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It’s no secret that we’re HUGE fans of Yoto in this house. We’ve been an avid Yoto family for a couple of years now and with a combination of the Yoto Player and the Yoto Mini, Yoto has made a huge impact on our daily lives. Whether we’re listening to Yoto stories and sleep sounds as part of the girl’s bedtime routine, using the Yoto Mini as a friendly companion during travel or enjoying Yoto Daily – a daily podcast whilst eating their breakfast, we absolutely love exploring the new range of Yoto cards that are released regularly on the Yoto Store. As admin to the Yoto Fans UK Facebook group, one of the questions I hear all the time is, ‘Is my child too young for a Yoto Player?” so I thought I’d share this post to provide a little peace of mind.
Is a Yoto Player suitable for babies and toddlers?
Officially the Yoto Player is aimed at children aged three and above however there are lots of Yoto cards and content that make the Yoto a fun, engaging, educational and calming activity for babies and toddlers when used with parental supervision.
One of the biggest challenges you may have with younger children is that they may enjoy the action of physically adding and removing the card from the Yoto player. Whilst the Yoto players themselves are fairly robust (especially when used with an Adventure Jacket) the card content will stop and start every time the card is removed, which could get a little annoying after a while!
With babies and toddlers, you may find it easier to control the Yoto player or Yoto Mini directly from your mobile phone and introduce the element of choice and self-direction by providing physical cards to your child at a later date. Every child and family is different, however – so do what works best for you.
Summary of the Best Yoto Cards for Toddlers
Full details of the best Yoto cards (with information about each card), along with details of free Yoto features that are ideal for babies, toddlers and preschoolers can be found further down the page, but if you’re in a hurry – here’s our pick of the best Yoto cards for toddlers.
Best musical Yoto card for toddlers: Casper Babypants
Best educational Yoto card for toddlers: LEGO Duplo All Aboard the Number Train
Best sleep Yoto card for toddlers: Friends Forever with Moshi
Best bedtime story Yoto card for toddlers: 10 minutes to Bed collection
Best interactive Yoto card for toddlers: Who’s inside your audiobook?
Best character yoto card for toddlers: Peppa and Friends: A friendship story
Best Yoto card for preschoolers: Percy the Park Keeper Collection
First up, Yoto has lots of free features and content that is perfect for toddlers. Here are just a small selection:
Sleep Sounds – Does your child struggle to switch off at bedtime? Do they sleep better with reassuring white noise or background sounds to soothe them off to sleep? Yoto has a built in sleep sounds function, which can be accessed via the Discover and Sleep Sounds menu on the Yoto app. Here you can choose from a selection of sounds including white noise, a fan, vacuum cleaner or nature sounds such as thunder rain, gentle waves or grassy fields. These sleep sounds are completely free to access and can be played remotely from another room as long as the Yoto player is switched on.
Sleep Radio – Yoto also have a sleep radio station that is free to access (as long as you are connected to your wifi). This Yoto run radio station is curated specifically to create a calm and soothing bedtime routine – with a combination of lullabies, classic music and sleep sounds. You can stream this on wifi or link to a Make Your Own (MYO) Yoto card should you wish.
Toothbrush Timers – Is your toddler learning to brush their own teeth? The fun Toothbrush Timer makes brushing their teeth fun – with two minutes of engaging audio to listen to as they scrub, brush and rinse. The Yoto toothbrush timer is free to access via the Discover section of the Yoto app.
Soundscapes Lab – If your child loves imaginative play, they’ll love the Yoto Soundscapes selection. From the steam train to pirate ship, and our personal favourite, the enchanted forest, these free-to-access soundscapes make the perfect accompaniment to play, with magical sounds, music and sound effects to set the scene. Again, you’ve guessed it, it’s in the Discover section of the app and is completely free to access.
