We recently got Yoto Mini audio players for our children (ages 4 and 6) and I am convinced they are the greatest toy of all time. In this post, I’ll share what Yoto Mini does and why our kids love them so much!
Our older daughter is just learning to read. We spend a lot of time reading books, but she is not quite at the stage to read books independently yet, and our younger daughter won’t be for several more years.
I love audiobooks, and I have been interested in introducing audiobooks to our kids, but we are not interested in giving them more access to devices (iPads, phones, etc.) at this time.
When I heard my friend’s review of the Yoto Mini, I knew it was the perfect solution for us.
The Yoto players come as a full size and a mini version. You collect cards that play stories, music, meditations, and more. I started off with a lot of bedtime cards so they could use them as a part of their nightly routine.
Here are some of the cards we have collected so far. As long as they kids are playing with them, I will continue adding more for birthdays and holidays.
For bedtime: Magical Bedtime Meditation, Bedtime Meditations, Enchanted Meditations, Mermaids and Fairy Dust Meditations and Goodnight Spaceman.
Classics: There are so many great classic stories available. I just ordered some for an upcoming birthday, including Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The Snow Queen.
Personal favorites: Llama Llama Collection, Beverly Cleary Collection, The Hotel Flamingo Collection, and the Beatrix Potter Collection.
(Note: I haven’t ordered any Disney/Pixar yet because I was nervous they would take attention away from the classics. We will probably add those down the road though, since our kids love those stories as well.)
Apart from the cards, our kids love listening to Yoto Radio, which plays a pretty big variety of music (it will randomly go from Lady Gaga to Frank Sinatra) and the Yoto Daily Podcast, which does daily birthday shoutouts and daily activities and games (it’s so sweet!).
Our kids feel extremely cool and grown up using these little devices. They do just enough to keep them engaged for hours, but not too much like a screen device.
They are educational and perfect for encouraging independent reading.
If you want to get super organized, I love this Etsy seller’s solution. We have not bought any organization yet—I have been storing the cards in a small basket so they have easy access.
The rubber sleeves are sold separately.
So far, Llama Llama is the set I have noticed being played the most.
The maximum volume is appropriate for children, but I do find it loud/annoying when they are both playing different things at once. You also have the option of using kids headphones, which are perfect for travel.
I hope this review was helpful. If you are on the fence like I was, I hope I have tipped you over the edge. I am always hesitant about adding more devices, but this has been so worth it for our family.
If you have any additional questions, I’m happy to answer them in the comments. xx, Elsie
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