It’s not a secret that marketers often capitalize on their customers’ frugality, ambitiousness, vanity, and fears, of course. In today’s article, we’re going to take a closer look at one such phobia – the fear of missing out, or simply FOMO – and find out how you can get the most out of FOMO tactics as part of your marketing strategy.
What’s in FOMO Marketing?
Experienced marketers and sales professionals know how important it is to elicit emotional response from their prospects. A vast majority of consumers experience a healthy fear that they might miss out on lucrative deals, sales, promotions, etc. Hence, their striving to jump on the bandwagon every time their favorite brands host some cool events or roll out special offers. With the right FOMO marketing strategy in place, you can quickly convince your customers to grasp the opportunity until it’s still there. What you need to do is emphasize the exclusivity, scarcity, and urgency of what’s being offered. Below are some simple tactics that can help you ensure your FOMO strategy is a success.
Create a Buzz
You want to encourage as many people as possible to participate in your upcoming event, be it a sale, sweepstake, or a giveaway? So, why not create hype around it? Now that you have a wide range of handy graphic design tools at your fingertips, you can use a banner or billboard maker to put together an effective visual advertising campaign and make sure all eyes are on your undertaking. You can do so either on social media websites and popular ecommerce platforms like eBay.
You can also use other tactics like shoutouts, word of mouth, and more. Be ready to talk about your event in the run-up to the date. Outline the major benefits for the participants, at the same time, refrain from going into detail. This way, you’ll create a sense of suspense and anticipation among your audience and make them look forward to your event.
Encourage your followers to share your posts, Tweet, and comment about the event you’re about to host. Also, don’t forget to use branded hashtags and partner up with influencers in your niche. By doing so, you’ll create more hype and make more potential customers pay attention to your endeavors.
It’s a great idea to set time limits on your special offers. Make it known that the deals and bargains are hard to refuse and your clients won’t forgive themselves if they miss out. Get a celeb or a popular trendsetter to talk about the company you represent and ask them to mention the event you’re holding on behalf of your business. This will create urgency and encourage your prospective customers to take action as soon as possible.
Emphasize Urgency
It’s a great idea to set time limits on your special offers. Make it known that the deals and bargains are hard to refuse and your clients won’t forgive themselves if they miss out. Get a celeb or a popular trendsetter to talk about the company you represent and ask them to mention the event you’re holding on behalf of your business. This will create urgency and encourage your prospective customers to take action as soon as possible.
Emphasize Scarcity
To prompt quick sales, you should also make it clear that in view of the high demand for your products, you’re left with no other choice than to put a limit on the quantity you can afford to offer. Once you let your intended audiences know that you’ve put a cap on your offers, you’ll spark their interest and drive more sales.
Make it Exclusive
What better way to show your customers that you value them than to emphasize their exceptionality? So, whenever you plan to introduce a new line of products, throw a new Instagram giveaway, or run a promotion, it’s always a win-win FOMO trick to let only a certain group of people try out or participate in it. Not only is it a good way to show your appreciation to a certain category of customers but also an effective tactic that will put those who once failed to earn access to your exclusive deals into overdrive. The odds are good that by rewarding your other clients and emphasizing their exclusive status, you’ll spur fence-sitters to engage more actively with your brand in fear of missing out on your next lucrative offers.
Final Words
Hopefully, these simple recommendations will help you come up with a workable FOMO strategy and take your sales to the next level. Just keep in mind that this tactic stems from negative psychological triggers and therefore you would be well-advised not to go overboard using it. Strike a healthy balance between boosting your sales and serving your customers interests, and hopefully, your business will start to thrive soon.
This Best Yoto Cards round up includes affiliate links and items previously gifted for review. Last updated December 2023
Yoto Players and Yoto Minis have grown hugely in popularity over recent years, especially since lockdown – and with good reason! A great way to encourage some quiet, ad-free and screen free time for your children, Yoto story cards can open your child’s eyes to a whole host of materials including music, stories, meditation and learning too. Yoto Players and Yoto Mini Players can be used in and around the home. Thanks to the downloadable content, the Yoto player can also be used outside the home, with content from Yoto Cards accessible without needing a wifi connection.
If you’re new to the Yoto World, it can be hard to decide which Yoto cards to buy, or which Yoto Cards are most suitable for your child’s age? Having explored the Yoto Library with our girls and their Yoto Mini player, here’s our round up of the best tried and tested Yoto story cards for children of all ages. Our round up includes our favourite Yoto cards, Christmas Yoto Cards, Halloween Yoto Cards, Learning Yoto Cards, Disney Yoto Cards and Yoto Card Bundles.
What kind of Yoto cards are there?
There are six main categories of Yoto Cards. Yoto Activity cards, Yoto Stories cards (audiobooks), Yoto Podcasts, Yoto Music cards, Yoto Soundscapes (great for imaginative play) as well as Yoto Radio cards. You can also create your own content using Yoto Make Your Own (MYO cards)
It’s worth noting that whether you have the original Yoto player or the Yoto Mini, Yoto Cards are compatible with both devices. The Yoto card size is about 15.5 x 10.1 x 1.3cm, not dissimilar to the size of a regular credit card.
Read on to learn more about popular Yoto cards and the best Yoto cards to add to your child’s collection.
What is a Yoto Player?
If you haven’t heard of the Yoto Player yet, seriously where have you been?! The Yoto Mini is a small audio player for kids (recommended for ages 3 -12 years). It’s a cube shape that is small enough to fit into the palm of their hands and can be used as a fun storyteller or music player in one. Alternatively, you can opt for the more bedroom focused Yoto Player. This is a less portable audio player which comes with additional offerings such as a larger pixel screen, nightlight and ok to wake clock.
In addition to a wide range of Yoto Player Cards, the Yoto Mini Player can also be used via the Yoto App. Parents can play child friendly podcasts and a kid-friendly radio station, all in a portable-sized device that is well suited to travel.
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Yoto story cards are small credit-card sized cards which are inserted into the top of the Yoto Mini or Yoto Player device. There are LOADS of different Yoto player cards to choose from including books, music, educational fun and even meditations. Children can use the intuitive controls on the front of the Yoto to change the volume and flick between chapters. If they remove the card, the story will stop. It will start from the same position they left off once it’s reinserted into the device.
What are the best Yoto Cards?
Unless you buy the Yoto player or Yoto Mini as part of a Yoto device and accessory bundle, Yoto players generally only come with one card only – the Make Your Own Yoto Card (Yoto MYO Card) – so you’ll need to build up your own collection.
But what are the best Yoto Cards to buy? Which Yoto Cards are best for a preschooler? Are there Yoto Story cards suitable for older kids? What are the must have Yoto story Cards for your Yoto Library? What Yoto Card Storage is best to ensure they don’t get lost?
FEAR NOT. We’ve done the research so you don’t have to! We’ve put some of the Yoto Cards through their paces with the girls to bring your our round up of the best Yoto Story Cards you can buy in 2024.
We’ve been sharing our honest reviews of products and services at Real Mum Reviews since 2013. We pride ourselves on providing detailed, thorough and impartial reviews. We aim to answer the questions that parents really want to know when making those all-important purchase decisions. Whether the item has been gifted to us or paid for directly by ourselves, we promise to provide honest, impartial and genuine verdicts.We share our experience including our views on the pros and cons of each product we test.