Ok to wake clock – If you’re using the Yoto Player, the nightlight can also make a great addition to your toddler’s bedtime routine, with a choice of seven comforting glows that can provide a reassuring light in your child’s bedroom at night. Using the settings on the Yoto app, you can also set a preferred wake and sleep time, with the symbol changing from a sun to a moon alongside the digital clock as a visual reminder. The sleep and moon can help toddlers learn the difference between night and day, and encourage them to get back in bed if they wake up whilst the moon is still on the display.
Yoto podcasts – Toddlers will LOVE the Yoto Daily podcast – a free podcast with Yoto Legend Jake – with fun games, activities and news with different themes each morning. Each month, Yoto share the Yoto daily schedule so you can see what is coming up – from Fri-yay Jokes to Toungue Twisters, games, facts and draw along,
Make your own Yoto Cards
For babies and toddlers, the Yoto Player opens up a whole host of options with Yoto Make Your Own (MYO) Cards. These blank Yoto cards allow you to record your own content using MP3 files, whether that’s a spoken recording of you reading your child’s favourite stories aloud, messages from friends and family, or downloaded audio books from sources such as Borrowbox and Amazon. You can learn more about how to create MYO cards in our MYO step by step guide here.
Some of my favourite MYO ideas include:
Create a playlist of your child’s favourite music (MP3 format)
Read aloud their favourite bedtime story – they will love hearing your voice
Record birthday messages from friends and family who live a little further afield.
Make fun quizzes or content around their favourite topic e.g. dinosaurs, mermaids
You get one blank MYO card with your Yoto Player (the welcome card can be used as a make your own card) or you can buy packs of MYO cards at the Yoto store.
Best for bedtime: Ten Minutes to Bed Audio Collection
Yoto Says: Countdown to a peaceful slumber with these adorable tales written especially for bedtime. 10…9…only 8 minutes to go.
My girls absolutely loved these books by Rhiannon Fielding that are perfect to get your children ready for a calm and peaceful night’s sleep.
With a choice of monster, mermaid, dinosaur or unicorn, these imaginative stories start lively and count down slowly to the point they get into bed and drift off to sleep – the perfect length to listen to as part of your toddler’s bedtime routine.
RRP £7.99| Running time: 11 minutes | Read by: Corronation street actress Suranne Jones
Best musical Yoto card for toddlers: Casper Babypants
Yoto Says: Caspar is back so get your dancing shoes ready. Songs to make you bop, move and groove from the most fun singer around.
A fun selection of songs that are sure to get your toddler up on their feet and bopping along. With 20 tracks with a Beetles-esque vibe, songs include Rockin’ Robin, Silly Bird and Baby’s Driving a Car. If they enjoy this card, they may also like Easy Breezy which has a similar vibe!
Best educational Yoto card for toddlers: LEGO Duplo All Aboard the Number Train
Yoto Says: An exciting play-along story. Jump aboard the Number Train with Mia, Zack and Paws to go on a magical journey from one to ten.
Thanks to the Yoto icons on your Yoto Player’s screen, this card can help your toddler learn to visually recognise the numbers 1-10 and count as they listen with siblings Zack and Mia. One of a fun range of LEGO Duplo learning cards which are also sold as a card collection pack.
Best sleep Yoto card for toddlers: Friends Forever with Moshi
Yoto Says: Explore a world where Moshlings live, work, play and dream and support the emotional wellbeing of the next generation.
Moshi is a mindfulness app for kids that is renowned for its ability to calm, soothe and settle children before bed, slowing their breathing and encouraging them to shift their mind into a relaxed and meditative state before heading to the land of nod. We are HUGE fans of the Moshi Yoto cards (our full review is here) but this one in particular comes with positive messages around friendship, kindness and compassion.
Best interactive Yoto card for toddlers: Who’s inside your audiobook?
Yoto Says: Join an exciting audio adventure to help free Monster, Dragon, Alien, Elf, Witch and Superhero!
