Best way to play bedtime stories/songs these days??

[Wouldyoudothesame]

So my eldest is 5 and has a CD player but I can't help but think this is a bit old fashioned and there might be a better and more sustainable way of playing bedtime stories/songs. CDs won't last forever and they might even stop producing them at some point.

My 3 yo is ready for something but she's a bit rough with toys etc. so I doubt the CDs would last long at all...or the CD player!

I've seen some things with figurines/cards...are they worth the money?? Is there a simple but effective method I've not thought of like blue tooth speaker, using my phone? (But where to get content?)
Ideas and experiences welcome!

I just read them a bedtime story...

@swashbucklecheer that's not what I asked. They have bedtime stories every night. It's actually for quiet time in the afternoon or if they can't get to sleep...do you have any useful suggestions regarding my OP?

Nope I just read to them. Afternoon, morning, night time whenever it's needed - cuddle on the sofa and a good book. Though if you insist on going the digital route I think there may be some cbeebies channels on the sounds app that may be of use. I don't know though because I've never used it.

Either just read to them for quite time or use YouTube. Loads of free audio books on YouTube. Literally got no idea why anyone pays for anything as it's all on YouTube!!

We have a Tonie which the DC love. Each character is £14.99 though. Yoto cards are cheaper and more choice. Alternatively I guess you could subscribe to something like Audible and listen via a speaker.

I do the same op, read to them every night and then put on a story. I use the Moshi app which has a variety of music/stories/meditations. There is an annual fee, I’m sure you could find content free on YouTube or a cheaper service but I’ve found it invaluable since my daughter was 3 and she’s now 6. I could have been reading to her for hours and the stimulation of me being there meant she wouldn’t rest, but Moshi was the only thing that has worked so I’ve stuck with it.

When have a Sonos speaker in his room that we control. So we have a story together and then he listens to music. We have audio books loaded onto playlists and he makes his own playlists and then chooses what he listens to. We also subscribe to Spotify so he has a huge choice and can listen to film soundtracks as well. We control it from our phones. Works for us.

I just read, but perhaps Alexa could be a viable option?

I don't really want them looking at screens if possible vwhich I assume they would need to with YouTube?

Alexa has children's stories or it links to audible or Spotify podcasts.

@swashbucklecheer yes so do I. Not really sure why you're replying to this post if you don't have any suggestions. Very odd. Additional audio books/songs are what I'm talking about...not replacing cuddles on the sofa and books. If you do have any useful advice I'm happy to hear it.

@user1471523870 we don't have an Alexa I'm afraid.

@Ironmanrocks I guess this could work... although does it mean you get song requests all evening?

@Ironmanrocks Are the audiobooks on Spotify or Audible? (Sorry I need to do a bit of a tech catch up)

We have an audible account and the have a a Kindle fire so we play off them, good as you can then download and play in the car . We did think of getting an extra Alexa for their rooms but thought it would just get asked random questions like Alexa do fish fart? Like the one down stairs does. Although they choose it on the screen you can set it so they aren't browsing anything else and use it offline.

Funny as I was thinking about exactly this last night for my DD. The logical thing would be to get content via my existing audible subscription etc... but would need a device and speaker to play it with in her room?? I used to listen to books on tape as I fell asleep / had quiet time as a kid and I would like to give her the same as I found it comforting. I wonder if they make a cheap iPod or similar I could use!!!

I've just looked on Spotify and I am now listening to Green Eggs And Ham.
Easy

I just typed kids stories on the search bar. You could make a story/ nursery rhyme playing.

@Wouldyoudothesame

I don't really want them looking at screens if possible vwhich I assume they would need to with YouTube?

No, you can't see audio books. Hence why their called audio books. You don't need to look at a screen 🙄

And why can't you use a CD player? Why would a 3 year old need to touch it? If you have a working CD player I would just use that. Go to a charity shop/ebay/amazon/the dump and get some cds.

[quote Wouldyoudothesame]@Ironmanrocks Are the audiobooks on Spotify or Audible? (Sorry I need to do a bit of a tech catch up)[/quote]
If you have the audio cd you can just find it in your own music library

We have a Yoto, it's great!

Sorry, not so small child is messing about and he pressed post...🙄.

We have just checked out audible, don't think it looks like value got money. You only get one book a month then weird free ones.

We make a playlist every so often and he gets a choice. If he's tired he can choose 3 songs. I then just add them to the queue. Or he can have 1 album or a playlist. We have found soMe free audiobooks on the podcast section but there are some strange Ones about! For us it's mainly for music and the aim was initially to get him to stay in bed in the mornings. He wasn't allowed up until music came on!!!

Alexa and audible is what we use. Or the kids iPads on guided access (i.e. locked so they can't change it) on an audiobook.

@WildSwimming101 no need to roll your eyes. Just assumed there would need to be a screen (tablet or phone) in the room for YouTube to work and don't have anywhere to keep it out of reach.

We can use CD player, my eldest has one in her room that she has used herself since 3.5 and she loves the autonomy of choosing a CD by herself. As I said in OP my 3 yo would probably break it so wondered if there is anything more robust.This us all in my OP.

Gosh this very simple request for advice seems to be a bit of a trigger for some people. How strange!

Have you used the guided access function (if you have an iPad). It essentially locks the screen and you can customise what the kids can or can't change.

I can put my sons iPad next to him with an audiobook on audible playing (signed into my account on the app) and he can't change anything. I also put a timer on it so it goes off after a set time.

Thanks everyone for some great suggestions. I don't have an iPad but some cheaper tablet so I will probably need to have a look at how to lock the screens. Will also look into Spotify and Audible which I have and also some of the apps mentioned. Will also look into Yoto player as I quite like that my eldest can pick and put on her own CDs as she seems to enjoy this. Many thanks!