Please note – it’s worth mentioning that Yoto Player Cards are available in three languages – English, Spanish and French. For the purposes of this review, we will be focusing on the best Yoto Cards for the UK audience (English Yoto cards / Yoto cards UK)
The Best Yoto Card Bundles
Yoto Card Bundles are often a great way to expand your child’s Yoto Library quickly, offering a selection of related or themed cards in one handy packet. The Yoto Card bundles also generally work out cheaper than buying lots of individual Yoto Cards. If your child loves a particular author, character or you want to add some Yoto cards for Christmas, easter or other seasonal events, Yoto Card bundles are a good solution. Here are some of the best Yoto Card bundles.
1. The Zog and Friends Collection by Julia Donaldson
Six much loved audio books from UK’s best selling picture book author Julia Donaldson makes the perfect Yoto bedtime story bundle. Each book also includes a special song that little ones will love singing along to and joining in with the actions. This Yoto Card Bundle includes classic titles including Zog, Stick Man, The Highway Rat, Tabby McTat, The Ugly Five and The Scarecrows Wedding. Aimed at children aged 0-5, this Yoto Card Bundle is sure to be played over and over again. Just lovely.
Tabby McTat has become incredibly popular for 2024 thanks to its TV BBC animated episode showcased on Christmas Day. Worth a watch on catch up if you missed it!
If you’re looking for an educational Yoto Card Bundle. then the Brain Bots collection is a bestselling choice. With eight cards in the collection and a four hour running time, this series includes an imaginative and fun look at the Human Body, with cards about the organs, circulatory system, immune system and senses to name but a few.
Hilariously funny thanks to the fun characters Nellie, Buzz and Gibbs, children will learn some incredibly facts before testing their knowledge at the end of each card with a fun quiz and uploading their findings to the BrainBank. Educational yet far from boring, these cards will have them learning without even realising it!
The recently released Thomas & Friends Yoto cards are sure to be a big hit with Thomas fans. This pack of.6 cards includes all of the main characters from the Isle of Sodor. Children will love learning about each character, listening to 2 action packed adventures and playing the Yoto interactive quiz, pressing the button on the yoto when they’re ready to proceed and check their answers. Educational and loads of fun too.
RRP – £29.99 | Total running time – 3 hours 22 minutes
A fairly recent addition to the epic Yoto library, this Yoto card collection has quickly become one of our daughter’s favourite Yoto cards. Believe it or not, the first card in this classic collection is actually The Magician’s Nephew and not the Lion the Witch in the Wardrobe.
Read by a variety of narrator’s, these classic titles are sure to be enjoyed by children (and adults) alike, taking you right back to your own childhood with adventures full of magic and mystery.
It’s worth remembering that Yoto Cards aren’t just about fiction and adventure books. Yoto also have a wide range of educational, non-fiction and learning cards too. These cards are great for teaching your children new skills such as languages or simply learn more about the world as they grow up.
Here are some of our favourite educational Yoto Cards and Non-fiction Yoto cards to add to your Yoto library.
1. Everything Under the Sun
If your child is forever asking questions that you can’t answer, this Everything Under the Sun Yoto Card can certainly make your life easier! Ideal for curious kids, this book is full of 366 facts as asked by children from across the globe. You can enjoy a bit at a time, with a question for every day or the year, or simply sit and relax whilst learning facts on everything from dinosaurs to astronauts!
Available in a Yoto Card bundle or as individual Yoto books for a wide range of historical eras, these Horrible Histories books are great for supporting your child’s history education, with books ideal to support their school curriculum and projects. From the Rotten Romans to the Vile Victorians, these books are packed full of funny facts, awful anecdotes and jokes galore that make learning about years gone by loads of fun.
3. Little Leaders: Visionary Women Around the World
The Little Leaders range of Yoto Cards are ideal for introducing children to inspirational people who changed the world. In this particular edition, one of three on the Yoto store, children can learn about the true stories of over 40 women creators – everything from writers to inventors and artists. With some names they will recognise and others they almost certainly will not, we love the way these books reinforce the fact that the world is your oyster!
Learning new languages can be great fun, and in this interactive and engaging Yoto Card, children will learn some basic new language skills including simple greetings, directions and a wide range of helpful phrases- great for those who are travelling during the holidays! With the Ladybird range also available in German and Spanish, your child can be expanding their foreign vocabulary before you know it!
Best Yoto Cards for Preschoolers and Early Readers
Preschoolers tend to enjoy stories from characters that are familiar – a source of comfort and reassurance as well as entertainment. These cards are also great to listen along to with the actual book – helping children recognise how the words sound as they follow along on the page. Here are our favourite Yoto cards for preschoolers and early readers.
1. Adventures with Peppa
The Adventures with Peppa Yoto card includes ten stories based on the much loved TV series Peppa Pig. Not only does the card include a Peppa adventure, but also engaging songs and fun sounds. From Grandpa Pig’s Little Train (a personal favourite) to George’s Birthday and The Time Capsule.
A great interactive story that is sure to make your little ones laugh, children must perform a range of fun actions and noises to rescue characters trapped inside their audio book including a Monster, Dragon, Elf, Witch, Alien and Superhero.
Based on the fun book range by Tom Fletcher it’s packed full of fun sound effects too.
My daughters have both grown up watching Daniel Tiger on the TV, so this NEW for 2023 Yoto Card is a very welcome edition to the Yoto library. Featuring 8 short stories that are full of important life lessons, morals and reflective thought processing for little ones, we love listening to Daniel’s adventures as he makes sense of the world around him. We also love the theme music too!
It may be short in duration, but children will be sure to laugh out loud at these short but perfectly formed rhyming tails. Whilst listed for 5-8 year olds in the Yoto store (probably based on reading age), we feel they’re a good Yoto card for four year olds, who may enjoy listening to this card whilst turning the pages of the physical book. Cats sit on mats, hares sit on chairs, puffins sit on muffins – and with 5 books in one read by comedian David Mitchell it’s sure to raise a smile.
My girls have been OBSESSED with Encanto (and let’s face it – Bruno) ever since this Disney film was released. Everyone in the Madrigal family has a unique gift, ranging from super strength to the power to heal; everyone except Mirabel, but when the family is in danger, they soon learn that Mirabel holds the key to keeping the family together.
With a long running time, this car offers excellent value for money and can be listened to a bit each night before bed.
Snuggle up with beloved Disney and Pixar characters in this sweet collection of bedtime stories. From Mickey Mouse to Lightning McQueen, stories include classic tales and seasonal Halloween and Christmas favourites. Included cards Disney and Pixar Bedtime Stories, My First Christmas, My First Halloween.
There’s a short running time on this one – but great for bitesize stories.
New in late 2023, these Disney Moana (and Encanto) ‘the songs’ cards include the full soundtrack that children know and love – in this case, original songs including “Where You Are”, “How Far I’ll Go” and “We Know the Way”. There are also remix versions from the closing titles on this card, making a great accompaniment to long car journeys (if you can stand them singing along that is) – You’re welcome!
For older children, Yoto have a wide selection of fiction books. These are ideal for those looking for some adventure, excitement or escapism, no matter if before bed, for travel or to listen to before school.
