Are Tonie Boxes worth it for 3 year old?

[LadyBaddington]

I'm keen to get one but DH thinks it will be a flash in the pan. She loves stories and being read to but I'd like her to be able to have something she can pop on herself in the mornings if she wakes up early. She's played with them in toy shops before and was a struggle to tear her away!

Idea would be to get her the box as her main present and grandparents/aunties would give her the tonies to go with it.

Thanks!

Following as debating getting one for my almost three year old!

I know a 3 year old who loves his.

I would get one. I wish they were around when my son was that small.

When I was a kid we had the Marshall Cavendish Storyteller books and tapes and I loved them (I still own them too).

My 2 (aged 2 and 4) use it daily, so much so we’re buying a second to stop the fighting. Eldest has had hers for 2 years. It’s great!

Definitely! My daughter got one around that age, and she still loves it (she's 8 now).

My 3yo loves hers. She listens to it every night

Potentially unpopular opinion, but no. I wanted to get one for my son’s 3rd birthday but after him playing with his friend’s one (we were able to borrow for 2 weeks as similar aged friend had stopped playing with it) I think we missed the boat. I think it would better for a 2 year old, as by 3 they’re nearly outgrowing it. I didn’t like the look of the yoto player, thought it looked boring compared to the tonies, but it has content for older children, too so will last.

Tbh if you have audible and/or Alexa you don’t really need any type of player really (though know these aren’t as fun for kids!)

Edit- https://theeverymom.com/honest-review-tonies-vs-yoto-audio-players/ American review but still helpful, I thought!

My dc had a basic cd player at that age, it was hello kitty and played cds, radio and tapes (remember them? ) it was very simple to operate and can be bought now for low cost. You can buy cds cheaply in charity shops or on line rather than needing a proprietary product

From my perspective it’s very branded, and limited, whereas you could sign up to audible and play children’s stories if you know your child likes to listen to things. I remember having a cassette tape player as a child and loving it. If you have money to burn though then go for it.

Gc have had one since about 3, still plays it at 6. There are more advanced stories and non fiction stuff available now.

I spent months debating whether to get one of these for my just turned 3 year old for bedtime. I borrowed a friend's one for a month as their 3 year old wasnt interested in it anymore. The novelty wore off quickly and after 2.5 werks she didnt use it or notice that we gave it back...
Maybe it would be better used for daytime or mornings like OP intends but I'm afraid was a flash in the pan for us.
Could you try and borrow one from friends family for a couple of weeks first?

We’ve gone for it for this age (mostly selfishly as it’s small and family can get the tiniest instead of a load of huge plastic toys)

We had a tonies but switched to Yoto. There’s more available and I think it lasts until they’re older.

Everybody with kids I know prefers a yoto, my best friends daughter was given a yoto at 2 and still uses it now she is 6! Uses it everyday

My 2 year old has got one and he absolutely loves it. It's definitely a present that's worth it because as they get older you get the tonies for that age group.

We researched this last Christmas for our dd who was nearly 3. Decided on a Yoto instead for longevity, ability to store / travel with the stories (if it's a hit I think you might find all the figurines quickly take up a lot of space?), and it just seemed less gimmicky.

Our DD has loved it since then, listens to Yoto Daily (the little podcast they do) every morning, uses the stories to fall asleep, and we use the ok to wake clock too.

We got a yoto when DD was 2. She is 5 now and it's still used daily. Her older cousin who had a Tonie lost interest when she began to feel the stories were too young, but there is content kn Yoto that she would still listen to. We love the sleep radio station and ability to turn on/off remotely via app and make your own cards.

Added bonus: yoto cards are usually cheaper, have a wider range age and you get more free stuff you can listen to (radio stations, podcasts etc)

I think the yoto is much better for that age.
However I've just set my 5 yo niece up with a mp3 player with audiobooks downloaded onto it for free from YouTube or LibriVox or random CD audiobooks I have still from DCs (requires just dragging and dropping the mp3 files from one folder to another - basically same as iTunes used to work with iPod etc)
She loves it and I put normal music on there too.

My son is 2.5. It’s part of his bedroom routine to pick a story to fall asleep too after the books. Means we can leave and he falls asleep independently.

We are getting a yoto player for downstairs and a yoto mini for travel so that will be his day player. They have a radio function and also interactive play tapes like duplo farm or duplo town noises.

Another saying yoto much better. More content, cheaper cards, easier to make your own. More longevity

They are expensive but the resale value is very good so not concerned. And will use it for baby two when he grows out of it.

My son got his at 2ish and still uses it every night aged 6 after his stories. He listens to Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and still enjoys some of the shorter stories. My daughter (aged 10) pinches it sometimes, so she's getting a Yoto for Christmas!

I agree with pps. A yoto is probably the better option. There are more cards to play , you can control the stories and volume using an app and there's a free daily podcast and other things like a toothbrush timer too. My son outgrew his tonie box very quickly and much prefers the yoto. He's 7 , but more like a 4 year old due to autism and learning delay.

We've had a Yoto for years and it's brilliant, I have a discount code here if you are interested prz.io/VZ6vl9KSV

I have always thought that the Yoto/Tonie books seem very expensive. Maybe there is a subscription service that makes it cheaper? I had an audible subscription instead for a while, and a Spotify subscription now which includes a massive range of audio books. And it's so easy for my DS to say "Alexa, play Harry Potter", with the bonus that we can access it from anywhere on my phone.

I can see the appeal if you don't want your child to have an Echo dot in their room, or a tablet. But if you are e.g. paying for Spotify anyway for music, it seems pointless.