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YOTO! That’s the big thing in our home these days! My kids have been going NUTS over the Yoto for the past few months.
If you don’t have a Yoto yet and you have a child in the 5-13 age range, you’ve gotta get one of these. Trust me, you won’t regret it!
There always seemed to be a kid waiting for his or her turn with the Yoto and kids arguing over whose turn it was to take it to bed with them.
So naturally I had to get more, two more. We now have 3 Yotos and, to be honest, I’ll probably end up getting 1 or 2 more before the year ends.
What IS a Yoto Player?
If your family hasn’t discovered the Yoto yet, let me tell you why my kids and I love it so much!
Yoto is screen-free audio player that lets kids listen to stories, music, and even podcasts.
What Makes the Yoto So Great?
I probably wouldn’t have expected my kids to enjoy audiobooks as much as they do, but my husband one day grabbed an old smartphone of ours and showed one of them how to listen to a book on there. It wasn’t long before all of my older kids were taking turns with the phone.
Then they discovered how much they enjoyed listening to music too.
The thing is, this phone is old, cracked, and just not kid-friendly, especially for my younger boys.
The Yoto on the other hand, is perfection!
Remember when we had Boomboxes growing up and you could take them all over the house with you. Well the Yoto player is like a modern day Boombox!
Independent Learning and Screen-Free Entertainment
In a world where screens dominate everything, I love that the Yoto Player offers my kids a way to listen to stories, music, and educational content without a screen (well, except for the small pixel screen which shows an image to go with each chapter).
The Yoto player is so easy to use, even my 2-year-old has figured it out. You simply choose a card, pop it in, and you’re ready to listen.
There are SO Many Things to Listen To!
Yoto has a huge selection of audiobooks to choose from, but that’s not all. They also have music cards, podcasts, and even new Disney interactive quiz cards!
If they don’t sell a card for what you’re looking for, no problem. You can purchase their Make-Your-Own (MYO) cards and put virtually ANYTHING onto them. We use the MYO cards SO much at our home I plan to write a seperate post just about those. They are GREAT!
The App Is Fantastic!
There’s a Yoto app you’ll want to add to your phone which allows you to listen to any of your Yoto cards directly from your phone OR wirelessly send a selection directly to a Yoto player, without needing to get the card.
It will tell you how much battery life each player has left, allow you to make your own recording of you reading a favorite book (or Grandparents reading!), and will even tell you the room temperature.
These are just a few of the things you can utilize the app for. There’s many other features you’ll want to check out!
Perfect for a Big Family
With seven kids, finding something that multiple ages can enjoy is no small feat. The Yoto Player has been enjoyed by my toddler all the way up to my preteen.
There are so many Yoto Cards to choose from—classics like Winnie the Pooh, Bible stories, music, and even educational cards. No matter what the age of your child, you will find cards they like!
Plus, I love that we can make our own content with the MYO cards, letting us record Bible memory verses, favorite bedtime stories, or even messages from grandparents!
And, if I’m being honest, even I’ve been using the Yoto when my kids allow it.
I don’t have nearly the time I once did to sit down and enjoy a great book. Fortunately for me, the Yoto Player has tons of classic books available. And, since you can play Yoto cards directly from your phone, I just turn them on while I’m making dinner or washing dishes.
Encourages a Love of Reading
One of my biggest homeschooling goals is fostering a love of reading. The Yoto player supports this by making books come alive through high-quality audio narration.
A few months ago I told my reluctant reader, Aram (age 6) that as part of his schoolwork I wanted him to listen to a book on our Yoto player for 30 minutes each day.
I had to FORCE him to listen to the first two Magic Tree House books. You know how kids are. He had that annoyed look on his face but he sat and mostly listened to it.
And then suddenly something changed. He realized he LOVED those books. So much so that he is now listening to the Yoto for a minimum of 2 hours a day, many days much more.
He has listened to every Magic Tree House book he could get his hands on and then lots of other Yoto book cards too. It’s been an amazing (and fast) transformation!
Great for Quiet Time and Travel
Whether we’re driving to church, taking a road trip, or just having quiet time in the afternoons, the Yoto Player is a lifesaver. The kids can each listen with their own Yoto and headphones.
Two of my children will be taking a long roadtrip with one of their sets of Grandparents in July and they have already mentioned they are taking our Yotos to pass the time. What really excites me is that we also have a Nintendo Switch but neither kid even mentioned taking that. It’s all about the Yoto here!
Why We Had to Get More Yoto Players
At first, I thought one would be enough. But with so many little hands wanting a turn, I quickly realized we needed more. Now, we have three players – 2 regular-sized players and 1 mini.
We have one charging dock that sits in our living room and the kids are are great about charging the Yotos as needed. We also have 3 card cases.
Most nights 2-3 of my kids are taking a Yoto player to bed with them to listen to stories as they fall asleep.
For my kids, they seem to prefer the larger-sized Yoto. I got the Adventure Jackets for them and they love that it gives them a handle to easily take them wherever they go – even outside. Our Mini Yoto is still used, but always as the 3rd choice.
I fully intend to purchase 2 more full size Yoto players (3rd generation) before the year ends so we have plenty to go around.
Quotes From My Kids About Yoto
It’s pretty cool because you can do so many things with it! Jacob, age 12
I like it! I like listening to it! Aram, age 6
I like it. They’re useful because I can listen to so many things on it! Gideon, age 9
Buy A Yoto Player and Cards
You can purchase a Yoto player and a selection of cards on Amazon, but I’d reccomend purchasing directly from the Yoto website for two reasons.
- They have a much bigger card selection on their website.
- Once you have your Yoto account and app set up on your phone, when you purchase cards from their website, they will add them almost intantly to your digital library, days before the cards actually arrive at your house. That means your kids don’t have to wait to listen to their new books and music!
Click HERE to head to the Yoto website.
If you’re a mom looking for a fun, engaging, and educational addition to your home, I highly recommend the Yoto Player. Just be warned—you might find yourself needing more than one!