1. The Worst Witch Collection by Jill Murphy
We are HUGE fans of disaster prone Mildred Hubble and this set of Worst Witch books from much loved author Jill Murphy is excellent value for money. With eight titles and over twelve hours of audio, children will love hearing adventures from Miss Cackle’s Academy for Witches.
If you haven’t been introduced to Claude the dog yet – you’re in for a treat. Claude is no ordinary dog, he’s a superhero who always seems to find himself in the right place at the right time – can he save the day? With six books from this much loved series, your kids are sure to laugh out loud with these humerous and fun titles. Look out for Mr Bobblysock.
Another great selection of titles for younger readers (my daughters both adored the bestselling books by Daisy Meadows) – the Rainbow Fairies come in every colour of the rainbow. When strangers Rachel and Kirsty meet on the ferry, they have no idea about the hidden world of fairies just waiting to be discovered! Fun, adventure and magic gallore!
There are seven cards in the set, which normally retail at £5.99 each. Each story runs for around 30 minutes.
One of the biggest differences of the Yoto vs Tonies, is the selection of Yoto Cards for older children. Yoto have lots of chapter books and older content. In comparison, the Toniebox tends to be more focused towards a younger audience. Here are our favourite Yoto cards for 8-12 year olds.
1. The Danger Gang Tom Fletcher
Erin absolutely loves the books by Tom Fletcher and Danger Gang is one of her favourites.
Franky is super excited to move to a new town (despite having to leave his best friend behind. But when a weird storm with strange green lightning hits the town, the kids on the street all start to turn a little odd. When it appears that kids are turning magical and there is real danger in store, Franky forms the Danger Gang to look out for his new friends.
Kids may have seen the film already. but have they heard the full story of Percy – half blood son of a greek god? In this edition (the first of a series of Percy Jackson books), Percy is accused of stealing a lighting bolt from Zeus, God of the Sky. Can Percy find the bolt he’s been accused of stealing and return it to its owner before war erupts?! This book has sold millions of titles for a reason, and with suspense building audio from Jesse Bernstein, its a great Yoto Card to whisk them off to an imaginative new world before bed.
10 year old August (Auggie) was born with a severe facial deformity and longs to be accepted and to live a ‘normal’ life. Starting school after being home schooled his entire life. can he convince his school friends that he’s just like them?
A beautiful story of inclusion, individual differences and kindness as well as the importance of friendship and treating people the way you’d like to be treated.
If your child struggles to drift off to sleep at bedtime, they’re certainly not alone. Since covid in particular, many kids have found their sleep patterns disrupted, with active minds or even anxiety keeping them awake long after they’ve snuggled up in bed. Yoto have a great range of relaxing sleep stories, mindfulness and meditation cards. They can help calm the mind and soothe them into a good night’s sleep.
1. Enchanted Meditations for Kids
A very popular choice in this house and one that adults can enjoy too – Enchanted Meditations features eight meditations created specifically for kids. Each one lasts between four to ten minutes (with an hour total paytime) and have been created by leading yoga and Montessori teacher Christiane Kerr.
Meditations include the Jellyfish Relaxation; An Underwater Dolphin Ride; The Magic Rainbow; Butterfly Relaxation; Enchanted Garden, A Hot Air Balloon Trip, that can help help your kids drift away into a peaceful sleep whilst also building their self-confidence and self-esteem.
Do you need help getting your child to sleep? This is a great solution. This meditation card is created with a mix of hypnotic and meditative language to help calm busy minds and relax restless bodies to help soothe and comfort your children as they drift off to sleep.
Written and recorded by experienced hypnotherapists, it also includes soothing music to heighten the senses and induce the feeling of calm. It’s like magic – and works on grown ups too!
Yoto have teamed up with kids mindfulness app Moshi to release a selection of mindfulness cards for the Yoto library. With calm hypnotic melodies and rhyming lyrics, these cards are ideal for slowing breathing, encouraging reflection and self esteem and promoting kindness and friendship. You can see our full review of these new Moshi cards below.
You can get more inspiration on how Yoto can help your kids sleep here.
Digital Only Yoto Cards
Yoto have recently released some NEW Yoto Cards that are Digital only. Unlike the rest of the cards in the Yoto library, these are downloadable only and therefore you don’t get a physical card in the post. Whilst we wish some of the recent ones did come with a card (my daughter would love the image!) you can always add digital cards to a MYO Card if you wish. The benefit of the Yoto digital cards is that if you buy when signed in, you get it instantly to your Yoto App and can enjoy the content straight away! They also don’t incur shipping costs either – so you end up paying less for the cards you love!
1. Yoto Luca Digital Card
Yoto.Luca Digital Card – A Junior Novel
The latest in the selection of Disney Junior Novels at Yoto, is Luca, the much loved Disney Pixar film. Ideal for children aged 8-12, this junior novel version of Luca – a sea monster who has to side his secret whilst attempting to win a vespa scooter lasts just under 3 hours – ideal for a chapter or two each night before bed.
Star Wars fans will love this lastest addition to the Yoto Digital card collection. Years have passed since the Luke Skywalker and the Rebel Alliance were victorious but a new darkness is rising. The Resistance must stand against Kylo Ren and the villainous First Order.
As well as the cards focused on getting children to sleep, Yoto also have a fab range of energy inducing cards. These are designed to wake children up, get them up off the sofa and leading a more active lifestyle. Here are some of the best Yoto cards that can encourage your children to move!
1. Lets Move Winter Wonderland
Perfect for the Winter months, (when let’s face it, it can be hard to summon up the energy to do much at all!), this fun card can encourage your children to move and perform basic exercises without even realising it! Following the Winter themed adventures of Polar Bear, Kangaroo and Giraffe, they’ll soon find themselves wading through snow, performing snow angels and having a dance party with Jack Frost!
If you’re looking to expand your Yoto Card collection in 2024, you’ll be pleased to know that there are loads of NEW Yoto Cards and brand new audio releases that came out towards the end of 2023. Here are some of the new yoto card and latest arrivals to choose from.
1. Yoto Daily Draw Along
Yoto Daily Draw Along
If you’re looking for non fiction / activity Yoto cards that will get your kids off screens and doing something semi educational, you’ll love the newly released Yoto Daily Draw Along Card.
Settle the kids down with some pencils and paper and watch as they draw creations with help from Jake. Their masterpieces will range from Dinosaurs to Robots, Space settings to the super imaginative Candy Land, with 12 different draw alongs to choose from.
With the governments’ announcement that our kids are going to be learning maths until they’re 18, it’s a good time to start supporting out children’s maths knowledge at home.
These NEW Yoto Cards cover Phase 1 of maths, introducing concepts such as counting, adding, subtracting, and shapes, with interactive elements using the yoto pixel screen (or the smaller screen on the Yoto Mini)
Suitable for children aged 3 plus, the set includes six maths activity cards and has a running time of 1 hour 20 minutes. If they listen to the Yoto Daily podcast, your kids will also be familiar with the host, Jake, who is a friendly and engaging voice that can motivate and have some laughs along the way.
There are loads more NEW Yoto Cards expected in early 2023, so watch this space or subscribe to get updates!
Best Christmas Yoto Cards
Yoto have a great range of Seasonal cards, including Christmas Yoto Cards, Halloween Yoto Cards and Yoto Cards for Eid. Here are some popular Yoto Cards for Christmas and advent.