If you’ve ever read any of the Who’s Inside Your Book series by Tom Fletcher, you’ll know you’re in for a treat. This Yoto card is no exception, whether it’s a monster. a witch or a superhero, this fun interactive card encourages children to perform physical actions and sounds in order to help the character escape from the audiobook.
Best character yoto card for toddlers: Peppa and Friends: A friendship story
Yoto Says: Learn how to express your thoughts and feelings with Peppa and her friends.
Toddlers can sometimes have a hard time with their emotions – whether it’s learning to share, coping with tiredness or adapting to change, these big feelings can feel alien and result in toddler tantrums and meltdowns. With the help of Peppa and Friends, this short story introduces big feelings in the form of a familiar Peppa pig episode.
Best Yoto card for preschoolers: Percy The Park Keeper Collection
Yoto Says: Percy and his animal friends have delighted readers for over 30 years! Here are seven of their fantastic adventures.
Percy the Park Keeper is a huge hit with preschoolers – sharing delightful stories about a park ranger called Percy who looks after the park and makes friends with all of the animals. With tales including The Secret Path, After the Storm and The Treasure Hunt, these short stories are full of friendship, adventure and fun.
RRP £7.99| Running time: 51 minutes | Read by: Bridget Jones actor Jim Broadbent
Looking to gift some Yoto card collections this Christmas? Why not combine with the matching book collection to create the perfect gift for curious minds?
One of the biggest concerns I hear from parents considering buying a Yoto player is “Will take away the joy of actual reading?” A book before bed is often a huge part of children’s bedtime routine – a chance to sit down tighter, snuggle up and have some relaxing bonding time before they drift off to the land of nod. We also know that reading for pleasure is a huge part of the national curriculum and that reading a wide range of titles from different authors is key to building a good understanding of vocabulary as they grow up.
Using an audio player such as the Yoto doesn’t need to replace this, but can actually enhance your existing experience with books.
Yoto cards don’t have to be enjoyed alone. Whether it’s opting for Yoto Cards with ‘read along’ tracks at the end such as the Julia Donaldson Collection or choosing full card collections offering unabridged versions of the books, you can easily combine the physical books with the audio cards to offer the combined benefits of reading and audio.
As well as being huge fans of Yoto, we love buying our physical books at affordable prices from Books2Door, an online book retailer that offers substantial discounts from RRP. They’re currently got an extra 10% off their top picks for Black Friday too!
We’ve researched the best book collections that you can buy in both physical and audio form this Christmas to introduce some new titles to your child’s collection.
Best Yoto book collections for younger children
Julia Donaldson The Zog and Friends Collection
Julia Donaldson’s books are a childhood rite of passage, with adorable characters, fun rhyming stories and imaginative adventures. The Zog and Friends Collection includes six of my daughter’s absolute favourites, with the option to listen to the story alone or use the read-along track, encouraging children to read the words on the physical book and turn the page when they hear the music. This is a great way to help younger readers recognise words by sight – the more words they see, the faster they can become fluent readers.
Claude Rather Smashing Collection by Alex. T. Smith
Fun chapter books for early readers (or for slightly longer stories to enjoy with parents before bed), you simply can’t beat good old’ Claude – a series of laugh-out-loud adventures by Alex. T. Smith. Claude is no ordinary dog. He and his faithful friend Mr Bobblysock have a tendency to find themselves in the right place at the right time, becoming an unexpected hero and saving the day, wherever his travels may take him.
We love the idea of snuggling down with the book and listening along with the Yoto stories. There are five books in the Yoto card collection, while there are nine books in the book collection.
Of all the cards in our Yoto card library, the Magic Faraway Collection – specifically The Enchanted Wood and The Folk of the Faraway Tree, are Neve’s absolute favourites. If you were lucky enough to read this book as a child yourself, you’ll also love sharing the adventures of Joe, Beth and Frannie as they discover a magical tree in the woods round the corner from their new home.
