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If you’ve been a reader for a while, you know how passionate I am about children’s literature. That’s why I was intrigued when Toniebox arrived on the scene. This kid-friendly digital story player looked like it could really meet the needs of young children when it comes to listening to audiobooks. But was it as great as everyone says? I decided to do my own review to differentiate DoSayGive readers. Today I’m sharing why I love AND dislike the Toniebox – and a little more about it – so you can decide if it’s right for your family!
What it is:
Each one Toniebox is a digital, screen-free listening experience designed only for young children, and they replace Tonies (the little figures you place on top) playing different stories, songs, and more. They’re soft enough to hug and sturdy enough for kids to carry (meaning you don’t have to worry about them breaking it!). It holds a charge for seven hours so you can leave the charging station if you’re worried about cords and cables.
For whom:
Toniebox is designed for children ages three and up. It is heavily marketed for the preschool set, but is for all ages.
How it works:
a place tonics Figurine on the box to play music or story. There are dozens of different Tonies to choose from. After purchasing and connecting, you can view and manage all Tonies from an app on your phone.
How I would (and would) use Toniebox:
When my older kids stopped taking naps, I switched them to “quiet time”. Some free time where they can relax, dream and learn to play quietly without entertaining them. Audiobooks and music are a great addition to quiet time, but figuring out how to play the sound without giving them a device has always been a challenge. Over the years we’ve used bluetooth speakers (under my control), old iPods, even old-fashioned CD players in another room, but none of these solutions were ideal. Thus, Toniebox satisfies a need for quiet times by being safe and easy to use.
It’s also great for putting kids to bed. Tonies lullaby has really sweet and comforting songs.
Things I don’t like about Toniebox:
Parents often assume that choosing books with familiar characters (e.g. Disney princesses) will make their children enjoy reading more. But this is a common pitfall when choosing children’s books, and can actually be quite limiting, as these pop culture character stories and mass-produced books often lack the qualities of good literature – namely, richer language, beautiful illustrations, and moral or Virtue. The Tonies mostly play to that by offering pop culture “Tonyes” – Despicable Me, Wild Kratts, Octonauts and Paw Patrol – to name a few.
If I’m always going to make time to read to them, then I really want to read good stuff, maybe not what they’re watching on screen, but I’ve had the same mentality. Just as I try to choose the best foods for my children’s bodies, I try to consume the best ingredients for their hearts and minds!
Unfortunately, most of the Tonies figurines are like that (see below!), although there are a few options worth sharing.
Another thing I foresee about Toniebox’s popularity on Instagram is that I hope parents don’t use it instead of reading to their kids. Reading aloud to children many benefits — bonding time, enriching their imagination, expanding their worldview and vocabulary, and illustrations can do a lot to help a child with a story – and I can’t tell you how wonderful conversations are after reading a story. about a different period or place. All in all, Toniebox can be a great addition to reading with kids, it’s not a replacement.
Additional note: all these reasons (and many more!) Classic Children’s Books Club. Hope you will join us this summer!
Things I love about Toniebox:
Learning to listen takes practice! And it’s absolutely essential to understanding what you’re reading down the road. Toniebox is a fun way to encourage listening to a story, and the stories help keep the precious magic of childhood alive!
Toniebox travels well too! We brought it to our grandparents’ house over spring break and it made the transition to an unfamiliar place easy.
Which Tonies figures do I like:
Too often, mass-market publishers will dilute classic stories, removing much of the beautiful language and complex syntax, and calling them “shortened” or “updated”. (Side note: For generations, children have had an excellent ability to consume originals – and so has yours!).
Will the Toniebox be the same? I was cautiously optimistic when I saw Tonie figures like Peter Rabbit and Paddington Bear.
I took it Peter Rabbit ToniesIt has four stories and is followed and listened to with the original text. And it was exactly the same! I haven’t done this for the other classics Toniebox has to offer but this one was encouraging. One of the stories Mr. Toad’s Story, quite long. For struggling readers, listening to the story along with the actual book can be quite helpful!
I’m not sure if all the Tonies “classic” picks are like Peter Rabbit. I didn’t get Winnie the Pooh because the sample sound doesn’t sound like the original (more like the Disney version) but I might order it just to see it. We tried Tales with Rapunzel and it was a little too scary for my four year old son.
Another favorite: my girls before bed with sweet lullabies. Tonies has a cute rhyme too.
How to use Toniebox to play better stories:
I wasn’t going to buy a Toniebox until a longtime reader (thanks, Molly!) told me that I could add my own audiobooks to Toniebox. Yes that is right! You can upload Mp3s and audio files to play exactly the stories you want.
To do this, you need to purchase one. Creative Tones. Place it on your Toniebox to connect to the app on your phone. After connecting to the application, you can log in to your account on a computer and drag and drop audio files.
In other words, you can create your own playlist or story list for your kids! Not sure which quality audiobooks to add? Check it out Message with our favorite stories and songs. You can search Mp3s of these collections to buy online.
Final thoughts:
It’s been a long time since I did such a detailed product review, but I thought Toniebox was a great example of how technology can both solve one problem and cause another. As parents, we are the ultimate editors of the content our children consume. This is important in this age. So, I hope this post is empowering in this way and encourages you to keep your kids busy and spark their imaginations. I’m so glad I found a way to make Toniebox work for our family!
Let me know if this review was helpful and please be sure to share it with your friends!
lee
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