If you’ve not met the Yoto Player, let me be the first to introduce you to these magical machines!
Yoto players are screen free ways for kids to listen to audiobooks and music using “cards”. You can purchase pre-made cards from them, but my favorite thing about them is that you can create custom cards using audio you own.
If you’re beginning to think about what to get your kids for Christmas this year, read on to find out why I think a Yoto player (or even more than 1!) might be the perfect investment. (At the end of the post, I’ll share my affiliate link which will get you 10% off your first purchase of 69.99 in case you decide you’d like to invest in a Yoto player!)
The Yoto player gives my voice a break!
We love reading aloud in our homeschool. It’s the perfect activity that we can all enjoy together as a family. Sometimes, however, my voice could use a break! Using an audiobook during these times is the perfect solution. We’re beginning story of the World next year, and I’ve already purchased several Yoto cards with interesting stories from ancient civilizations so that we can enjoy them together!
As a homeschooling mom, sometimes that line between mom & teacher gets blurred. There are times during our day when tasks need to happen, but I often felt like I was nagging and ultimately it wasn’t good for my relationship with my kids, and didn’t help our school day run smoothly. Enter Yoto to the rescue! I recently discovered that we could add a “toothbrush timer” and a “tidy up timer” directly to their Yoto players with a button, or put them onto a card they can insert when it’s time to do these things. The timers are fun & interactive, and highly motivational for my kids.
Yoto players are a sanity saver during quiet time. We are NOT by any means a screen-free family. However, I do try to limit most of the TV watching during our homeschool week to educational shows. When you need a break, or if you have a daily quiet time built into your routine, letting your kids listen to their Yoto players during this time is great. I have one child who is HIGHLY extroverted and cannot stand to be in her room alone for any length of time. The addition of the Yoto player with stories and music she has selected helps her stay in her room when she’s supposed to.
The Yoto player has something for everyone!
Yoto players can work for any age child you have. My almost-nine-year old loves listening to the Yoto Daily podcast (totally free!) and chapter books, plus anything Star Wars I can get my hands on. Our middle daughter prefers music & has a ton on her personal card I’ve made her, but she also really enjoys listening to Adventures in Odyssey episodes. And our four year old loves listening to the short stories I’ve been able to find and download (lots for free!) and music from her favorite television shows.
Help with Daily Routines
Yoto Space online offers all kind of personalizations you can make to the two buttons on the players. We have a toothbrush timer on the kids’ Yoto minis, as well as a 5 minute “tidy up” timer which the kids use as part of their bedtime routines.
Loads of Seasonal Fun!
Using Yoto credits and audiobooks I’ve purchased, I’ve managed to amass quite the collection of holiday stories that we’ll be enjoying this fall and winter! We have a 13 days of Halloween countdown calendar, with one story or book for each day, and I’m SO excited for our Yoto Advent Calendar that we’ll use this December. After the holidays, we’ll put those cards away so we can enjoy them again next year like they’re brand new! I also created custom cards for my children featuring fun seasonal songs and stories that they can play using their Yoto minis.
Yoto Players We Own
Now…let’s talk about the specific set ups we have! My first Yoto purchase was the larger Yoto player, which I intended for all the kids to share. This now lives in our family room, where we join together for our “morning basket” time (done in the afternoon). We will use this during the gathering time for a read aloud ,and then often bring it to the dining table in the evenings to listen to an Adventures in Odyssey episode together (because by dinner I am exhausted and simply cannot field any more questions or requests).
We got the second generation Yoto back around 2021 and have enjoyed it so much! After seeing how much everyone loved it, I decided to get one of the Yoto Minis for each child for our first day of homeschool this year. The minis are one of the best purchases I think I’ve made for our kids. They get used every single day and are SO loved. They’re also super durable (and we added a silicone sleeve to help with drops as well).
Current costs at the time I’m writing: Yoto Player (3rd Generation) is listed for $119 on the Yoto website, and $99 at Target. Target coupons will also work to bring down the cost. I had a 15% coupon in my Target app, which brings it down to 84.99
2024 Yoto Minis (do not buy the older version used, they were recalled) are 69.99 at Target as well as on the website.
Yoto Club
If you KNOW you’re ready to really invest in Yoto, getting a club membership from the beginning will get you a percentage off on every purchase and free shipping on the website. You’ll also get credits for free cards (amount depends on which membership you purchase.) I purchased the membership for the first year we had the minis and thought it was a great investment while we built up our collection, but I doubt that I’ll continue it for a second year.
If you have a grandparent or other relative looking for a gift idea, or you’re trying to steer them away from loads of toys, this is a great suggestion to make. Not only could they buy the player as a big gift, but cards would be a great idea for future gift-giving occasions. The relative can also record themselves reading books and create a personalized card just for your child. (I covered a TON of other non-toy gift ideas in last week’s post, if you’re looking for more ideas!)
I truly only scratched the surface with everything that Yoto can do.
Yoto Accessories we’ve invested in:
Over time, we have gradually purchased small things to make using the Yoto players easier and more fun! Here are a few things we use & love!
Card Rings – We use these to keep each child’s cards together and attached to their Yoto minis.
Sticky Hang Tabs – Each of our Yoto cards gets one of these on the back. We can then use the rings to attach them to each other.
Silicone Cases for Yoto Mini – The Yoto players are very sturdy, but this extra layer of protection adds extra peace of mind!
Printable Sticker Paper – I have a Canva template that I use to create covers for our MYO (make-your-own) Yoto cards. I print them on this shiny paper!
Headphones – Each of our kids has a pair of this type. We have had to replace one pair after about 5 years, but they seem to hold up pretty well and are inexpensive and easy to replace.
Audio Splitter – This handy device allows all three of our kids to listen quietly together with their headphones!
Yoto Adventure Jacket – This keeps the larger Yotos a little bit safer. Because the designs over the years have been a little different, make sure that you’re getting the correct one for your edition of the Yoto player!
Finally, I promised I’d share the code for 10% off your first purchase of 69.99+ on the Yoto website. Here it is! https://prz.io/k5g5GoAUB
More Screen Free Christmas Gift Ideas
Last week, I shared a huge collection of screen-free as well as non-plastic-toy gift ideas for children! You can check out that list here.
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