Full of excitement, adventure and some amazing characters such as Moonface and silky that your children will never forget, this Yoto Collection is an absolute must. Combine with the physical books, and you’ve got some spellbinding tales that your children will want to enjoy over and over again. (Not only is the book collection 50% off RRP at Books2Door, there’s also an extra title too – Up the Faraway Tree!)
Another series my girls have both grown up loving is The Rainbow Fairies – there are so many books to choose from in this book collection – all with a sprinkle of magic, adventure and friendship – they’ll love trying to spot a fairy with their own name or the name of their friends. Yoto has a collection of 7 Rainbow Fairies cards from the Magical Party Collection. If your children enjoy the stories, the physical book collection includes another 14 exciting tales to explore, with some more specific vocabulary to improve their phonics and blending abilities.
Another fun series by presenter turned author Dermot O’Leary, Toto is no ordinary cat. Heading on exciting nocturnal adventures, Toto and his brother Silver become unexpected heroes – with some subtle messages around friendship, inclusivity and not giving up even when life gets hard.
A great collection for early readers who are progressing to chapter books, there are four cards and four books to enjoy in this combination, with 39% off the RRP at Book2Door.
Not only is this one of Yoto’s best-selling Yoto card collections, but you can also get a HUGE saving off the book collection RRPat Books2Door, with 75% off the recommended retail price. Written by iconic children’s author Jill Murphy (who also wrote our favourite picture book Peace at Last) these delightful stories tell the laugh out adventures of accident prone Mildred Hubble as she starts her journey through Miss Cackle’s Academy for Witches.
Don’t let younger children be put off by the idea of a witch, these stories are absolutely delightful, with spellbinding adventures to enjoy.
We are HUGE fans of Tom Fletcher in this house, with his magical Christmas tales making the perfect books to listen to or read during advent or the run up to Christmas. While it doesn’t include the very latest title Christmasaurus Carol (as this was only released last month), this Yoto card and book collection features the first stories about young boy William Trundle and his unexpected adventures with his festive dinosaur friend, the Christmasaurus.
While there may be some ongoing debate about which book is the first in the series (spoiler alert – it’s surprisingly not The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), no childhood is complete without this much loved series by C. S Lewis. MeePeter, Susan, Edmund and my namesake Lucy as they meet the white witch and Aslan the lion.
The Narnia Collection is a recent addition to the Yoto library, or you can save a ginormous 77% on the RRP of the complimenting book set at Books2Door.
Last but by no means least, Matilda the Musical has seen a huge revival of interest in the classic tales by beloved author Roald Dahl. From the miniature bookworm Matilda to the revolting Twits and James’ Adventures with a giant peach, there are a number of Yoto Card bundles and Book Collections for independent readers to enjoy. Whether they opt for the physical book, listen as they read, or switch between a combination of the two, combining these sets makes a great gift for adventure readers. In the words of Roald Dahl himself, books can transport you into whole new worlds…..
Check out the full range at the Yoto Store now, and explore the huge range of book collections with humongous discounts off RRP at Books2Door. Don’t forget, if there aren’t the physical Yoto cards to match yet, you could read the story aloud and record on a Make Your Own card too, offering a unique way to enjoy the books together as part of your child’s bedtime routine.
Looking for some fun festive audio content on the countdown to Christmas? It’s never too soon to get into the winter spirit! Thanks to the wide range of Christmas Yoto Cards suitable for children of all ages, you can bring on those festive feels as part of your child’s daily bedtime routine.
Festive Fun at Yoto
It’s no secret that I blimmin’ well love Christmas. As well as the cosy winter clothes, warm hot chocolate, family gatherings, turkey dinners, never ending board games and enotional festive films, my girls and I love nothing more than snuggling down with a festive story in our matching family PJs before bed. A time packed full of magic and imagination, listening to Christmas-themed audio – whether that’s songs, stories or a combination of the two, can really help bring on excitement and anticipation, while serving as an important reminder about the importance of family and giving to others at Christmas.
