My children’s gift guide is simple this year: Tuck a Yoto under the tree. What is a Yoto? The world’s greatest, most creative audio reader for young minds from two to twelve years old. Using storybook and activity cards, a daily podcast show and radio, children engage in independent learning and play sans screens.

Louisa received one for her fourth birthday last year and wherever Louisa goes, the Yoto goes. From its home on her nightstand to traveling, she engages with the Yoto every single day. Perhaps you own or have heard of other audio readers and are wondering what makes the Yoto so special. I highlight why our family is over the moon impressed with this genius little box below.

First and foremost, the content available is what sold me on Yoto. I did quite a bit of research before purchasing this gift as I wanted it to be a vehicle for all manner of imagination while providing an edifying library for learning. Classic stories encourage an early adoption of literature while history and science are explored with nonfiction tales of everything from dinosaurs to inventors. Music cards like Mozart and Jazz pique little ears and play cards get bodies moving with interactive games and stretches on dreary winter days.

There is a sprinkling of familiar Disney and Pixar characters for good measure but, unlike other popular audio readers, Frozen and Paw Patrol are not the main attractions. Yoto is of British origin which is always a good thing in my book: Less beholden to the ever-churning behemoth that is American entertainment.

What age is the Yoto best for? I would say two to twelve. The intuitive buttons and prompts are easy enough for Henry, my 15-month-old, to explore and the long-form content of chapter books and in-depth themes will keep Louisa interested well into tween-dom. You can find a list of the other features we love at the bottom of this post. Now, onto what to purchase!

Yoto

The Yoto Player: We have the regular Yoto Player ($119) and an adventure jacket ($29) which I definitely recommend as well.

Yoto Mini: Small but mighty, the Mini has all the perks of the regular size except the pixel display. Perfect for children on the go or older kids. ($69)

Favorite Classics Cards

• Peter Pan
• Winnie the Pooh
• Peter Rabbit
• Stuart Little
• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
• The Jungle Book
• The Wind in the Willows
• The Secret Garden

Favorite History & Science Cards

• Biggest Ideas Inventor Series
• Dinosaurs
• The Human Body

Favorite Activity Cards

• An Animal Dance
• Afternoon Activator
• Slow and Sleepy Stretches

Favorite Music Cards

• My First Classical Music Collection
• Dreams of Space
• Wake Up Calls

Favorite Book Cards

• Julia Donaldson Collection

Other Desirable Features

• Blank Cards: Record your own content such as bedtime stories. This is fantastic for when parents are traveling so children can listen to their voices anytime.
• Yoto App: Parents can control everything on the player from their phone app. Every card you own is automatically added to the app so you can play it right from your device even if you misplace the card.
• Pixel Display: Animates the audio storytelling with charming images and shows the time when not in use.
• Daily Podcast: Louisa learns a lot from Yoto Daily, a fun way to start the day filled with facts, hilarious games, cultural topics and even a weekly family quiz.
• Radio: A radio station plays anytime you want, a mix of enjoyable music like Motown, songs your children love, and current chart toppers.
• Clock: A pixelated clock displays on the screen with the time and can be programmed to act as a bedtime and wake time clock.
• Bluetooth Player: The Yoto can act as a bluetooth player and play from Spotify and any other media on your phone. The Player comes equipped with a headphone jack too!
• Card Recognition: If your child ends their story and comes back to it later, the Player will start right where the card left off.
• Nightlight: Helpful for middle of the night use.
• Charging: A small magnetic disc does all the work in charging the Yoto which has a battery life of 10 hours.
• Customer Care: Excellent service and fast shipping, need I say more?

It’s safe to say the Yoto is one of the best purchases I’ve ever made—I’m not kidding. I recommend it to everyone and most of my friends with children have bought them, I had three texts in one day last week asking about the Yoto! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment on this post, email me (emily@stuffymuffy.com) or send a DM. I’m off to wrap some Yoto cards, happy gifting dears!