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Review & Giveaway: Yoto Player & Starter Pack

ByLaura Dove

When I look back to my own childhood and my love of reading from a young age, one of my favourite memories is always that of listening to audio books on my Walkman, hearing my favourite stories read out loud with music and sound effects. When Lewis was younger I used to buy him audio books on CD, played in the car as we drove on our holidays down South, or on his CD player with his headphones as he lay down to sleep each night. So when Eva, Megan and Harry came along I was amazed to discover that audio players have reached a whole new level and, whilst they still have the fundamental basics at heart, they offer so much more than you could ever imagine!

We were recently contacted by Yoto and kindly sent one of their Yoto Players with a selection of Yoto cards and obviously, we couldn’t wait to give it a try!

What is Yoto?

Yoto is a screen-free audio platform aimed at children aged 3 years +. The Yoto Player is designed based on Montessori principles and allows children to safely choose the audio they listen to (from a parental selection, of course!) using physical cards.

The audio content available for Yoto is ever expanding but ranges from stories to music, educational content, podcasts, radio, sound effects and more.

What’s in the box?

  • Yoto Player
  • Welcome Card
  • Magnetic Charging Dock
  • Quick Start Guide

How does it work?

The Yoto Player requires minimum set up with simple instructions available via the Yoto app which talks you through the setup process. The app itself is easy to install and,  once you have connected the Yoto Player to your home wifi, it’s so simple to use.

Using Yoto Cards (all available to buy separately), you simply insert a Yoto Card into the Yoto Plater and it downloads the content from their server. Once you have downloaded the initial content it can be used without being connected in the future meaning you can use the Yoto Player as you travel and on the go. The player has up to 140 hours of audio storage which is going to be a real godsend on long car journeys and flights!

Yoto have a huge selection of cards to choose from with single stories from best selling authors to various collections of all of our favourite books. There are also educational cards for learning new languages, maths and English, and soothing lullabies.

When you insert a card into the Yoto Player not only will it read you a pre-recorded story but an image will show on the Yoto Player itself which the children found so exciting to discover. With. an integrated battery, stereo sound and Bluetooth connectivity, Yoto certainly has a lot to offer and the scope for learning and play is endless!

The Yoto Player also works as a nightlight with customised colours, a clock, allowing you to set your own bedtime and wake up time for developing a good bedtime routine, independence and awareness of time. You can also listen to Yoto radio, podcasts and. make your own Yoto cards from home recorded songs and stories.

What did we think?

Having tried several similar products over the last year I intrigued to see how Yoto differed and what it could offer to us as a family. The biggest appeal for the children was the wide range of Yoto cards, with titles from their favourites Roald Dahl, Julia Donaldson and classics from Enid Blyton. Being able to listen to a chapter from their favourite books each night before bed was a novelty that certainly didn’t wear off!

I love that for me it meant during the current climate when I am home schooling four children with just one pair of hands, the Yoto Player can assist the children in reading a story, learning their maths, practicing their language or enjoying some music. It’s made my life a lot easier and made our regular reading sessions a lot more interesting at a time we have been unable to visit our library or hear new books in school.

The real bonus for me is the built in battery meaning, once charged, it the Yoto Player can be used anywhere. As I said earlier, as a family who loves to travel this is going to be a huge help for us on long journeys. For us the Yoto Player has certainly been a huge hit and we would definitely recommend it to those looking for audio players at this time!

You can visit the Yoto website here to find out more.

WIN!!!

The lovely people at Yoto are offering one lucky winner the chance to win a Yoto Player (RRP £79.99). and a Starter Pack of Yoto Cards (RRP £19.99) simply by entering via the link below. One winner will be chosen at random and notified via email at close of giveaway on 14th June. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

** We were gifted a Yoto player and cards in exchange for an honest review. All words and opinions are my own ** 

 

 

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129 Comments

  2. I really like the BFG, so creative, silly and enjoyable! My twin grandsons are 2 and do not quite get it yet, but I hope the more they hear it the more they will love it.

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  5. Another vote for The BFG! ( for an adult listen I recommend Jamaica Inn, very atmospheric)

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  6. mine love many stoies Roald Dahl, is a frim fave at the moment they are loving the twits but also love the BFG

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  16. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. My grandson has the dressing up outfit and carries the golden ticket everywhere.

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  20. I used to read Enid Blyton books when I was a kid, but I think my daughter would most like Roald Dahl as she would find it funny when read out to her.

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    1. Roger and the Rottentrolls – a firm favourite with all the family! My son also loves The Magic Treehouse.

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  23. I love Agatha Christie audio books but my great grandson would probably say James and the Giant Peach

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  25. I don’t have any audio books yet but I remember my little sister having them when she was a child and loved all the fairytales. I would love to have something similar for my own children

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  39. We love the BFG. I loved it as a kid and have been listening to it with my 2 boys and they are loving it as well!

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  43. I’m not really an audiobook listener – I’ve never actually tried audiobooks, I always read paper or kindle books – would quite enjoy giving it a go, and I know my son, who has severe SEN which prevent him from being able to read, would love to try them!

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  44. My daughter loves listening to David Walliams books on c.d her favourite is mr stink.

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  52. For me, Where the Crawdads Sing and for Ellie, The Enormous Crocodile and other stories

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  55. I think it has to be Charlie and the chocolate factory even though we have read it so many times!

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  57. Burglar Bill by Janet & Allan Ahlberg or anything by David Walliams or Roald Dahl

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  65. My favourite is Bossypants
    by Tina Fey 🙂
    My daughters favourite is The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark by Jill Tomlinson 🙂
    The Yoto sounds incredible for my 3 year old daughter:)

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  70. As a family, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone read by Stephen Fry. Or anything read by Stephen Fry, I could listen to him all day long!

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  73. I’ve honestly never tried QuickBooks before, but I think my nephews for a bit.

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  86. My favourite audiobook at the moment is Ready Player One. Exciting and a possible idea of what the future might look like!

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  89. The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy. I have always loved it since I was a child and I have always watched it on tv with my daughter too!

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  92. A few weeks ago I borrowed the Katy Brand audiobook about the movie Dirty Dancing, called ‘I carried a watermelon’.
    I really enjoyed it because Katy narrates it herself so you atually get the emphasis where she intended it to be.
    I love that movie so it was really interesting to get a completely different perspective on it and to learn lots of background that I didn’t know before.

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  97. I have just very much enjoyed the Sally Lockheart Trilogy – I really liked the narrator.

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  100. I don’t really have a favourite, so I will tell you about the last audiobook I listened to instead. It was Pet Sematary by Stephen King. I enjoy it a lot more than I thought I would.

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  104. These sound brilliant. Perfect for my sons. My favourite audio book would have to be the bfg.

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  105. Harry Potter. Stephen Fry does a much better job of reading it aloud than I do!

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  108. I’ve never used audio books as I’ve always read to my nephews when they were young and like most kids, they loved the Roald Dahl books but I would love to try an audiobook with my new born nephew as he gets older. 😊

    Reply

  119. Traditional tales are ageless. We love the 3 little pigs and all that huffing and puffing.

    Reply

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