Best audio players for kids: Screen-free entertainment for the whole family

Kid tested, parent-approved. By Nicole Cammorata Nicole Cammorata Director of Special Projects As Director of Special Projects, Nicole Cammorata guides Mashable's editorial innovations, licensing programs, and specialty series. Previously, she was the site's Executive Editor and its very first Shopping Editor. Nicole is also Mashable's resident gifting expert and gets a thrill out of helping readers find the perfect present. She received a B.S. in Journalism from Boston University and an MFA in fiction writing from The New School. She lives in Maine with her husband, their three young children, and a backyard full of flowers. Read Full Bio on October 29, 2026 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Flipboard All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. The Yoto Mini is particularly well-suited for little hands. Credit: Nicole Cammorata/Mashable We are not an iPad family. No shade to those who prefer this kind of personal tech for their kids, as there are benefits: computer literacy, skill-building for math and reading, plus some well-deserved peace for the parents.We have three kids: the oldest is 6, the middle one is 3, and the youngest is about to turn 1. Early in our parenting journey, my husband and I decided to delay these handheld devices for as long as we possibly could. Part of the decision came from reading about the long-term effects of tablet use, but a more immediate reason was the way our kids absolutely melt down once it’s time to turn off the TV.If they can’t handle saying bye to Bluey, then an overstimulating tablet would be a living hell. So what is the alternative? Our house is overflowing with all kinds of toys and we’re absolutely bursting with books, which we read constantly. But we wanted something that could bridge that space between television and books, especially in this pre-reading phase when the kids are fully dependent on the adults for storytime.Over the years, we have explored a handful of screen-free storytime toys and audio players. Great for encouraging independence and self-powered play, these toys can also help to create some of the building blocks of reading comprehension. Overview Best for language learning Timio Jump to Details These are the tech, tools, and products — from laptops to e-readers, from earbuds to robovacs, and more — that Mashable ranks best in class. Table of Contents We choose stories alongside the kids, often listen together, and talk about what’s happening.They’ve proven to be a great tool to soften transitions, help the kids have some quiet time to rest while we prepare meals or clean up, take along during long car rides, and engage their brains without being overly stimulating. There is no shortage of options on the market right now specifically aimed at our kids’ age group, so we decided to put some to the test. We spent three months trying out a collection of popular players, both at home and in the car, to come up with this list. After lots of hands-on testing, the Yoto player came out on top as our favorite screen-free audio player, with the Toniebox as a close second. Read on to learn why and see what else made the list.Editor's note: We have not yet tested the Eddi, Lunii, or Nex Playground. Our Pick The Good & The Bad Screen-free Chargeable via USB-C cable Headphone jack and Bluetooth compatible Large library of content Battery life could be longer Our Review Read our full review of the Yoto player here. Why we picked this Editor's note: As of Sept. 10, Yoto announced the 4th generation of both the Yoto Mini and Yoto Player, which we will begin testing soon.There is perhaps no device more universally beloved in my house than the Yoto Mini. The Yoto is a screen-free audio player that puts the power into the hands of kids. Compatible cards slip into a slot to power up everything from chapter books and shorter stories to music and learning-based content and are available to check out at many local libraries. There’s also an ad-free, kid-friendly radio station built in, as well as a daily podcast, plus others that are accessible via the compatible app. We spent three months testing the Yoto Mini and the full-sized Yoto Player within our home, on daily car rides, away on vacation, and on long road trips. While the older generation Yoto Player is no longer available for purchase on the website, it was the Mini that we all loved the most. Great for a wide range of kids, my 6-year-old and 3-year-old are particularly smitten. I love to use the radio feature as well — even when the kiddos aren't around. The recommended age range is 3+, but our 1-year-old loves music and will happily bop along to the player as well. While this is classified as a screen-free device, there is a static, pixelated icon that displays while content is playing as a way to orient the listener within a book or track list.Custom cards allow you to create your own content, including mix tapes, books, family messages — whatever you can come up with. It’s great for little hands, will adapt and grow as kids get bigger, and is both rugged and travel-friendly. We love that this is the kind of device that keeps kids engaged and entertained, and will adapt to the whims of our family for years to come. Details The Good & The Bad Screen-free Chargeable via USB-C cable Headphone jack and Bluetooth compatible Large library of content Interactive via Tonieplay Bulky Tonies get lost easily Our Review Read our full review of the original Toniebox player here. Why we picked this We introduced our kids to the Toniebox a few years ago and have been loving it ever since. As our kids have grown, we’ve noticed that compared to the Yoto Mini, the Toniebox is particularly well-suited for preschool-aged kids. Our kids love being able to listen to stories, choose their own content, and be in charge of their own entertainment. As parents, we love