We’re massive fans of our Yoto audio player having owned both the Yoto Player (3rd generation) and Yoto Mini for some time, amassing quite a collection of Yoto cards for all ages. If you’re new to Yoto, you’ll find our detailed Yoto reviews at the bottom of the page – packed with hints and tips and guidance to help you make the most of your Yoto. You can also benefit from our 5% discount when purchasing a Yoto Player or Yoto Mini using the code AFF-REALMUM5 at checkout.
Looking for a Yoto Player Discount?
Get 5% off a Yoto Player or Yoto Mini using our exclusive code.
Simply add to your basket and enter the code AFF-REALMUM5 at checkout to secure your Yoto Discount.
The Yoto store has a fairly extensive selection of Christmas themed Yoto cards – so many in fact that it can be hard to know where to start! Ideally sized for cute stocking fillers, advent treats or to wrap up underneath the tree, here’s our tried and tested pick of the best Christmas Yoto cards that you can get your hands on today. Whether you’re after Christmas Yoto cards for babies and toddlers, Yoto cards to listen to during advent, or even Yoto Christmas cards for older children, read on to learn more about our top picks!
This selection of Disney-themed short stories (each around 5 minutes in duration) is ideal for a little festive burst for your little one before bed. Each story is packed full of festive cheer and familiar characters such as Mickey, Ariel and Winnie the Pooh, making a comforting and magical way to end a fun filled day.
If your little one is Peppa-obsessed, they’ll love this selection of winter-themed stories, with ten stories from the show including George’s Woolly Hat, Santa’s Grotto and the infamous Mr Potato’s Christmas Show.
No Christmas story is complete without the tale of Rudolph – the loveable reindeer who saved Christmas, leading the sleigh with a glowing red nose. A short Christmas Yoto card ideal for bedtime, this card also introduces the Reindeer Games and teaches kids about the other reindeer too.
Every year, another of Julia Donaldson’s classic stories is released as a Christmas animation and this year is no different. 2023 sees the release of the TV rendition of Tabby McTat (one of our personal favourites) a busker Cat who gets separated from his friend Fred.
Featuring a read-along version, song and even a listening game – this card is sure to be a popular choice this Christmas!
For Fans of PAW Patrol pups, these Christmas-themed adventures are packed full of festive fun and excitement. While some younger kids may miss the original voices, these stories include the pups and special guests such as Mayor Humdinger and of course, the star of the show Santa himself!
A story that needs no introduction – This card is just magical for Christmas. While the original TV animation doesn’t feature any speech, this Christmas Yoto card is beautifully narrated by actor Bernard Cribbins, combining voice with original scores and sound effects from Howard Blake. It also includes two goose-bump-generating renditions of Walking in the Air – absolutely beautiful.
If your child enjoys the Magic Faraway Collection, they’ll love this collection of classic winter stories by author Enid Blyton. From snow filled adventures to fairies, robins and magic fir trees, there’s even a story specifically about welcoming in the New year. The ideal length for a bedtime story too!
Another collection of 29 stories by Enid Blyton – this time with a festive theme! Full of magic, laughter and of course a sprinkle of mischief, children will love the Fairies Christmas Party and Mr Widdles Christmas Stocking which are sure to raise some smiles!
Running time: 2 hours and 4 minutes | Recommended age: 5- 8 years | RRP: £9.99
Who remembers reading The Snow Queen when they were young? Along with four other classic tales from Hans Christian Anderson, this tale is of Little Kay who is enticed away from his home by an evil queen. More magical and suspenseful than festive, but with a snow-filled setting it’s perfect for snuggling down with.
If your children are yet to dip their toes into Tom Fletcher’s books, you really don’t know what they’re missing! You should start with the first book in the series – The Christmasaurus – where William Trundle first discovers a magical dinosaur egg and learns that the impossible may indeed be possible!
In this second title from the series, William and The Christmasaurus must work with the North Pole’s Winter Witch to save Christmas. It’s full of Tom’s high-energy music that we know and love too!
