When you have children, quiet can feel like a luxury.
And when you’re raising multiple kids, it can feel almost impossible at times. The Yoto player helped change that for our household!
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For a long time, I felt torn between wanting peaceful moments and knowing my children still needed stimulation, stories, and learning. I also didn’t want to rely on screens to occupy my children.
As a mother of 5 I also realized that crafts with the children required a lot of my guidance and help which often led to overstimulation rather than peaceful quiet time that felt restorative.
When I first heard about the Yoto Player I was very intrigued. And after further research, I decided that the Yoto Mini would be worth a try.
And truly — it has been a game changer.
What the Yoto Player Is (In Simple Terms)
The Yoto Player is a screen-free audio player designed for children.
The Yoto Mini is a smaller, portable version of the Yoto Player.
Kids control it themselves using physical cards — no apps, no scrolling, no overstimulation.
They can listen to:
- stories
- music
- audiobooks
- educational content
- voice recordings
- and more.
All without screens.
There is a Yoto app that you can get on your phone and set up parameters for their listening experience. You can select volume controls for day and night, change what the buttons do (like a toothbrush or clean up timer, or podcast etc), and name the device which is great because we now have 2!
Why the Yoto Player Works So Well for Our Family
What surprised me most wasn’t just how much my children loved it — it was how it changed the rhythm of our days.
The Yoto Player has become:
- a calm start to mornings
- a quiet companion during rest time and before bedtime
- a peaceful transition during busy afternoons
- a homeschool support resource (as I bounce around)
Instead of background noise, it offers intentional listening.
Encouraging Independence (Without Chaos)
One of my favorite parts is that my children can use it independently.
They choose their cards, and control the volume (which you can set limits to in the app!). They listen without needing constant help.
That independence has been such a gift — for them and for me. So much so that we got a 2nd one!
We also found these awesome cases with silicone covers so each child has their device protected and has a place to store it. I like this kit because the silicone covers offer the customization while also protecting the device, but also because it comes with a hard carrying case that also stores the charger, a small booklet for 10 cards, and the Yoto player itself with a convenient carrying strap. Plus it still has a little room for some extra cards or folding headphones like these.
We have acquired so many cards now that I got this small binder to hold them all. I like that you can add pages or take some out if you’d like.
Supporting Faith, Imagination, and Rest with the Yoto Mini
We love using the Yoto Player for:
faith-based stories like the ones from Lithos Kids
calming music
read-alouds that nurture imagination
Draw alongs
We like to put on the draw alongs, like the one in this pack, and each child can participate at their own level. It’s so fun to see how each child creates totally different artwork by following along with the story.
We will also listen to music or an audio book like the Chronicles of Narnia (this pack is a great deal because it has so many hours of audio!), or The Boxcar Children Collection while they play with clay or play doh.
The children also like to listen to stories while they build with Lego or brain flakes or their magnetic cubes (they love these things!).
It offers such a nice environment that we can all enjoy together while also working on our own independent things that we enjoy.
The Yoto player really allows us to enjoy quiet time together while also enjoying hobbies or tasks that help us feel rejuvenated and relaxed.
It allows our home to feel full without feeling frantic.
Is It Worth It?
For our family — absolutely.
It has supported:
- quieter moments
- smoother transitions
- more peaceful rhythms throughout the day
It also only requires WIFI minimally for initial set up and the first time using a new card. After you have used a card, the player doesn’t need WIFI in order to play the content which makes it great for car rides, or even power outages! Each device can be listened to as a speaker or with headphones and I will say that the speaker is pretty great even for the small device!
You can also use it as a Bluetooth speaker if you have something you would like to play on it from a different device.
Yoto has “make your own” cards which are great because you can download mp3 files and create a playlist and add them to a card. It’s so quick to change the content on the make your own cards too! You can use it like a library card if they want to “check out” a couple of audios at a time. The make your own cards can hold so much too!
The Yoto app also has cards to purchase, plus there are daily podcasts as well as loads of free content in the app. There is so much available for any and all ages!
If you’re feeling overwhelmed as a mama, and you want to give your children some entertainment you can all feel good about, the Yoto Player is a great option. Also be sure to check out my post “When You Feel Overwhelmed as a Mom“, for when you get a few minutes to sit down and exhale. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or stuck and you need guidance to take the first step out of survival mode, I created a free 10 Minute Survival Mode Reset to help you get started.
I hope you check out the Yoto Player, and I hope that you love it as much as we do!
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