1. The Christmasaurus Collection by Tom Fletcher
You may have noticed a bit of a trend here, in that we LOVE Tom Fletcher’s titles and so do Yoto! The Christmasaurus series is perfect to read on the run up to Christmas, with three magical stories to explore during advent. Don’t be deceived into thinking these are just a fun fiction adventure – they’re so much more. Making the most of his McFly talents, these Yoto cards also include 14 original songs performed by Tom and a full orchestra as they bring the adventures of William Trundle to life!
If you’ve ever celebrated book advent before, you’ll know it can be quite challenging to find age appropriate stories to read every day of December. Thanks to Yoto Advent Stories card, you don’t need to worry, as this card comes with a charming Ladybird story to listen to every day on the countdown to Christmas. Simple, festive fun!
New to Yoto for 2022, but a classic story that we all know and love, the Snowman and the Snowdog is a short story that is perfect for snuggling up and listening to before bed. It may only be twelve minutes long (so not the best value for money in terms of running time) but this enchanted story with a beautiful score is just perfect for cosy winter nights. It also features the dulcit tones of Benedict Cumberpatch – who couldn’t be more perfect as the narrator!
The most obvious differences between the Yoto Mini vs Yoto Player are size, weight and portability. The original Yoto player is designed to be used in a bedroom setting. The Yoto Mini is much more portable due to its smaller size. Measuring just 7cm x 7cm x 4cmm its ideal for audio on the go
Unlike the original Yoto Player which charges via a charging stand, the Yoto Mini uses a USB-C charging cable, meaning you can even charge in the car when you need to give the battery a boost.
And if you’re also wondering whether to opt for Yoto vs Tonies – we have a Tonies and Yoto comparison post too.
First up, its worth noting, Yoto Cards can be purchased either directly from Yoto or from other online retailers such as Amazon. At the time of writing, you can only buy Yoto cards in a physical store from smaller independents.
Yoto generally have a wider range of Yoto cards directly than on Amazon. On Amazon UK at least, some Yoto Cards are older designs or more traditional tales. Our view is that its always better to buy direct from Yoto. If you register with Yoto UK, you can accrue points for every Yoto card purchase. These can then be built up and used as money off your next purchases. That said, you do have to pay postage (whereas you don’t if you have Amazon Prime). It’s worth considering the overall impact and availability of the cards you want to add to your child’s Yoto collection.
If you’re planning on regularly adding to your Yoto library, you may also want to consider joining the Yoto Club – a monthly subscription / membership that allows you to select two new Yoto player cards each month, free postage and 10% off everything in the Yoto store. If you sign up to the club before you buy the player, you’ll also save 10% on the cost of the device. You’ll need to buy the club membership, checkout, and then log back in to buy the player and accessories in order to get the discount.
More on that later, but Yoto Club may be an option if your Yoto is being share between siblings or you’re keen to encourage regular use.
What are the most popular Yoto Cards?
According to Yoto, some of the most Popular Yoto cards at the end of 2022 were Julia Donaldson’s The Gruffalo Yoto Card (listened to a huge 5.8 MILLION times) and Disney Classics Frozen (listened to 2.3 million times). Similarly, their recently released Disney Encanto Yoto Card was listened to just shy of 1 million times.
If you haven’t heard of it, the Yoto Club is a great way to expand your child’s Yoto card library. It makes a fun gift or subscription for those who already have the Yoto original player or Yoto Mini.
For £9.99 a month (or £99 a year (£8.25 a month), Yoto Club members get two cards (in the form of credits) each month. They can buy new Yoto cards monthly . Alternatively, you can let them build up and go on a spree around special occasions or seasonal events.
Yoto Club members also get 10% off across the store and free shipping. This can work out great value for money if you’re buying regularly.
When you pick your cards each month, they’re available to listen to instantly via the Yoto app, so you don’t need to wait for the physical cards to arrive via the post.
It’s also worth looking at the Running times to get the best value for money. Some cards cost £5.99 and last just 12 minutes, where as other Yoto story cards with based on longer books cost £14.99 but last over 10 hours!)
Some of the more ‘classic’ stories such as Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton may not be as politically correct as we may see in 2022, mostly because words have changed meaning over time. If this concerns you, you may want to audit the content before you give it to your child.
If your child has a favourite bedtime story or song, or simply wants to listen to your grandparents deliver a message before bed, you can also create your own Yoto cards using the blank Yoto cards / MYO Cards. Our step by step how to guide on How to make your own Yoto Cards can be found below.
Don’t forget the FREE content – check out the podcasts, soundscape and radio as well as activity timers and sneak previews of upcoming cards on the Discover app. You can currently get the first chapter of popular Yoto cards such as the Moshi Magical Stories, Matilda and Goodnight number train so you can try before you buy.
One of the biggest concerns I had when we received our Yoto Mini (previously gifted for review) was Yoto card storage. Whilst the Yoto Player cards are quite durable and hardwearing, they’re obviously quite small. As such, there was a very real risk that my children would drop them down the back of a counter top or lose them somewhere in their (pig sty) of a bedroom.
Thankfully, Yoto have thought of that too, with a wide range of Yoto card storage accessories to choose from. If you’re travelling regularly and using the Yoto Mini as a portable audio device, something like this Yoto Travel case is a great choice. Not only does the hard shell protect your Yoto player from knocks or damage if its accidentally dropped, but it has handy velcro storage too. The Yoto Card Case is ideal for storing your Yoto cards as well as the charging cable or wire for your Yoto headphones.
The Yoto Travel Case also comes with space for your Yoto headphones. It can hold up to 30 Yoto Cards to be held securely under the elasticated loops. It has an adjustable strap so you can carry over your shoulder too, making it a great solution for Yoto Card storage on the go.
For Yoto card storage on a smaller scale, or keeping your Yoto cards safe at home, you can also opt for either the Yoto Card Pouch or the Yoto Card Case. Whilst much smaller, the Yoto card holder pouch can hold up to 20 Yoto Cards, held securely with a velcro strap. The Yoto Card Case is more suitable for larger collections. Available in a choice of three colours, each Yoto Card Case can hold up to 64 cards. It protects each one by storing and protecting your Yoto Cards it in its own plastic pouch. Its also handy for storing Pokemon cards too! 🙂
Are there any cheaper alternatives to the official Yoto Card storage?
There are a wide range of alternatives to the official Yoto Card storage options. These generally come at a cheaper price, That said, the Yoto cases do offer the exact sizings. The diagonal slats that make removing them from the plastic pockets far easier.
You can check out our suggestions for alliterative Yoto card storage here
You can sell your Yoto Cards when your child has outgrown them. When the new recipient first registers the Yoto card on the new device, it will automatically be removed from your Yoto Library. There are various places to buy and sell used Yoto cards including eBay and Facebook marketplace. Our favourite place to buy second-hand Yoto cards is in the Facebook community Yoto Fans UK.
We hope you’ve found this guide to the best Yoto cards useful. Which ones are your personal favourites? We’d love to hear them!
What are the newest Yoto cards?
Yoto are releasing new Yoto cards ALLLLLL the time. We will endeavour to update this post regularly with our favourites. You can also explore all the latest releases in the NEW TO YOTO section of their website here.
As a mum, you will need to look after the family’s health. Yet, you need to ensure that you do not leave your health behind. You need to take good care of yourself too so you can be well and healthy, without any health concerns or worries.
