Yoto Mini Review: The perfect gift for the kids
I might just steal this from my kids…
I was influenced by my group chat of friends to get Yoto mini audio players for my kids (5 and 7), and it’s TAKING ME BACK to my high school days, making CD mixes for friends.
I was unprepared for how cool these things are!
The user interface is top tier. They’ve really tailored this so well to kids.
It is the perfect keep-them-busy-without-screens gift that kids will actually love and be entertained by, while using their imaginations! And it’s something extended family members can participate in too, as they can send recordings for the kids.
*I receive affiliate commission for these links, at no extra cost to you! Yay!
What is a Yoto Mini?
It’s a screen-free audio player that fills the day with magic! For kids who don’t have a phone, it scratches some of the entertainment itch in a way that parents can have full control over. You can upload kids’ podcasts, audiobooks, music you own, sleep sounds or record their favorite stories. And they can play them back in the car, before bed, or whenever they need some down time.
Yoto Minis & Bundles
How does a Yoto mini work?
Kids can pick from their little library of audio cards (they feel like credit cards), and put one in the player to listen whenever they want. They can easily skip tracks with the twist of a knob. It has a built in speaker (parents can set volume limits from their phone) or they can use headphones, bluetooth or wired. The player is small enough to carry with them on trips (or subway rides for us). It recharges using a usb-c cable, and the charge lasts up to 10 hours.
Here are some of the pre-made Audio Cards available for purchase, from Disney, to sciencey ones, Pixar, Kidz Bop and more!
Yoto Audio Card
Make your own Yoto cards
The coolest part is you can record yourself reading books or speaking sweet messages to your kids, either directly in the app or uploading them from Voice Memos. You can create a playlist of up to 99 tracks, which can include music (that you own), podcasts, and audiobooks, and put them on a make-your-own card. Grandparents can text you a Voice Memo, and you can put them in the playlist, too! You can even choose images that go along with each recording and show up on the small pixelated screen on the player.
Some people print their own labels to stick on each make your own card. I don’t have a printer, but I ordered some label stickers we can color on.
I was so inspired after listening to the instruction playlist that I went to the library for the first time in months.
I looked up some blogs on funny stories to read to your kids, and spent two hours just browsing and picking some to borrow. Came home, plugged in my headphones, and recorded me reading 6 of them in my best voices, each on it’s own voice memo. I took photos of the book characters for the images, and uploaded them to the Yoto app in playlists for my boy and my girl. It reallllly felt like I was making them a mix tape and gave me all the warm fuzzies. I CANNOT WAIT to surprise them with these.
Bonus, when my kids came home, they were thrilled to see the library books I checked out and sat on my lap for me to read them. These are the days 🥹
You can also set sleep routines where white noise plays and the light dims at bedtime, and you can set limits on how long they can play, etc, all from your phone.
Customize your Yoto Mini!
Let’s be real, your kids are gonna want to take these places. And luckily there are a ton of cute silicone sleeves with wrist straps available, carrying cases, and a ton of other fun accessories to customize your Yoto Mini.
My daughter’s Yoto Mini is going to have the ultimate makeover, haha! I got a Yoto Mini adventure sleeve at Target. Then added a rainbow case from Etsy with connectors so you can attach either a crossbody strap or an adorable beaded purse strap (beaded strap sold separately here.) 😍 She’s gonna be obsessed with this!
Accessories for Yoto Minis
I’m hoping my kids will feel seen by these, both in the custom playlists I’m making for their Yotos and in how I accessorized them. I know the phone years will be upon us one day, and I’m excited to make this little mark in their memories while I still control the playlist, ha. Hope your kids enjoy it, too 🫶🏻
Happy Holidays!
XO, Lindsey from Created Colorful
Hang out with us on Instagram! We talk colors, style, and we dance to club hits from the 2000s.
