term the Yoto Player price ratio is far more cost affective. You can also buy packs of blank cards to record your own content too.
4. Content. The Yoto Player has a far superior library catalogue. I read they have a contract with Puffin so a much bigger range. I love that I could purchase the Mog collection, Shirley Hughes, and the Ahlbergs Funny Bones! For older kids they have Roald Dahl and Enid Blytons collections. They have a growing library of authors and content such as meditation & mindfulness, classical music, fairy tales, languages. They also provide free content: featured audios, and access to numerous podcasts and radio stations for children.
5. Extras: The Yoto Player has loads of extras built in: Bluetooth, radio, podcast, night light, clock with am and pm display, and a pixilated front which is very retro and cute.
6. Userbility: (updated) using almost 5 months. Toddler then 2.5 now 3 has no issue operating on his own. We find it especially good for car trips were he selects his card and inserts himself to listen and entertain himself. He loves the Mog collection and Funnybones. He still prefers 1:1 reading but often will play if I’m busy cooking or occupied doing something else. He has no interest in podcasts or radio at this point.
Set up
For gifting, the Yoto Player Website recommends setting up and downloading the cards prior to gifting to ensure smooth play for child once unwrapped.
I found the set up very easy and simple to follow. Just download the mobile app and follow the prompts. The online support page provides more information on the controls and how to download cards etc.
Downloading cards content to player (I was a bit confused at not clear at first): All you need to do is insert each card and once they start playing you take them out. This tells the Player to start downloading the audio onto its in-built storage so it will play smoothly and without relying on your Wi-Fi connection.
Summary
Positives:
– Easy to set up and use
– Came with one free ‘make your own’ card with the pre recorded user instructions on it.
– Built-in wifi, bluetooth, radio and podcast.
– Strong magnetic charging cable with two switchable plug heads: one for UK/Ireland and one for EU plug usage which is brilliant for travelling abroad.
– Loads of affordable and free content available.
– Looks really cute and retro with pixilated display.
– Was able to purchase on Amazon Prime so any issues I am confident Amazon will resolve (Irish so would have to pay for return from Ireland to UK if bought directly from Yoto website).
– Really impressed with how quickly this arrived. Orderd yesterday morning (Friday) and arrived this morning (Saturday) to Dublin!! My quickest amazon delivery!!
– The Yoto Company appear very active, constantly asking for feedback from customers on forums, listening intently and updating their software accordingly. This can only be a positive.
Negatives
– Currently the majority of content available on amazon is not Prime so you have to pay 4.95 for delivery. Some of the titles I wanted were not available on amazon so bought directly from Yoto Store with delivery to Ireland costing 8.95 which is ridiculous for little cards. Had to use An Post address pal for cheaper delivery. I assume this will improve as company grows.
It’s very compact it’s basically a white block with two external red dials on either side.
This comes provided with a story pack which consists of 6 cards which you insert into the top slot of the player.
each card has several functions and this also has age-appropriate podcasts and free daily material for use.
There is a compatible app that is easy to set up and that you pair with the player via Bluetooth.
The player can then be controlled via the cube itself or the app and all the cards once inserted are stored on the app as well.
I particularly liked this feature as the cards were cardboard which was my only dislike here so at least you have a backup if the card is damaged.
When this is playing I loved the animated pixel images on the front.
This comes with a welcome card which you can use to record your own material these can also be purchased.
The player also acts as a nightlight and this is lead-free using a wireless charger to power.
There’s also loads of add on packs you can buy to expand this and it will grow with your child.
Really impressed and would definitely recommend this.
My Yoto player did not hold the charge for 5 hours and needed recharging within a day. My child likes it and it’s easy to operate. It operates as a clock and a night light too. Can also use it to play music. Kids love it and it is a nice item but if you want additional story sets you do have to pay and obviously unlike traditional books the children are not reading just listening to stories.
She loves listening to the kid friendly radio or the daily entertainment with her headphones.
At bedtime she loves listening to a book which she can do all by herself.
It’s a solid bluetooth like player but it dont stop at just the player it’s also possible to listen to purchased books on your phone via the app
It was very simple to set up ,you do need a wifi connection tho!. It comes with a really neat charger that’s magnetic it charges quick and last ages!
The voice is lovely and clear and english it has a volume control via the left nob.press the right one for daily and press again for radio . Stick a card in for a story . You even get a blank card that you can put own music or you reading a story . This came with 6 story books and a welcome card which sets you up and explains things to you.
To stop or pause a card simply take the card out. There is a store prices start at 4.99 and recommend ages is from birth till 10.
To make your own card you simply enter the app and go to make your own card section and upload simple!
There is radio stations and podcasts on the app too.
There is also a nightlight,if you turn it on the front this is also customizable.
You can pair phone to bluetooth and play any music from your phone too .
This things honestly amazing and I am so impressed by it definitely recommend it!
In this day and age we have too many gadgets and there are now enough data available which indicates that we should limit childrens’ screen time. This is just the perfect answer for us, as we are trying to introduce this gadget for the children in our household(age between 1 and 11). Though I find younger children (under 8 ) would be more engaged with this than older children as they would be more distracted with other gadgets.
To install:
1) Download the Yoto app onto your mobile phone
2) Press and hold both buttons for a few seconds until you get a 6 letter code which you enter in the app.
3) Connect to WIFI and register with your email and password
PROS
– Easy to Install and Easy to Use, perfect for the little ones.
– Portable and light
– You can use it as a bluetooth speaker playing songs and contents from your phone too be it audible , spotify or your own collection.
– There are FREE daily contents available.
– Has a children’s radio station which plays songs like nursery rhymes
– Can use it as a night light (that you can select different colours from your app) and displays time too.