If you do have health concerns and need some advice, here’s more.
Find the right person to deal with your concern
Although you should and can speak to your general doctor about your health concern, you will get a faster result if you find the right person to deal with your specific concern.
For instance, if you have a female health worry, a Private Gynaecologist will offer fast appointments so that you can sooner get to the root of your symptoms and be on the road to better health. The sooner you can attain an appointment and treatment, the sooner you can remain calm and positive about your health.
It is worthwhile making a financial investment when it comes to your health so you can get the right answer and a quicker solution.
Stop hiding it
Sometimes, we hide our health concerns because we do not want to think of the worst thing. The best thing you can do for your health and peace of mind is to stop hiding your concern and address it.
The sooner you address your concern and understand you need help, the sooner you can get help and find a solution.
Although you can find a friend to confide in, a journal will be there at any time of day. You can write down your thoughts and worries and vent on your pages, allowing you to decompress and release tension. You will only make your mental and physical health worse if you hold onto worry and stress. Therefore, let it all out on paper by journaling.
Stop using the internet to research symptoms
Although search pages can sometimes give us the correct answer for our symptoms, they will often show the worst-case scenario, which is going to make you panic. If you have a continuous headache and use the internet to research your symptoms, it could tell you that you have something that definitely is not true.
The best place to go for an accurate diagnosis is your doctor so you can gain peace of mind and be on your way to attaining the right treatment to manage or eliminate your symptoms. Never rely on the internet to tell you the truth about your health. After all, it cannot do a thorough assessment nor give you accurate readings.
Follow these tips to ensure that you can effectively address, manage, and deal with any health concern you have. It will help you maintain peace of mind and always look after your health.
If you have tried dieting time and time again but never had much success with it, then you will know how frustrating this can be. You may feel as though nothing you do works and that every time you end up at square one again. If you want to make a positive change, then it helps to understand why your diet is failing in the first place.
You are Using Willpower Instead of Science
There is a science to hunger. Most diets that involve you eating less, will trigger hunger. You can only starve yourself for too long because your body has powerful mechanisms that protect you from starvation. Your hunger will increase with time, and you may find that your metabolism slows down to try and conserve as much energy as possible. Eating foods that are low in fat or sugar increases your hunger too. If you want to do something about this then one thing you can do is focus on eating the right foods rather than eating less.
You are Only Focusing on Calories
Eating less calories is the key to losing weight. That being said, some calories contribute to you gaining weight and others contribute to you losing weight. Excess grains trigger a shift in your metabolism and they also spike your insulin. Insulin drives the fuel in your blood, right to your fat cells. Your body thinks that you are starving even though you have just eaten. This leads to increased hunger and a slower metabolism. Have you ever finished a big meal and then felt hungry again an hour later? It all comes down to basic science. One way for you to stop this from happening would be for you to focus on eating foods that are low on the glycemic index. This includes grass-fed meats, vegetables, nuts, fish and seeds. If you can focus on this then it’ll help you to feel better about yourself. If you are struggling with your weight then it could be wise to look into gastric sleeve surgery.
Low-Fat Diet
A lot of people think that they should avoid things like egg yolks as they contain a lot of fat. After all, eggs tend to be higher in calories, but they are good for you. If you eat more fat and less carbs then you may find that you can boost your metabolism and you can also rocket how good you feel about yourself. If you are not quite sure how to adopt a low-carb diet or if you want to make a positive change then make sure that you consult a dietician, as they can work with you to help you understand your body and the results you want to achieve. If you can do this then you will soon find that you feel better about yourself and that you can stop yourself from constantly fueling yourself with the wrong foods.
Why not see if you are making these top dieting mistakes today, and make a positive change to your health?
It’s hard to believe there are days left until the end of the Summer holidays – despite it feeling like we haven’t had much in the way of sun at all. Before we know it, it will be September, (hopefully an Indian Summer) and we will be preparing for the return of the morning madness. THIS IS NOT A DRILL!
I have been lucky enough to have 2 weeks off work during the 6-week break and whilst it’s been a fairly low-key summer, it’s been lovely to spend some quality time with my girls away from the juggle of working two jobs and managing childcare. This September, my eldest moves into Year 6 and my youngest into Year 2. Both are super excited to get back to their friends and continue their learning!
If like many of us parents, you aren’t quite Back to School ready for the start of term yet, here are some of our Back to School Essentials you might want to check out before September!
Get organised with a Family Planner
Every year I try and keep on top of everything I need to remember when the kids go back to school and every year I really struggle. With two children at two different schools, it can feel almost impossible to keep track of all the PE kit days, school trips, plays, fetes and school projects and no one wants to be the parent that sends their kids to school in uniform when they could be wearing their own clothes (and yes, I’ve actually done that – twice!)
The Family Home Planner from BoxClever Press is a great place to start for parents attempting to get organised in 2023. A 16-month calendar starting in September 2023, it has a six-column layout, allowing you to visually keep track of where every family member needs to be and when. There are even bright and colourful reminder stickers in a handy pouch at the back, helping make key events such as birthdays, holidays, term dates and dentist appointments really stand out.
If you really want to focus on school organisation, BoxClever Press also sell a separate School Calendar & Diaries sticker pack, with a wider range of school-related stickers including Event’, ‘Trip’, ‘School’s out’, ‘Back to school’, ‘Exam’, ‘Match’, ‘Play’, ‘Presentation’, ‘Essay due’ and ‘Revision’ meaning you’ve no excuses for not knowing what is happening each day. If this doesn’t work – nothing will 😉 – wish me luck!
It’s always making sure your child’s school uniform still fits and is in good condition before the start of term and if your child has had a growth spurt during the summer holidays, you may need to invest in the next size up.
If you’re looking for affordable uniforms that are both great value and easy to care for, you can’t go wrong with the new Back to School Range at Tesco.
Thanks to their permanent pleat technology, their skirts and trousers don’t need any skilled ironing to have them looking crisp and fresh, whilst their adjustable waistbands ensure a secure and comfortable fit, even for children like Erin who are very slight and slim on the was it. The easy-iron shirts are sold in convenient packs of three. whilst the Tesco school jumpers and cardigans are dyed with colours that won’t fade, no matter how many times you put them through the washing machine, so those red jumpers will still be bold and bright when photo days come around.
Tesco school uniform also comes with a 1-year guarantee, so you can buy with confidence knowing that they’ll replace them free of charge if they don’t last – if only they could guarantee your child actually keeps them on their shoulders hey?!
Thanks to Vosene’s multi-award-winning hair care range – you’ve got one less thing to worry about. Their 3-in-1 Shampoo not only smells amazing – made with tea tree and lemon eucalyptus oils – but it’s also specially formulated with natural lice repellent active ingredients that can help keep pesky those head lice at bay.
After shampooing, following up with the citronella oil Conditioning Defence Spray to help detangle and restore shine, helps to leave the girls’ hair protected against head lice – because no one wants some extra guests to contend with!
Winner of the Marie Claire 2023 Best Kids Hair Range award, it’s suitable for daily use and is paediatric dermatologist tested and approved. The Vosene Kids range is available at Asda, Morrisons and Wilkinsons. As part ofAsda‘s back to school promotion, you can even get 50p off the 3-in-1 shampoo from 1/9 – 26/9. You’ve got this!