that it’s screen-free, keeps them entertained, travels well, and offers a wide library of content to choose from. The Toniebox is powered by a collection of Tonies — small figures preloaded with content from a multitude of beloved movies and TV shows, including those from Disney, Pixar, Bluey, Peppa Pig, National Geographic, and more. Simply place one on top and it will start playing. If a Tonie gets knocked off, placing it back onto the player will jump back into the story where you left off. Triangle-shaped buttons control the volume, and tapping on the Toniebox itself is how you navigate through the content.If we had to find a flaw, it's simply that the Tonies themselves are far too cute and often get roped into imaginative play in ways that don't involve the Toniebox. (For a while, our son was taking Lightning McQueen to bed each night.) Because of this, the Tonies are often scattered throughout the house and get lost easily. There are third-party organizational displays, officially licensed cases, and more, but my husband and I often lament that what would really be great is if we could press a button on the Toniebox and all the lost Tonies would make a little sound the way our Tile trackers do. Maybe other families don't have such a hard time keeping track of things, though. Details Timio Best for language learning The Good & The Bad Screen-free Rechargeable via USB-A to USB-C cable Content available in 8 languages Emphasis on learning Very limited library of content Why we picked this Timio is a simple and straightforward audio player that utilizes proprietary magnetic discs to power the entertainment. Each plastic disc features a series of icons with a touch-to-play functionality, making this particularly well-suited to kids who can't yet read. Out of all the players we tested, Timio seemed to be the best for bilingual families or language learning in general, as it comes preloaded with options for English, Spanish, French, German, Polish, Italian, Portuguese, and Dutch.Cards are thematic in nature, with a big focus on learning. The cards we tested included nursery rhymes, simple songs, colors, and transportation vehicles, with a wider library of similarly organized options available as well. We found this player to be a good choice for short bursts of edutainment, but that it didn't sustain our kids' attention as much as some of the other options. The age range for Timio is 2+, but we actually found this to be an equally great option for our 3-year-old to handle by himself and for our 1-year-old to use side-by-side with an adult. Our 6-year-old moved on from this toy pretty quickly.Unlike other players on this list, Timio lacks any third-party licenses, so everything available is either proprietary to Timio or within the public domain. We still found it to be a fun and worthwhile option, especially when it comes to early learners, but it wasn't the player our kids asked about or reached for again and again. Details The Good & The Bad Screen-free, audio-only option available Battery-powered or via USB-C cable into wall socket Projector function is really fun Stories don't auto-advance Audio quality could be louder No headphone jack The Luna StoryTime Projector is a dual-purpose audio player. While the focus of our testing has been on screen-free devices, this player has both audio-only playback and an option to project simple storybook-style images on the wall. It's extremely low stimulation, which is why I included it on this list. And I've gotta say, we actually really love utilizing this projector at key parts of our day.Since there is no headphone jack, the Luna StoryTime Projector has become a device that the entire family enjoys together. It will only work well in a dark room, so this has also become a frequent part of our bedtime routine. We put on jammies, cuddle in my son's bed with the projector, then it's off to brush our teeth and read stories in bed. It works similarly to the Toniebox in that there are character-based figures that power the stories and songs. I particularly like that the projector mode displays the words as they are read so our kindergartener can begin to follow along. While the content library is fairly small, it's comprised of well-loved IP from the likes of Paw Patrol, Sesame Street, Peppa Pig, Daniel Tiger, and various Disney options, plus more coming soon.The biggest drawback worth noting is that the stories do not auto-advance within the player, forcing an action from a human to continue to the next story in the playlist each and every time. I've also found myself wishing that the audio volume would go up a bit louder. Details We spent three months conducting intensive, hands-on testing of each device in this list alongside our preschool and kindergarten-aged children. We fully incorporated each audio player into the rhythm of daily life, using them before and after school, within our home, on long car rides, during family vacations, and as part of our bedtime routine. My husband and I both observed how our children engaged with the devices, how easy (or difficult) it was for them to manage the controls independently, and how often the kids asked for and fought over each device. (This preference can be quite telling!) Finally, I also tested the audio players independent of the children, spending at least an hour engaging with each entertainment toy. Director of Special Projects As Director of Special Projects, Nicole Cammorata guides Mashable's editorial innovations, licensing programs, and specialty series. Previously, she was the site's Executive Editor and its very first Shopping Editor. Nicole is also Mashable's resident gifting expert and gets a thrill out of helping readers find the perfect present. She received a B.S. in Journalism from Boston University and an MFA in fiction writing from The New School. She lives in Maine with her husband, their three young children, and a backyard full of flowers.