– Excellent sound quality
– Record your own story on blank cards that you could purchase. Simply record on your phone and then upload it onto the Yoto card.
– Can play virtually without the need of the physical card
– Have good parental control such as limiting the volume of the Yoto player and you can also add an addition member to your account.
– Battery lasts approx between 3 hours and about 7 or 8 hours and takes 5 hours to fully charge the abbeter
– Love the Pixel display
– you can place the player on all its sides
CONS
-Can’t really fault it at the moment as we are loving this cute little gadget!
-No indicator of when its fully charged unless you press on the power button briefly without any card inserted in the slot. Think it would have been easier if there was a small indicator on the side so you know when you need to charge
Tips
Press the button on the right hand side once and you get to listen to a free podcast, Press the button on the right twice and you get to the child friendly radio
Overall this is a pretty awesome speaker, allowing your child to have the ability to choose what they would like to listen to as they grow up.
I highly recommend this product.
It has a rich quality sound with volume that will blow your mind! In fact, if it’s playing in my kitchen? You can hear clearly in every adjoining room & further.
It also easy to set up,
*First you will need to download free yoto mobile app on your mobile phone
*Then setup a yoto player
It will ask 6 letter code (press and hold both buttons (tactile controls) for about 5 seconds you will get your letter code.
-connect to your WiFi network.
– Finally sigh up using your email and password.
My 7 years old loves this too. His favourite feature is make your own card.
I recommend this product to new readers because, When children listen toaudiobooks, they will know , how punctuation should sound, and how reading should sound. Ideally, they will transfer that knowledge to their own reading, both independent and aloud.
It’s effectively a bluetooth speaker but it has the additional function of being able to read NFC cards with audio. Similar to other brands, this is aimed at young kids. Letting children choose and control it is also a key benefit. Amazon Alexa can do all the audio function (or indeed any bluetooth speaker as you just need the app for the content) but the unique selling point is the function that allows the NFC card to be read so a child can operate it without speaking or getting frustrated. Very safe for even toddlers too. It can also serve as a nightlight if you tip it upside down!
With the NFC tech, you can also assign any audio to blank cards. This is a great feature and a really good additional selling point.
Things we struggled with, which are all fairly minor but worth mentioning:
– one of our cards didn’t work. Customer services were really responsive and replaced it after a few tests.
– the battery only lasts one evening off the charger (not too bad)
– turning it on was a bit tricky. You have to hold a small button in the underside for a few seconds.
– slight lag sometimes (but ok, teaches patience!)
Overall, these are small niggles and not worth a lower rating for us as we love it. We love the free content that you can get too. The Magic Wishing Chair is the current story. We hope that more content for older kids comes out so we can continue using this to give the kids access to good quality stories as they grow.
Lovely idea and well made. The cost is the only downside, but worth it when you consider the possibilities – grandma reading them a story, birthday messages from friends and family, recording their own stories to read along to…!
This is such a lovely gadget for kids. So it basically is a speaker which can be charged up similar to a Bluetooth speaker but made incredibly safe for children. It can be recharged and is designed to be very portable so children can use it out and about. The device is small and it allows you to buy cards which you slot in the device and it will download that audiobook. I got the Gruffalo set which came with 6 books. On the website more audiobook cards start from about 4.99 and they have some popular choices like Roald Dahl. Actually, some books on there are designed for teenagers so I wouldn’t rule this only being used for infants. Its designed to be simple so children can just use it independently. It is pairable with a smartphone and can be used as a Bluetooth speaker in it’s own right. It does require a internet connection so make sure you have WIFI. There are free content as well so you don’t have to keep buying books for it. I love the pixel display which mimics the book characters. This is a unique product in it’s own right — I have not seen anything like this before and it really gets children into audiobooks so perfect for bedtime. It’s now part of my child’s night time routine and I am looking forward to hearing more stories from the Yoto player.
We got the Gruffalo pack as she loves all those books. It’s so easy to use she can put the cards in herself and swap them when it’s finished. The books are well read with enthusiasm, something I was very glad about as I can’t stand it when people don’t read children’s books expressively. She is enjoying listening to them in her den for some ‘quiet time’.
The night light is a bonus as I had been looking for one for her room too!
Yoto radio is certainly an eclectic mix of current songs, golden oldies, nursery rhymes and disney film classics but she likes having it on whilst doing craft or playing and I don’t mind it.
I’m looking forward to experimenting reading some stories for her onto the blank cards.
Oh and it can play music etc via bluetooth too, which is a useful feature.
Really pleased!
Our daughter is obsessed with us reading books to her, she has developed quite the book collection so we decided to buy her this as a lockdown gift (and a gift to us by giving us a break from the reading occasionally!!). What a great decision that was, she loves it!
We have been using it for a few weeks now, one of the best things about it is how happy she is to be able to make her own ‘choice’, there are very few products like this where you can hand over total control to your child. The audio cards are easy to get in and out of the slot so she just picks the ‘book’ she wants to listen to, puts it in the player, and she’s away. It’s pretty easy to set up, there is an app that basically does it all for you, my wife isn’t the most technically minded person in the world but she had no problems setting it up, just connect it to your wifi and insert the book cards, it’s that easy.
There are some great features;
– You get a card to record your own stories, great if there is a story your child likes that isn’t available or something you want to record to read before your child goes to sleep, maybe from an absent parent/relative.
– Its really robust so great for little hands, also great for transporting if you go away on holiday, its pretty light and easy to throw into a bag.
– We also discovered the Player comes with access to free content – there is a daily podcast which has some great ideas for things to do with the little ones and it also has its own childrens radio station built in.