Reach for a reliable school bag
Now Erin’s moving in to Year 6, she is looking for a robust and reliable school bag that can house her homework, lunchbox and stationery during the walk to and from school.
This gorgeous Sebra Kids Mini Backpack from Scandiborn is the perfect size for those in juniors or early senior school who are looking for a stylish option that isn’t too bulky. Available in a choice of three Scandi shades- Spruce Green, Sweet Tea Brown and Rustic Plum. this eco friendly bag is made from soft and comfortable canvas made using recycled plastic bottles.
Offering plenty of room for all her belongings, it has a magnetic flap and drawstring closure, an internal pocket for their keys and mobile phones, as well as three outer pockets, one front zipped and two side pockets – one of which is ideal for her water bottle.
The adjustable padded straps won’t dig in or irritate during their walks, whilst the chest buckle helps provide more stability with younger children.
If your child is taking their own lunch to school, it’s helpful to have a strong and durable lunch box to hygienically house their food.
We absolutely love the range from Linwood at Scandiborn. Not only do they have some really striking and unique designs, but these lightweight stainless steel containers are super easy to clean and do not retain colour of scent. With three handy compartments, there is plenty of space for lots of yummy snacks, whilst the flexible silicone lid is super straightforward for even young children to remove unassisted.
We love the Leopard / Sandy design – perfect for picnics and summer.
For older children who may want a less traditional lunch bag, we love this Little Dutch cooler bag lunchbox from Kidly.
Fully insulated inside, there’s loads of room inside for lunchbox, some fruit and a bottle or drinks carton. We absolutely love the wipe clean study canvas in a gorgeous flowers and butterflies design (also available in a blue Sailors Bay) and the easy grip handles ensure they can carry their lunch easier and keep it cool till break.
It’s important your kids stay hydrated during the school day, so a high quality drinks bottle that can keep their drink cold throughout the school day is a huge bonus.
We LOVE this banana themed drinks bottle from OYOY which can keep your llittle ones’ drinks refreshingly cool for up to 12 hours or if they prefer some warm milk on a cold winters day, delightfully warm for up to 12 hours. With a comfortable silicone strap, it’s easy to carry and hardwearing too.
It can be hard to find health lunchbox snacks that kids actually want to eat, and if a banana and some fruit just isn’t cutting it, these Organic Crunchy Waves are a great option. Available at all good supermarkets, you can pick between two flavours – tangy tomato or crazy carrot, they’re actually made from chickpeas – but your child will never know!
With a fun wave shape that kids will love, they have under 100 calories a bag and are made with 100% organic ingredients, no added salt, artificial colours or flavours. What’s not to love!?
Label everything with name labels
If your children are starting school for the first time, you may be yet to experience the talent that children have for losing things. You wouldn’t think it possible, but even shoes, book bags and cardigans can go missing, so most school parens will tell you – label absolutely everything.
Fear not however, gone are the days of labelling name labels by hand (so no need to hunt down your needle and thread). Stickerscape have a fab range of personalised school name labels in eye catching designs from dinosaurs and unicorns to animals, fairies and more. For older children, there are even some ombre watercolour and army patterns, whereas preschoolers will love their collaboration with Peppa Pig.
Each pack contains a variety of labels personalised with your Childs first and second name and they’re suitable for labelling pretty ache everything from lunchboxes to stationery and water bottles, whilst the iron on labels are ideal for clothing and textiles.
You can choose from 4 pack types, with prices starting at just £9.95 and even better, you also get 15% off your first order by signing up for the Stickerscape newsletter
Options of pack sizes include: – A little mixed pack, which includes 46 name labels (some iron on and some stick on!) – A big mixed pack, which includes 171 name labels (lots of iron on and lots of stick on!) – A stick on pack, which includes 136 name labels (all stick on) – An iron on pack, which includes 128 name labels (all iron on)
(Please note for privacy reasons I have blurred out Neve’s. surname on these designs)
Shopping for school shoes can be at times pretty stressful and right now, even the prospect of going into a shop and standing in a ticketed queue to have shoes fitted absolutely fills me with dread!
Thanks to Start-Rite, life can be made far simpler, allowing you to order all the school shoes you need from the comfort of your own home with their innovative measure-at-home options. You can either send off for one of the Start-Rite measuring gauges for a small charge or simply use the print-at-home measuring sheets to successfully measure your child’s foot length and width. You then simply pop the measurements into an online size calculator and Start-Rite will recommend the perfect shoe size for your child (with some growing room automatically added in).
Start-Rite has a huge range of school shoes to choose from, including their Start-Rite Vegan range which offers the same durability and comfort, but is made from non-leather / without animal products.
They also have a variety of back-to-school AW23 options with Air-Rite Technology. Ideal for active children, Air-Rite technology helps keep sweaty feet at bay by improving airflow within the shoe. Air-Rite allows 10% more heat to escape than traditional methods, keeping your child’s foot cooler and more comfortable without reducing it’s ability to cope with wet weather conditions.
The girls picked their own pairs this year. I love the traditional T-bar style of these shoes, just like the school shoes I had from my own childhood. With an easy fasten Velro Rip Tape, flexible sole, leather lining to absorb moisture and a padded heel for ultimate comfort, I really love the look and feel of these shoes. There is something really special about patent shiny shoes and freshly ironed school uniform and I particularly love the more traditional punch detailing design on Erin’s shoe.
With free delivery on orders over £50 and a no quibble 90 day refund policy, Start-Rite provides the ultimate peace of mind should you accidentally order the wrong size or your circumstances change.
You can check out the full Start-Rite back to school range here
Over the last couple of years, the girls schools have been doing more outdoor activities than ever before. Their outdoor explorer and forest school lessons, coupled with the fact we are trying to do more of the school commutes on foot, means we can never be too prepared for the UK’s unpredictable weather!
If you’re looking for hardy, warm and waterproof jackets that complement the school uniform and still look smart, then you really can’t go wrong with the new 3-in-1 Rambler coat from Frugi.
Appreciating that some schools have strict specifications around coat colours, this coat is a little different to Frugi’s usual bright and bold designs…. until you undo the zip.
Traditional school Indigo blue on the outside, but with the subtle addition of bright and colourful rainbow zips and press stud buttons. Inside the lining is a comfy layer of inner wadding and a removable long-pile rainbow gilet that can be taken in and out as required. This makes a great extra layer for those extra chilly days, or can even worn on it’s own!
To keep the kids dry on the school run and those inevitable 9am and 3pm downpours (thanks British weather!) the Ramble 3-in-1 has a waterproof rating of 3,000HH with a water repellent coating made from post consumer recycled plastic bottles.
The Ramble has certainly been made with comfort in mind – the hood is fully detachable, there are handy zip garages to prevent catching the delicate skin under their neck, and the parka style hem is dipped to ensure bottoms stay warm on dry if they feel the need to sit down!
From a parent’s perspective, it was great to also see the reflective trims for added visibility during those darker winter walks home from school. We also love the ‘pass it on’ label at the back with space for three names; ideal for passing on to sibings or friends when your child has outgrown the coat.
Last but not least and the absolute icing on the cake is the secret “Treasures and Treats” pocket on the inside – if your child is forever picking up conkers and pinecones on the way home – this is the coat for you!
