*Yoto Mini Player and Yoto cards previously gifted for review. This post does however contain affiliate links
Can the Yoto Player and Yoto cards help your kids sleep better? Can a Yoto compliment the bedtime routine? Can listening to an audio book before bed really help your child calm down and relax? If you’ve ever struggled getting your kids to sleep at nighttime, these are some of the questions you may have asked!
Whilst it’s no easy fix, incorporating the Yoto Mini (or indeed the original Yoto player) and the range of Yoto story cards into your child’s bedtime routine can help everyone (parent’s included) get a better night’s sleep. Here are the best features and Best Yoto Cards to help your kids sleep.
Overcoming bedtime struggles with Yoto cards…
Sleep has always been a bit of a challenge in this house. From those early sleep deprived months (let’s be honest YEARS) to transitioning to big beds and dealing with night terrors and bad dreams, it feels like one way or another, I’ve survived on five hours sleep a night (or less!) for most of the girls lives. Since covid, the girls sleep has only got worse. Now instead of breastfeeding and night waking, it’s the never ending saga of trying to get them into bed in the first place. The constant questions, the regular bedroom visits, the struggling to switch off and settle down due to over active minds and a strong imagination.
This is where books really help. We’re huge fans of bedtime stories in this house. A family of book lovers, we read together every single night without fail. Whilst some school homework can be met with frustration; both my girls would happily read till lights out and beyond. Could a bedtime with an audio book match the experience? Would they miss the interactive elements or could snuggling down together with the Yoto overhaul our bedtime and send cues that its time to go to sleep?
We decided to put it to the test with our new Yoto Mini.
What is the Yoto Mini?
The Yoto Mini Player is a super cute and portable mini audio player for kids, recommended for children between aged 3 -12 years,
A fun storyteller and music player combined, the Yoto Mini can also be used via the Yoto app to play child friendly podcasts and a family friendly radio station. Due to its small size and audio port, it’s ideal for travel, commuting and story time on the go, as well as
Yoto cards (sold separately) are small credit-card sized cards which are inserted into the top of the device in order to play a wide range of content including books, music and even meditations. With a fun pixelated face and simple-to-use controls, children can clearly see the card they are listening to, change the volume or even flick between chapters. Pull out the card and the story will stop. Reinsert it and the story will continue from the precise point that they left off.
For parent’s peace of mind, the Yoto Mini has no microphone, no camera and most importantly, no ads! With no voice control features, you also don’t need to worry about security or privacy either, unlike some of the Google smart home or Amazon Alexa devices. You can relax and be confident, being safe in the knowledge that your child is only accessing age-appropriate content.
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The Best Yoto Cards for sleep
Whether you’re using the Yoto Mini Player or the Original Yoto player, there are lots of ways that the Yoto player can help your children get a good night’s sleep – here are just a few of them!
1. Mindfulness and Meditation Yoto Cards
One of the biggest challenges with my girls is overactive minds. They are both full of life, chatty, happy and lively and as such, they have curious minds and ask a lot of questions. As lovely as this can be, it also makes bedtime a struggle. They can be quiet as a mouse on the run up to bedtime, but once they lie down and the lights go out, their minds start to race with thoughts of upcoming events. I know what it’s like. as they most likely get it from me. I’ve been known to be so busy THINKING about going to sleep that it actually keeps me awake.
Meditation and mindfulness can really help, helping calm centre and relax children before bed. Yoto have a great range of mindful and meditation yoto cards that can prove beneficial for both children and adults. Here are some of the best:
Enchanted Meditations Yoto Card
A very popular choice in this house that has been a big hit with both my girls is Enchanted Meditations. Featuring eight meditations that are created specifically for kids, these are quick sessions lasting between four and ten minutes that have been created by leading yoga and Montessori teacher Christine Kerr.
Whether your children are relaxing to the Jellyfish Relaxation tale; calming their body on An Underwater Dolphin Ride or enjoying a full sensory experience with The Magic Rainbow; Butterfly Relaxation or Enchanted Garden, these soft and soothing meditations can help your kids drift away into a deep and peaceful sleep whilst also building their self-confidence and self-esteem.
Mindfulness for Children Yoto Card
This interactive Ladybird Mindfulness for Children audiobook is aimed at children aged 5 to 7 year olds and includes a collection of 20 interactive exercises that can introduce children to basic mindfulness techniques.
Written by a leading child development psychologist and mindfulness expert, with fun sound effects, children can learn all about ways to induce calm and focus, kindness and techniques for bedtime and the morning routine.
Using their imagination, children are encouraged to start removing distractions and clearing their mind, starting with short sessions and gradually building up to longer durations using visualisation, breathing exercises and games to clear away worries that may creep up when the lights go out.
