Jukebox for kids doesn’t need screens

Jooki is a music player for children that uses cute figurines, instead of screens, to play Spotify playlists, iTunes albums, audiobooks, and more.

The most popular tech toys on Springwise are ironically ones that encourage kids to play offline. From a DIY wearable that can be hacked into a lightsaber, to lego-style blocks that teach 5-12 year olds how to code, devices that embrace physical play ring true to children’s love for tangible objects. Now, Jooki by Muuse Labs is a jukebox for kids that doesn’t need screens.

The portable music player has high quality speakers, and is operated via cute figurines instead of screens. Parents select an animal figurine, and assign a Spotify playlist, audiobook, iTunes album, or more via drag-and-drop through an app. Children can then pop the animal-shaped toy onto their Jooki, and put on whatever they want to listen to. Jooki can also work as a Bluetooth speaker and stream music from the cloud or smart devices. Through the companion app, parents can set music for kids to wake up, play bedtime stories at night, and manage the volume remotely.

Reminiscent of a 90s CD player, Jooki is robust, splash-proof, and complete with kid-friendly, cheerful coloring. The device is currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter, where the team has already surpassed their goal of EUR 50,000. How else can toys let children have more control of their own play?