With the weather the way it’s been lately, it’s so hard to predict what coats and jackets to put the kids in for school and preschool. One minutes it’s monsoon rain, the next it’s warm and sunny. Kidly have got the kids covered (quite literally) with these lightweight parkway waterproof jackets from the Kidly label. Available in smaller sizes up to 5-6 years they’re generously sized and designed to be warm over normal winter clothing.
Made from recycled polyester, it’s lightweight and breathable but fully waterproof, with a chin-guarded front zipper, elasticated cuffs and a peaked hood for a comfy fit. Best of all, it packs away in seconds into its own integrated pouch. Sling it in your bag or under the buggy and let the clouds do their worst.
Will your child be walking to school for the first time this Autumn?
Xplora have recently launched the brand new XGO3 smartwatch for kids, a new edition of its predecessor, the XGO2.
Great for parents peace of mind, the XGO3 is the ideal first phone for cildren aged 5-12 now offering an improved camera, longer lasting battery life, improved water resistance and a more sleek and lightweight design. The watch is available in five vibrant colours which includes orange, green, pink, black and blue.
The XGO3 allows kids to use a range of functions whilst remaining safe and secure. Children have the ability to make and receive voice calls from pre-saved numbers only, so they can communicate with friends or family without the risk of receiving any unsolicited calls.
With no social media, the device can also receive and reply to messages including text, emojis, images and voice messages but School Mode can be activated during the day, so only the SOS function works whilst in class. Children will love having fun with the 2MP camera and with 4GB storage, there is plenty of room to store photos.
The Xplora Connect is an affordable monthly subscription of £7.99 and there is no minimum term.
The XGO3 also encourages kids to stay active, with a step-counter and the award-winning Goplay platform where children can play games to earn rewards.
The Xplora XGO3 has an RRP of £139.99 from Amazon.
The best part of a new school term is getting new stationery right (or is that just a stationery addict like me?) Whether your child’s heading to a new term at junior school, senior school, or even higher education, the new Chapter B range by Billie Faiers is both practical and stylish.
From the pack of high-quality ballpoint pens in adorable star and horse designs to the fun Dino pencil and eraser set, you’re sure to find high-quality yet gorgeous stationery to suit everyone’s taste.
With children’s mental health having taken a battering over recent years, we also adore Chapter B’s Daily Journal which encourages children to record something that made them laugh, something they are proud of, something they’re looking forward to and even kind things they will do for others. A great mindful activity to complete each day that’ll be great to look back on in years to come.
The full Chapter B range Is available now at Tesco stores.
Handwriting Help
As Mum to a left-handed child, I know only too well some of the extra challenges that arise for lefties when learning to write legibly and manage simple tasks like cutting paper and sharpening pencils.
Thankfully did you know that Stabilo have an entire range completely dedicated to left handed children?
The Stabilo EASYBundle has everything your child needs in their pencil case for KS1 and comes in three colour sets.
The STABILO EASYstart handwriting bundle – Key Stage 1 includes:
1x STABILO EASYoriginal handwriting rollerball pen – the official pen licence pen with a moulded grip zone and tip that makes it extremely easy to refill with no mess. There’s even a handy space for personalisation so they don’t get lost. The STABILO EASYoriginal is the first ergonomic rollerball specially designed for left or right handers, ensuring your child is happy and comfortable when they write.
1x STABILO EASYgraph graphite handwriting pencil – The EASYgraph is the first ergonomic handwriting pencil with versions for right handers and left handers. It has a triangular shape and moulded grip zones along the whole shaft ensure a relaxed hand posture and correct grip
1x STABILO EASYsharpener – Especially developed for left or right-handers, it’s ergonomic grip ensures a secure hold. A safety screw is included in the sharpener to prevent injury to children
Stabilo Easyergo Retractable Pencil
The STABILO EASYergo 1.4 is recommended by teachers, occupational therapists, special needs experts and approved by the National Handwriting Association.
With a 1.4 mm lead and ergonomic shape which makes writing more comfortable, it is perfect for developing and perfecting handwriting. The sturdy and cushioned tip helps prevent breakage and is self sharpening, so your child will never have a dull pencil in their pencil case again!
You can learn more about the STABILO left handed range at the STABILO shop.
Finally, if you are looking to support some of the kids learning at home, Orchard Toys have a great range of educational, interactive and fun games that the whole family can enjoy together. The learning is so subtly engrained within the game play that the girls hardly even notice they are learning! We are HUGE fans of Orchard Toys in this house and can’t recommend them highly enough.
Here are two of our favourite recent additions to the Orchard Toys range which are ideal for supporting your child’s English and spelling at home.
Slimy Rhymes
This game was a real hit with Neve in particular (nearly 6) and the feather really had everyone laughing out loud!
Starting with a selection of green slime cards, children must take it in turns to chose a purple slime card from those lay face down on the table. If the card rhymes with any of their green cards, they must think of a silly sentence that uses both words. Before they say it out loud however, they spin the spinner to find out what style they need to say it in – from holding their nose, using a squeaky voice of said with their teeth together!
It was hilarious listening to Neve’s (at times quite random!) sentences, and watching her ‘feed’ the slime monster after coming out with her rhyming line.
The winner is the first player to post all their green cards into the slime monsters mouth.
Slimy Rhymes is lots of fun and has some great educational benefits, including reading and identifying words that rhyme, learning how to use them in context, listening to other players share their ideas and discussion and social skills too.
Speed Spelling is a fast-paced literacy and spelling game for children age 5-8 that is designed to make spelling practice fun in a way that your child will completely forget they are learning!
Picking up letters from the board in front of them, players race to spell their complete word before the timer runs out. If they don’t make it in time, the word is passed to the next player to finish it off! The fast paced and pressurised nature of this game adds some anticipation and excitement as the other players attempt to ‘steal’ the words when the timer runs out. It can however be played without the timer if you want to involve younger players who may want to practise spelling without the pressure.
Speed Spelling can be used to develop letter recognition skills and discussion. You can check out all the other new release games at Orchard Toys.
Last month we were lucky enough to head to the Yoto Play date in London, celebrating the launch of the brand new 3rd generation Yoto Player. In addition to announcing the exciting new features of the 3rd generation player, the team at Yoto also announced lots of exciting new releases – from accessories such as the wireless Yoto headphones, to a huge range of brand new content expected to land in 2023.
New Yoto Cards for Summer 2023
Whilst it’s just the tip of the iceberg, the first haul of brand NEW Yoto cards have hit the Yoto stores over the last few weeks – and we were super excited to put them through their paces. With new Yoto cards featuring a mix of music, short stories, activities and chapter books, much loved authors and Yoto originals. there is plenty to offer Yoto fans of all ages (including us grown ups)
Here are just a few of the new release Yoto cards for 2023 – one of which is a Yoto Club card too!
1. Paw Patrol Pup Pack
Key specs: No of cards: Six | Age recommendation: 2-6 years | Overall running time: 3 hours | RRP: £29.99
The lowdown
Contains the real cast voices – so the familiar characters they know and love
The famous theme song is included
Interactive PAWsome Pup Quiz about the character at the end of each card (similar to the Thomas cards)
Each card includes an introduction to the character, two adventure stories where that pup is the hero
What to know
There are six cards in the pack – one for each of the main pup characters including Marshall, Rubble, Zuma, Chase Skye and Rocky but some children may be disappointed to see that Everest isn’t included in the group.