Mini Mindfulness: Mindful Moments Yoto Card
Mindful Moments, was the first card in Yoto’s Mini Mindfulness series and includes ten short mindfulness exercises that can leave children (and adults!) feeling calm and relaxed.
With each one just a few minutes long, and ending with some quiet time, these can be enjoyed day and night, or anytime when your child may be feeling worried or overwhelmed.
Mindful Moments was created exclusively for Yoto by Louise Gordon, a yoga teacher who specialises in Vinyasa and Yin yoga.
Bedtime Meditations Yoto Card
Another great yoto meditation card that can help your child relax and become calm before bed is the Bedtime Meditations Yoto card, by yoga teacher Christine Kerr.
Including three captivating bedtime meditations called By the Sea, An Adventure in Space and Snowflake, each immersive story is around 18 minutes in length. They can be used for relaxation or part of the daily bedtime routine.
2. Best Bedtime Story Yoto Cards
No matter how old your child may be (and even when they’re old enough to read alone), there are LOADS of benefits to a nightly bedtime story.
A bedtime routine can not only help your child relax and unwind, it can also help encourage conversation, spark their imagination and improve their vocabulary. Whilst in our opinion the Yoto player should never replace the storytime you have with a parent, it can be a great option when your child wants to fall asleep to a story or can even be enjoyed together whilst having a pre bedtime cuddle.
Yoto have a wide range of bedtime story yoto cards to choose from. Again, these are the ones that are the best rated or have been popular with my children.
Disney Bedtime Stories Yoto Card Bundle
Disney stories are always popular with little ones – the new worlds, the fun characters, the imagination and the magic, these stories have been enjoyed and loved for generations.
Ideal to snuggle up with your little ones before bed, these bedtime stories include a wide range of Disney and Pixar characters from Mickey Mouse to Lightning McQueen. With four cards included. there are two for all year round, as well as seasonal options for Christmas and Halloween.
Ten Minutes to Bed Audio Collection
The Ten Minutes to Bed books were a HUGE hit with my youngest when she first started school – so much so that I actually think we have them all! Whether you have a little monster, mermaid, dinosaur or unicorn. these stories all slowly wind down from a lively beginning to gentle end, as the ten minutes pass and the character gets closer and closer to bed.
With fun characters and engaging settings, these are Yoto story cards your children will want to enjoy over and over again.
Puffin Sleepy Tales
Puffing Sleep Tales was developed with The Children’s Sleep Charity and includes ten stories specially designed to help children aged 7+ feel calm and positive at the end of a long day, after a bedtime story or as part of your child’s bedtime routine.
Filled with calming sound effects and breathing exercises, stories include ‘The Winter Stones’, ‘The Famous Fish’, ‘The Old Workshop’, ‘The Night Balloon’, ‘The Weaver’s House’, ‘The Incredible Reef’, ‘The Garden Wall’, ‘The Sunset Beach’, ‘The Happiness Potion’ and ‘The Night Sky’.
3. Nightlight (Yoto Player only)
If you have the original Yoto player (not the Yoto MIni) the Yoto night light can be used to create a familiar calm and ambient glow in your child’s bedroom, helping reassurance and comfort them if they wake during the night.
To turn on the nightlight, you simply gently turn the Yoto onto its front, which will automatically turn on the light. The right hand button can be used to change the brightness level according to your preference.
You can select your child’s favourite colour using the Yoto app – from a choice of seven.
4. Sleep sounds
Sleep Sounds can be found on the Yoto App, which is free to download on both the iOS and Android app stores. In addition to the Yoto sleep story cards described above, the app is full of sleep sounds, white noise and natural soundscapes that can help your little ones drift off and settle into a good night’s sleep. They’re pretty great for babies and parents too!
5. Yoto Sleep Radio / Yoto Bedtime Radio
Yoto Sleep Radio is offers a great blend of soothing sounds and songs to help your littles calm down before bed.
Only accessible when your Yoto switches to ‘night’ mode (based on your time settings in the app), you can expect child friendly music with no manic beats, or swear words in sight!
6. Yoto Clock Sleep Training
Did you know the Yoto player can be used for sleep training too? Using the Yoto app, you can pick different colours to represent day and night. That way, if your child wakes early, they can instantly see that it’s still night and that it’s not ok to wake up.
Simply set the colours and ‘morning’ and ‘night’ times on the Yoto app, and the rest will happen automatically!
It’s early days for us, but we’ve started listening to a Yoto bedtime story card or meditation every night before bed. We have the Yoto Mini, so whilst we don’t benefit from the night light or use the OK to wake elements, we think they’re great features, especially for those with younger children, sleep avoidiing toddlers or early risers!
If you’re keen to add more Yoto Cards to your collection, here’s our round up of the Best Yoto Cards for all age groups.
Looking to add some more cards to your Yoto Library?
Check out our recommendations of the Best Yoto Cards for all ages…