The third title in the Chritmasaurus Collection, this time, William and the Christmasaurus set themselves a mission – to find every child on the naughty list and encourage them to right their wrongs! A great reminder of the true meaning of Christmas and how you shouldn’t always judge a book by its cover!
Beautiful festive music to create a calming Christmas vibe in your home – great for background music during role plays and crafts. Titles include lyric-free Joy to the World, Holly and the Ivy and I’ll Be Home for Christmas.
If you want your Christmas gatherings to be a little more high-energy, children will love this 30-minute-long Yoto Christmas Party – filled with upbeat pop versions of their Christmas favourites that will get everyone up and dancing!
Want a fun way to count down the days until Christmas? This Yoto card features 24 festive themed stories (between 3 and 5 minutes in duration) that are the perfect way to mark the turn of the calendar and move a day closer to the big event!
A Yoto original narrated by none other than Yoto Daily’s Jake, this fun card is filled with Christmas songs, games, facts and activities to entertain the kids and bring lots of laughs on the run up to Christmas.
Running time: 4 hours and 40 minutes| Recommended age: All | RRP: £24.99
If you want to get the best value for money, this pack of five festive cards is a great place to start when building your Yoto Christmas library. The collection includes the Yoto Christmas Party and The Snowman mentioned above, as well as Christmas-themed stories Revvin’ up the Reindeer, A Family Christmas and Judith Kerr’s Mog’s Christmas.
Running time: 18 hours and 53 minutes| Recommended age: 7-11 years | RRP: £19.99
Buy all three Christmasaurus cards in one affordable pack – but be aware – a new title Christmasaurus Carol is landing this October! (and you may want to get that one too!)
We’re expecting loads of new cards to land in the Yoto store over the next few months – so we will update this post once we’ve been able to check them out! Look out for new Christmas titles including the Christmasaurus Carol – we cannot wait for that one!
We hope this post has made you excited about Christmas and the wealth of Yoto Christmas cards you can enjoy with your family. Roll on December! 🙂
This Yoto Halloween cards post contains affiliate links
Are you looking for some spooky but not scary Yoto cards to add to your Yoto library his Halloween? We’re huge fans of our Yoto Player and have amassed quite a collection of Yoto Cards over the last year. Here are our tried and tested recommendations on the best Yoto Cards you can enjoy with your kids this October.
Whether you’re looking for Halloween Yoto cards for a toddler or preschooler, Yoto Halloween Cards for a 5-year-old, or even Halloween Yoto cards for an older child. here’s our pick of the best.
Best Yoto Cards for Halloween
Picking Halloween books and Halloween Yoto cards for Halloween can be tricky. With the Yoto Player being such an important part of many children’s bedtime routine, it’s important to choose a Yoto card that is age-appropriate and will embrace the magic of Halloween without causing them any worry, anxiety or sleepless nights.
If you have a younger child, you may be better to opt for songs, stories about friendly monsters or cute rhyming tales. For older children Yoto cards filled with spooky stories filled with mystery and suspense are likely to be really engaging.
While the concept of being scared is relatively subjective and will vary from one child to the next, our helpful Yoto Card SCARE FACTOR should give you a good idea of things to watch out for, including any potentially triggering parts in the story or the Yoto Icons used.
With that in mind, here are the best Halloween Yoto Cards for children of all ages.
Best Halloween Yoto Cards for Babies and Toddlers
1. The Gruffalo
The rhyming tales of Julia Donaldson are a huge hit with toddlers and preschoolers and with good reason. The Gruffalo tells the story of a smart little mouse who outwits his enemies by describing a monster – only to discover that this beast is actually real (and surprisingly very friendly!)
“A gruffalo! Why, didn’t you know? He has terrible tusks and terrible claws, And terrible teeth in his terrible jaws.
Scare factor: 2/5 – Best suited to daytime Yoto sessions. Some young children may find the descriptions of the Gruafflo scary, although they’ll soon learn the Gruffalo is nothing to be afraid of. You may want to avoid listening to it at bedtime in case of any overactive imaginations.
