Last fall I had the opportunity to check out the Toy Insider’s Holiday of Play toy show. While there, I had a chance to check out the Toniebox, an incredible new screen free toy for kids. This storytelling toy started in Germany and is quickly growing here in the United States. We were able to try out one of these awesome toys, and wanted to share our favorite things about it with everyone. As Little Bookworm says “Everyone should have one of these!”

Standard Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission from purchases you make through the links in this post. I received a toniebox and some tonies in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Toniebox is a screen free audio toy that gives kids an opportunity to listen to stories and songs that they love. The box itself is a soft cube with a speaker, a magnetic top, and two small ears. Kids can control the stories and songs by manipulating the box. Tapping the sides skips forward on the audio track list, or reverses to previously heard tracks. Tipping the box left or right fast forwards or rewinds the current track. Squeezing the ears turns the volume up and down.

Content Tonies

The Toniebox works in conjunction with Tonies. These are small, hand painted figurines with adorable, and sometimes well known, characters. Each Tonie is sculpted to look like a certain character, and the audio tracks loaded onto it relate to that character. There are lots of content Tonies based on popular Disney movies and children’s books, as well as educational Tonies with content like counting songs, nursery rhymes, and bedtime songs. When kids attach the magnetic Tonie to the top of the Toniebox, it will start playing the story and songs loaded on to it. Removing the Tonie stops the story, so they can easily change between stories.

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Creative Tonies

In addition to content Tonies, there are also blank, recordable Tonies called creative Tonies. These figurines feature cute large eyed characters in fun costumes. Kids or adults can use the Tonies app to record their own messages, songs or stories to be played back on the Toniebox. One of Little Bookworm’s favorite ways to use the creative Tonies is for me to record daily news for her to listen to in the morning. I share the news of the day, anything we are looking forward to, and a message of love. Parents can also invite other family members to join the app. So loved ones can record their own messages and stories, no matter how far away they are. Little Bookworm loves when she gets a surprise message from a loved one, especially during this time of quarantining and being apart.

Use the code PARTNER15 for 15% off a Toniebox Starter Set!

There are tons of ways for kids to use the creative Tonies. But there are also lots of ways that parents and teachers can use them!

Downloadable Content

The Tonies website offers free downloadable content that can easily be added to your creative Tonies. We were recently able to download the story of Pinocchio, and the song The Wheels on the Bus. They will be releasing more free content in the future too.

Challenge/Question/Story Starter

This is a fun and easy way to encourage kids to be creative. Parents or teachers can easily record questions or story starters on the creative Tonies. Kids can place the content Tonie onto the Toniebox and hear the challenge read out to them. They can then write their own responses, or record their responses onto the Tonies app to be played back. These would be fun to play back on the Toniebox so kids can hear their own stories read back to them.

Lessons for Small Groups

The Toniebox and the recordable creative Tonies are great for pre-recording small group lessons or work for classrooms. Teachers can record lessons on the app and upload them to creative Tonies that kids can then place onto a Toniebox at a desk or table while the teacher works with other groups. Learn more about the Tonies for teachers program here!

Songs and Stories

Creative Tonies can have songs and stories added on to them, making them perfect for circle time. Teachers can play these songs and stories for the whole class, or set them up in a corner for kids to use on their own.

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Benefits

There are lots of benefits to using the Toniebox with kids. Listening to audiobooks can help kids to learn about fluency while they are learning to read. The Toniebox is a colorful and fun way to get kids excited about listening to stories, without another screen. In a time when we are worried about the amount of screen time that kids are getting, the Toniebox provides a screen free alternative. And the possibilities for use are endless!

The company behind the Toniebox is constantly adding to the library of Tonies available, as well as the free downloadable content that parents and teachers can add to their library. From bedtime stories and songs, to favorite stories and circle time activities, there are tons of opportunities to use this incredible new toy in your home or classroom! Use the code PARTNER15 for 15% off a Toniebox Starter Set!

How would you use this screen free toy for kids in your home or classroom?

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