One of my favorite kid-related purchases would have to be the Yoto Mini player. I am a huge advocate of screen-free/intentional use of technology and the Yoto player fits the bill. I often recommend the Yoto player to anyone and everyone who has a child ages 2 and up because it’s engaging, portable, and promotes independent learning and creative time. Is it clear that I highly recommend it? 😊 There are two different models of the Yoto player. I have the Yoto Mini. Read on for a review of why I love this little gadget.
This post is a review on the Yoto Mini player
What is the Yoto Mini
The Yoto Mini is a smaller version of the original Yoto Player which is a portable screen-free audio player that plays audiobooks, stories, podcasts, music and more. We’ve used the Yoto Mini player for nearly 2 years and below is a review on how it works, pros/cons, how it’s integrated into our daily lives, and more. This is a staple in our home and I truly believe every family with young children would benefit from the Yoto Player (especially if you are a low-tech, screen-free family or want to keep screen time at a minimum).
What is the difference between a Yoto player and Yoto Mini?
It’s important to know that this review covers the Yoto Mini, not the full size Yoto player. They basically have very similar features. The biggest difference is size and cost. The dimensions of the Yoto Mini are 2.7” x 2.7” x 1.5”, while the original Yoto is 4.3 x 4.3 x 4”. The Yoto Mini has one speaker and a very small pixelated screen that displays icons to show when the player is on, low on battery, etc. It’s not a screen that play movies or pictures. The Original player ha speakers on both sides. The Original Yoto Player is approx $100, while the Yoto Mini is $70 (and either are 1000% worth it!)
What age is best for the Yoto Mini?
- I purchased the Yoto Mini during our 3.5 year old toddler years. The Yoto player is marketed to kids ages 3-12+. Personally I’d say this is accurate, though I’d say that kids younger than 3 could enjoy audio stories, music etc but would need help sorting cards, inserting cards, operating the player, etc.
- This is also because Yoto provides such a wide range of stories, songs, and content. I really think that the player and content can grow with the child – which was also a huge consideration when I purchased.
- I personally think the selection of cards to purchase covers a wide range, but the podcasts and app content is more appropriate for older kids 8+. For kids younger than 7, I’d stick to purchasing cards. More on cards below.
Size and portability of Yoto Mini
- When comparison shopping between the Yoto player vs Tonies (more on that below), and Yoto Player vs Yoto Mini, the most important factor to me was portability. We wanted something small that could be used at home and while traveling.
- While the screen on both players are minimal and pixelated, I wanted to find a very minimal screen that wasn’t distracting. Both of the players have a headphone jack, and knobs to navigate the player. However, the original Yoto has two speakers while the mini has 1 speaker. Note: Even with 1 speaker, the Yoto Mini is still small and mighty.
Cards and Yoto player content
- In addition to the Yoto Mini player, you’ll need to buy cards to go with it. Yoto has a huge assortment and wide range of cards to purchase. The selection of card ranges from content for kids age 2 all the way up to 10. There’s a very big selection that includes well-known audio books and stories, Yoto originals (very engaging and well-produced), popular mainstream stories and media like Peppa Pig, Daniel Tiger, C.S. Lewis Chronicles, and music like Kids Bop, updated Disney music, and more.
- The cards are smaller than playing cards but very thick and durable. Our favorite Yoto cards include Ladybird Stories, Ramona Quimby, and some Disney classics like Toy Story. The Yoto website sells the cards individually as well as in bundles.
- One of the best things about the Yoto cards is that you can make your own. Yoto sells blank cards “MYO” which you can record your own songs, books, etc. It’s fairly simple to do this and there are lots of inspiration online.
- Yoto cards are our main source of content, but Yoto also has more content beyond the cards! When you purchase a Yoto card, it also gets downloaded to your Yoto account in the Yoto app and can be played on your phone, in the car etc, even without the player itself.
- Beyond the cards, Yoto also offers a big selection of podcasts, radio stations, and other content in the Yoto app. Yoto also offers a card membership called “Yoto Club.” It’s $99 a year, and you can choose two cards a month from the membership collection.
