You all know I’m a fan of educational toys and programs that make learning easier and more fun. Recently, the Yoto company reached out to me to review their new Yoto player, and of course I said yes!
Disclaimer: Yes, this is a sponsored post that includes an affiliate link. If you use it to purchase a Yoto-player, I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for helping me share more helpful educational tools and toys with more homeschooling families!
I was thoroughly impressed with this little gadget, so let me explain what makes it so cool.
What is the Yoto Player?
The Yoto Player is a screen-free speaker offering 6 different kinds of audio for children to choose from and enjoy. The 6 audio categories are: Stories, Music, Sounds Effects, Radio, Podcasts and Activities, as well as blank ‘Make Your Own’ cards where kids and their families can add their own audio stories and music. The cards are sold separately and cost between £1.99 and £8.99 each, depending on the length of the audio.
Who is the Yoto player for?
The Yoto player is suitable for children ages 2-12 (although with the babies, please supervise use so it’s not dropped or put anywhere near water).
How does the Yoto player work?
Children aged 4 and up can easily control the player on their own by inserting their chosen card into the Yoto Player and removing it again when they want to play something else. When you reinsert any card, it will continue playing where it left off. When a card is first inserted, the content will be downloaded from Yoto’s server to the player so that it can be played again when the player is offline.
It has a very simply pixel display with soft colours, a night-light (you can set the colour for the night light on the Yoto app using your phone), a clock, Bluetooth connectivity for playing any other music from your phone, and you can access plenty of free daily content on the Yoto app.
Is it safe for children to use the Yoto player?
Yes, children are not able to surf the internet with the Yoto. All content on the Yoto radio and on the app is carefully curated for children. The player itself does not have a screen, camera, or microphone, so no need to worry about the internet spying on your kids with this device either! Kids can enjoy excellent quality audio stories, podcasts, and plenty of educational content without distraction.
The Yoto software is frequently improved, and the player will automatically download the latest updates when connected to the internet.
How to use Yoto cards
When you purchase Yoto cards from the online store, their content is also automatically added to your app library. This means kids can instantly enjoy the audio while you wait for the physical cards to arrive. You can also tap cards to your phone to play the audio from your phone. The audio you’ve bought as well as the free content are all accessible via the app, so you can play it on the go as well.
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The top 10 benefits you need to know about the Yoto Player
1. The app – free content added regularly and online store
2. Easy to set up and easy for your kids to use.
3. It can play content while offline, it doesn’t need to be permanently connected to the internet.
4. It’s a wonderful way to engage your child in screen-free, educational fun and play.
5. Improve your child’s listening and concentration skills, ask them to tell you about the audio books and podcasts they listened to, what they learned and enjoyed the most.
6. Give your child some control over educational fun and input by giving them a Yoto that is safe to use and does not require constant internet monitoring for inappropriate ads.
7. Children can practice telling time by reading the digital clock on the Yoto.
8. The Yoto player fosters independent play and learning, allowing kids to explore languages, different types of music, child-appropriate content on skills such as mindfulness and exercise, science-based podcasts, children’s stories, podcasts, and nursery rhymes that improve language learning, and so much more.
9. The various sleep sound options can help your little ones fall asleep easier. Choose from white noise, nature sounds, ambient soundtracks, and more. (My kids prefer the one that sounds like rain – Pink noise).
10. Encourage your children’s creativity and create special family memories by letting them use some of the blank cards to upload their own stories, songs, positive affirmations. Imagine adding songs and stories by granny and grandpa. You can also upload special messages you’d like to surprise your children with when they put the cards in!
Free content on the Yoto app
When you download the Yoto app to your phone and check it out, you will find the following free content:
- A Let’s Move exercise pack with various clips and fun physical stretches, dances and exercises kids can do.
- Nursery Rhymes, Mini Mindfulness, Jokes for kids, and free previews of more content to be released.
- Various podcasts for children in English as well as other languages like Spanish and French. Podcasts include the Yoto Daily, Activity Quest, Brains On!, But Why, CBeebies, Circle Round, Flyest Fables, Fun Kids Science Weekly, Girls Tales, Peace Out, Stoopkid Stories, Story Explorers, Story Quest, Story Shed, The Big Fib, The Week Junior Show, Wow in the World, and more.
- Radio channels such as BBC Radio, Fun Kids Junior, Fun Kids Radio, Jabberwocky Radio, Lullaby, PipSqueaks, NRK Super, RTE Junior, Radio Bimbo, Yoto Radio and more channels in Dutch, Spanish, and French.
- Sleep Sounds that include Sleep Radio (stories with soothing background sounds), three different types of white noise, vacuum cleaner and noisy fan sounds, natural rain, wind, park sounds, soundscape underscores, and binaural beats.
How my kids enjoy the Yoto player
My kids enjoy the daily Yoto radio broadcast. Sometimes there are fun riddles or tongue-twisters to try, and my daughter loves to play along and rise to the challenge.
Other podcasts they’ve enjoyed so far are: Cbeebies, Circle Round, and Story Shed.
My kids are also completely obsessed with the night-light feature. It turns on when you turn the Yoto plater on its side so that the roof part of the little house-shape is facing up. You can set the colour of the nightlight via the Yoto app as well. At night, I play them the Lullaby card, or white noise, or something else from my phone via the Bluetooth setting. It’s great to have variety!
Check out the Yoto online store
Want to get more out of this cool gadget? Check out the Yoto online store to buy more content such as stories, audiobooks, Lego-themed content, biographies, and more. You can filter the content you’re looking for by different categories, such as age group, single card or card packs, music, stories, activities, sound effects, podcasts, language, author/publishers, and newest releases.
How to get your Yoto player
If you’re based in the UK or US, you can get your Yoto player by clicking here.
Where to get your Yoto player in South Africa
If you’re based in South Africa, you can buy a Yoto player at Toys R Us, any iStore, or from Takealot.com.
I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. I know this gadget is going to be a favourite in my house for many years!