Another extremely popular Julia Donaldson title, this Yoto card is great to listen to or read along with the physical book thanks to the Yoto read-along track. A witch is happily flying over the forest when she starts to lose her possessions. Thankfully a friendly dog, bird and frog come to her aid, until the extra weight on her broom causes it to snap, sending the witch straight into a dragon’s lair. Can her new friends help rescue her before it’s too late?
Scare factor: 2/5 – Best suited to daytime Yoto sessions. Some very young children may find the descriptions of the dragon at the end a little scary or find the Yoto pixel icon of the witch a bit scary in the dark. You may want to avoid listening to it at bedtime in case of any overactive imaginations.
Childhood favourite’s Meg and Mog head on some magical adventures with all their friends in this brand new Yoto card full of thirteen beloved stories. Narrated by award-winning actress Samantha Bond with fun sound effects and music. Thanks to Meg’s unpredictable spells, life is never boring for this duo!
Scare factor 2/5 – Whilst this audio includes dinosaurs, mummies and spells (and their ingredients) it’s more adventurous and amusing than scary. Whilst this audio includes dinosaurs, mummies and spells (and their ingredients) it’s more adventurous and amusing than scary.
Made specifically for bedtime, children will love snuggling up with their favourite Disney characters including Mickey and Winnie the Pooh – from haunted Halloween to Tricky Treats.
Scare factor: 2/5 – Whilst the stories have Halloween themes, the familiar char characters and non threatening storylines storylines are generally non scary – even for younger children.
Tom Fletcher’s titles are an extremely popular choice in the Yoto Card library. This title is a collection of the popular picture books where your child gets really involved in a fun and interactive way. From There’s a Monster Inside your book to a Dragon, Alien, Elf, Witch and Superhero, can your child perform the actions and play along to free the character from the audiobook? We LOVE the sound effects in this Yoto Card.
Scare factor: 1/5 – More silly than scary. High energy, interactive and a great way to spark little ones’ imaginations. If your child is particularly sensitive, you may want to avoid the alien and dragon stories, where the Yoto icon could potentially be a bit spooky at nighttime.
Launched in the Yoto store in September 2023, this Yoto original is sure to get kids in the Halloween party spirit. Whilst the Yoto icons do include a monster, ghost and skeleton, these ten original tracks are high energy, lots of fun and are sure to have you tapping or dancing along. We think this card would be a huge hit with 4 year olds, but also kids of all ages too. Some real High School Musical vibes here.
Scare factor: 1/5 – Your child is likely to be too busy dancing around their bedroom to be scared with these high energy and fun tracks. Think ‘Monster party’ and great soundtrack to your Halloween gathering but with more treats rather than tricks 🙂 There are only two songs we think have slight potential to be a little spooky for younger listeners – Mr Skeleton and the Haunted House.
This selection of short stories from Ladybird is a great way to get into the Halloween party spirit – each story lasts around ten minutes and has everything from pumpkins to skeletons/
Scare factor: 2/5 – These stories are generally suspenseful and spooky rather than scary however some of the Yoto icons may look a bit scary on the Yoto player in the dark (including the spider)
If your kids are big fans of Nickelodeon’s PAW Patrol, they’ll love these Halloween-themed adventures. They’ll join Chase, Rubble, Zuma, Skye, Rocky, Marshall and Ryder on five spooky stories including Pups Save the Werepuppy, Howl for Halloween Pups, Save the Trick or Treaters, Pups Save a Ghost, Pups and the Ghost Cabin. Each story lasts around 10-15 minutes each. We wish this card had character voices, but it introduces fun seasonal elements including trick or treating and Jack O Lanterns.
Scare factor: 2/5 – Obviously this series is aimed at young childrenbut this card doesfeature some spooky sound effects and music. Overactive imaginations could be triggered by the mention of ghosts but I personally think these would be absolutely fine during the day. The Yoto icons aren’t scary.