My favorite Yoto player cards
There is a HUGE selection for different age groups but some of our favorite cards include:
2 and under/young toddler:
- Daniel Tiger 5 minute Stories
- Pixar My First Bedtime Stories
- Popular Infant and toddler favorite like: Brown Bear and Friends On The Night You Were Born, Where’s Spot and Other Stories, The Very Hungry Caterpiller Series
Pre-school to school-age:
- All of the Ladybird Originals: Audio Adventures 2
- Animal Kingdom
- Amazing Vehicles Pack
- Sing Through The Year
- Ticket To Brazil
- 5 Minute Stories from Around the World
- All of the Brain Bots series
- The Solar System
7+:
Yoto player accessories
Yoto offers a bunch of different accessories for both the original player and the mini. There are different jackets (covers), headphones, and card cases. We don’t have any of the official Yoto accessories and don’t find them to be an absolute necessity. One day I’ll spring for a Yoto Mini protective jacket.
How to use the Yoto Player (Does it need wifi? Does it need to be plugged in?)
- The Yoto player is fairly simple to set up through wifi. The player needs to be set up to wifi the first time you insert a card. From then on, the content is downloaded to the player and will play without wifi. From there, you won’t need wifi to play the cards you own.
- The player only needs to connect to wifi in order to play any of the additional content from the Yoto app. The player is is wireless but needs to be plugged in to charge. I’ve found battery life to be approx 15 hours before it needs to be charged again.
Yoto Mini Pros and Cons
If you can’t already tell, I am a big Yoto player fan and advocate of screen-free activities and technology. There are so many pros to the Yoto player and I can’t sign enough praises. I only have a few cons.
Yoto Mini Pros
- SCREEN-FREE media. This is HUGE and personally I find this to be more and more important as more research comes out around the negative impacts of screen-time on children.
- Small, compact, easy to transport.
- Powerful speaker relative to its size.
- Huge range of cards, media, and content to purchase and for free.
- Easy for kids to manipulate and operate
- MYO cards are incredibly versatile and you can record over them
Yoto Mini cons
- I have ONE con for the Yoto. Note: this may be different for the Yoto Original but I have found that connecting to wifi in public places like hotels, airports, or cafes isn’t doable.
- This is because public wifi services usually have some kind of pop up that requires information such as your name, email address, and agreeing to Terms and Services.
- This isn’t possible to do via the Yoto Mini because there isn’t a way to enter that information given the simplicity of the Yoto’s screen.
- This isn’t usually an issue since we have previously set up the cards via wifi at home but something that prevents us from listening to the Daily Yoto podcast (a family favorite).
Daily Yoto Podcast
- The Yoto app has a huge range of podcasts. Our top favorite podcast is Yoto Daily with Jake. This is a daily podcast that runs anywhere from 10-15 minutes. The content of the podcast varies by day but there are jokes, facts, interactive games, quizzes, draw alongs and more.
- The content is very engaging and I find it all to be appropriate for kids of all ages. Shout out to Jake (the host) is also very funny and makes the podcast enjoyable for the whole family. I highly recommend listening to this daily podcast!
Toniebox player vs Yoto Player
This will come down to personal preference, but here is a list of my experience with the Toniebox. Before purchasing a Yoto Mini, I purchased a Toniebox. The Toniebox is another kind of screen free audioplayer marketed towards kids 3+. The main differences with the Toniebox vs the Yoto Player:
- Size and handling: Toniesbox is larger, softer, and could be more durable than the Yoto
- Content: Insead of cards, Toniesbox uses figurines that are placed on top of the Toniesbox player
- At the time of purchase, I found Toniesbox content to be based more in mainstream characters (Disney, Paw Patrol, Sesame Street) vs Yoto which has mainstream characters in addition to educational original content an storytelling
- It seems like the content of the Toniesbox is well suited for a younger child (5 and under), while the Yoto has a wide range of cards suitable for kids from 2-10+.
- For our family, Yoto player cards are much more transportable and easy to store than figurines
- Set up: I found the Toniesbox to initially have trouble connecting to my wifi and staying connected
- I have not had this issue with the Yoto player
- I was able to set up my Yoto player in under 5 minutes
Ultimately I returned the Toniebox for the Yoto Mini and I have never looked back.
Is the Yoto Player worth it?
Yes, 1000x yes.
One of the best kid related purchases I’ve ever made would have to be – hands down – the Yoto Mini player. It has provided hours of independent screen-free time, and continues to grow with my family. I highly recommend the Yoto Mini player to anyone and everyone with a child ages 2 and up.
I hope this Yoto Mini Player review was helpful to anyone who is looking for a screen free audio player for kids, or anyone who is thinking of purchasing a Yoto Player. I really think you can’t go wrong with either the original larger Yoto player or the mini. It really depends on your lifestyle and whether or not you want something smaller and more portable or bigger and sturdier (or both!) If you have a Yoto player, what are your favorite cards? What Yoto podcasts are you listening to? Leave a comment below and let me know.