An interactive, educational and screenless audio device

A new device allows children to listen to music and stories without being exposed to screens

Spotted: London tech startup Yoto has developed an interactive audio device that allows children to play music and listen to stories without being exposed to a screen. The company worked with industrial designers Pentagram to develop a product that lets children easily control what they listen to.

The Yoto Player uses cards, which contain the content. The cards are simply inserted into a slot to begin playback, and two colourful buttons control both playback and audio. Instead of a screen, the player has a simple, 16-by-16-pixel colour display that can project simple interactive content. 

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The content cards come in six categories: Stories, Music, Podcast, Activities, Sound Effects and Radio. There is also a Make Your Own card, on which children can upload their own homemade content. The angled design of the Player allows it to be placed in a number of positions, and although it can be charged, it also runs on battery power, making it portable. Turning the Player on its face activates a bedtime mode, which puts the display to sleep and turns on a nightlight.

The Yoto Player is available for £79.99, and a year of new content can be delivered to your door for £60. The Yoto Player joins a number of innovations that aim to fire up children’s imagination – without screens. These include sustainable balance bikes and an AI-enabled cardboard robot.

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