- Value: 19/20
- Quality: 19/20
- Ease of Use: 20/20
- Audio Quality: 16/20
- Kid-Friendliness: 19/20
TOTAL: 93/100
Adulthood means living in constant contradictions, and parenthood is no different. We want a screen-free way to entertain our kids—but we don’t want to be the ones actively entertaining them every waking moment of their lives. Sure, there are toys and games and arts and crafts, but all too often, you get wrangled into the mix, and while often that’s awesome (quality time! Bonding!), sometimes you just need a minute.
I’d heard parents rave about the rise of kids’ audio players, which tell them stories or play songs—a child-friendly boom box, if you will. Some swore their children put themselves to bed using these devices, or when a friend came over, they’d pop in some Disney tunes and be entertained for an hour. That hadn’t been the case for me—until I tried the ultra-portable, smaller-scale Yoto Mini. It’s been a gamechanger, especially when traveling, and now I can’t recommend it enough to every parent I know.