Key specs: No of cards: One | Age recommendation: 9-11 years | Overall running time: 6 hours and 25 minutes | RRP: £12.99
The lowdown:
Another fantastic title from Tom Fletcher (joining his existing titles in the Yoto Library such as The Christmasuarus, The Creakers and The Danger Gang.
Read (and performed) by Nico Mirallegro and Tom Fletcher
The theme is about celebrating differences. believing in yourself and the power of friendship.
Includes musical performances and songs by McFly
Humourous style whilst including important messages about diversity and teamwork
What’s the storyline?
George, Neila and Bash are three children in a band – but without sounding rude – they’re pretty awful. Neila has stage fright, Bash is too obsessed with space and aliens and Goerge puts himself under constant pressure to be brilliant. Determined to enter the Battle of the Bands competition at school, they start to play only to find themselves whisked into space. Suddenly. they’re competing against alien bands from across the galaxy – can the worst band on Earth become the best band in the universe and find their way home?
What to know
Your child will forever be attempting to find a word that rhymes with the word sausage. (If you know, you know)
Don’t be surprised if this becomes a musical in the not-too-distant future – the songs are so catchy and you’ll find yourself singing them in the shower.
We wish there was a track list at the end so you could play the songs you could jump straight to the tracks (songs) and play them independently from the story
Due to the high-energy ‘rock band’ vibe .- you may want to avoid this at bedtime if your child has younger siblings as bouncing on the bed may incur.
Key specs: No of cards: One (containing six short stories) | Age recommendation: 3-5 years | Overall running time: 45 minutes | RRP: £7.99
The Lowdown
Includes The Lion Inside, The Koala Who Could, The Squirrels Who Squabbled, The Way Home for Wolf, The Whale Who Wanted More and The Gecko and the Echo.
Each story is approximately 6-8 minutes long, making a convenient bedtime story for younger listeners.
Beautiful rhyming stories read with the dulcet tones of Bill Nighy – with changing voices for characters, fun sound effects and music to accompany and help set the scene.
What to know
Children will love the super cute icons on this card including a lion, koala, squirrel, wolf, whale and our daughter’s favourite, the cute little green gecko.
All stories end with a moral and some important messages about self-acceptance, bravery, friendship and gratitude
If your children enjoy Julia Donaldson’s Yoto cards such as The Gruffalo and Snail & The Whale. these are a great choice to try next.
Key specs: No of cards: One (with six short stories) | Age recommendation: 0-5 years| Overall running time: 35 minutes | RRP: £7.99
The Lowdown
This card contains six short stories that again are ideal for bedtime – Billy and the Beast, Billy and the Dragon, Billy and the Pirates as well as laugh out loud titles The Bumblebear and The Cow Who Fell to Earth
Each story lasts between 6 and 9 minutes in duration.
Fun music, sound effects and laugh-out-loud moments that are sure to make your child laugh
What to know
Your child may already be familar with The Bumblebear – my daughter received this title in a Books Trust pack via school and our local library. It’s a firm favourite, so we were excited to see the story land at Yoto.
Nadia Shireen is also author of one of our daughter’s favourite books of all time – Barbara throws a Wobbler – which is a great story to help children manage their emotions. She also wrote the Grimwood series (ideal for children aged 6-8) – would love to see those join the Yoto library at a later date!
Some of the character voices in the first two chapters (Beast and Dragon) may be a bit scary for very young children so you may want to start with The Bumblebear and The Cow Who Fell to Earth – which are more funny than spooky. The first two stories may be better suited to day time listening in case of active imaginations!
Key specs: No of cards: One (with 3 short stories) | Age recommendation: 3 – 5 years | Overall running time: 20 minutes | RRP: £5.99
The Lowdown
Meet science mad and young protagonist Rocket. who wants to be an astronaut, look after her planet and take action to protect things that are important to the local community. Rocket proves that you’re never too young to have a voice – and are a great way to introduce children to the importance of showing up and speaking out.
This Yoto card features three short stories – 6-7 minutes long that can be enjoyed stand-alone or all together. Look Up! (all about space), Clean Up (all about plastic pollution) and Speak Up! (all about peaceful protest)
Each book has a number of ‘did you know’ style facts that are both educational and topical.
What to know
Sprinkled with facts about space and meteorites, our planet and our environment.
A great way to introduce children to STEM subjects through books and audio, with some great links to diverse female role models who have less traditionally been featured in children’s books. More of the same please!
Serve as a great reminder to get off tech and enjoy the fascinating features of the world around us!
Whilst the recommended age is 3-5 years, I feel these books could be suitable for 3-8 years due to some of the empowering facts and features.
Key specs: No of cards: Four | Age recommendation: 0-7 years | Overall running time: 2 hours 25 minutes | RRP: £24.99
The Lowdown
Super Simple started in classrooms in 2005 as a fun way for teachers and parents to make learning for preschoolers fun through high energy song and dance.
Recognisable music that while aimed at preschoolers can appeal to children of all ages by introducing phonics, rhyme and vocabulary.
There are 14-15 tracks on each card – making them fun for car journeys too!
What to know
There is some repatition in terms of Yoto Icons on these cards (or at least icons that are very similar to other songs) such as the sun and waves. With certain themes this is understandable – younger children may not notice but my six-year-old was quite frustrated by this!
Parents may slowly want to tear their hair out with some of these songs which will be stuck in your head forever – Baby Shark anyone? But it’s a small sacrifice to see your children happy smiling and jigging away! Think Rhythm Time and you’re certainly on the right lines!
Key specs: No of cards: One | Age recommendation: 0-14 years| Overall running time: 59 minutes | RRP: £9.99
The Lowdown
A selection of 18 beautiful piano tracks that encourage mindfulness, calm breathing and relaxation. The sound of the wooden keys, especially for those who are familiar with piano can really zone you out and help clear your mind from worries and distractions.
Ideal for those moments where your child needs to slow down and switch off before bed.
What to know
If you struggle to focus when working from home as an adult – this card, along with the Focus Collection, make great background music to stop your mind from wandering. For children, these would be ideal for some calm playtime before bed, reading with in the background or even revising for exams.
Key specs: No of cards: 6 cards | Age recommendation: 0-14 years| Overall running time: 59 minutes | RRP: £9.99
The Lowdown
A brand new collection of Yoto originals, these audio cards have been specially designed to encourage children to embrace daily movement and exercise – whether that’s inside or outside the home.
There are six cards in the collection including Let’s Move At the Beach, Let’s Move in the Mountains, Let’s Move in the Forest, Let’s Move in the Countryside, and Let’s Move at the Carnival. Let’s Move in the City.
Featuring familiar characters from other Yoto original cards including Kangaroo, Giraffe and Polar Bear, children will love dancing, hopping, stretching and jogging as they use their imagination to reach new worlds.
What to know
If you prefer, you can skip straight to the exercises by jumping to the last track, however we love the way exercise is introduced in a natural way within the story.
This is just a small selection of the NEW Yoto Cards – with LOADS more exciting titles expected in 2023. If you’re looking for Yoto Cards for a particular age group, check out our other post on the Best Yoto Cards for all ages.
Hi, I’m Lucy, a thirty something mum of two from Birmingham. A memory maker, tradition keeper, stationery addict and Mr Men fanatic. HR Advisor by day and sleep deprived Mama by night!
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