Tricks and Treats is a collection of short stories with a Halloween theme and in true Enid Blyton whimsical style, involves children going on adventures, solving mysteries, and encountering magic along the way. If your child’s a fan of The Magic Faraway Tree collection, this is likely to be a hit. There are 30 short stories on this card, and the vast majority are magical and entertaining rather than spooky, featuring elves, imps, goblins and fairies.
Scare factor: 2/5 – These stories are more about the fun and excitement of the holiday rather than inducing fear, but do include some magical and supernatural elements.
Many parents will have grown up with Funnybones as a child and will remember the opening line “On a dark dark hill there was a dark dark town. In the dark darktown there was a dark dark street“
This collection of eight short stories (lasting betweeen 4 and 7 minutes) are comical adventures of a Daddy Skelton, his son and a very clumsy dog.
skeleton-themedScare factor: 2/5 – Lighthearted stories that tend to involve humour and pranks rather than scary tales. The opening song may be a bit scary for young children who are scared of the dark. Some icons are, not surprisingly, skeleton themed
A new Yoto original for September 2023, this card takes children on adventures with Ace and Erin who discover a mummy in the basement, babysit a were-puppy with Jonathan and outrun a goo monster with Jack and Ben. Weirdly – they’re not actually five minutes (more like 8!) but have fun sounds and music to bring the story to life.
The “Worst Witch” series follows the adventures of a young witch named Mildred Hubble as she attends Miss Cackle’s Academy for Witches. Mildred is well-meaning but often clumsy and always gets herself into magical mishaps. The stories emphasize friendship, learning, and the challenges of growing up
Another collection of 30 short stories from Enid Blyton, with witches, pixies, wizards and gnomes galore. With each story being 10-15 minutes long, this card can be enjoyed as single stand alone stories, or as a collection for older children with longer attention spans.
Scare factor: 2/5 – As per Enid Blyton’s other collection above, this book is more magical and mysterious than scary. Most icons are friendly and warm.
This Disney Pixar Classic features Scarers Sulley and Mike, who work at Monsters Inc, collecting screams from children in order to power their town. When a human accidentally makes their way through a door, the duo will stop at nothing to try and return her home, but will rival monster Randall get in their way?
Scare factor:3/5 – Generally this is an entertaining and heartwarming story, of friendship, adventure and fun, however some children may find the suspense and scenes involving Randall a little scary in audio form. A story about monsters coming into your room at night may bebetter suited to daytime listening.
Franky can’t wait to move to his new town – although he wishes he didn’t have to leave his best friend Dani behind. Then the storm comes, with strange green lightning and powerful thunder. From that night on, the kids who live on Franky’s street start to change. One by one, they become a little odd. A little unusual. A little… magical.
Scare factor: 3/5 – Tom Fletcher has an engaging and humorous writing style so I’d describe this card as thrilling and exciting rather than scary. The story does include elements of suspense, action, and mystery, but should be fine for the target age group.
Kids absolutely love playing Minecraft but now they can listen to this immersive world too thanks to the first-ever Minecraft novel that is a recent addition to the Yoto library.
Narrated by legend Jack Black, the story is told through the eyes of a character who has just landed on the island, requiring courage and creativity to explore, find loot, and defat undead mobs – almost like a play guide in the form of a story!
The ultimate Halloween story, The Witches revolves around a young boy who encounters a group of witches and becomes entangled in their plot to eliminate all the children in the world. Probably the scariest Yoto card on our list, this Roald Dahl classic is a thrilling ride.
Scare factor – 4/5 – The witches does include elements that children may find unsettling – I think we can all remember the description of the witches in the great hall, removing their wigs and taking off their gloves and shoes to reveal claws and feet without toes. Young children could definitely get scared by this audio and even older children may take a little longer to get to sleep if they have a vivid imagination. Possibly better to listen to this one during the day.
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.
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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