Over the last few months we have had the pleasure of using a Toniebox. I wanted to leave a few months before sharing my review with you so I could see how my children would play and engage with it over the passing weeks. I have 3 children, twins who are 4 and a daughter who is 8.
It has been such a played with item - by all 3 of them! It has brought about moments of such lovely quality time together. The novelty hasn't worn off and they are drawn to it often.
What is a Toniebox?
A Toniebox is a light-weight, child friendly wifi enabled speaker that brings to life children’s favourite tales via a RF reader that detects Tonies when placed on top. Magnets attract to hold the Tonie in place which is an excellent feature as it prevents it from moving around or falling off. This means children can carry the box as it plays and the audio won’t be interrupted. The boxes come in a range of 6 different colours and offers a padded protection against the inevitable tumbles as children play and use the box independently.
They are suitable for children 3 years+ and once connected to your Wifi initially for the set up the Tonies offer wonderful tales, songs and educational content. The content on them is engaging and pleasing to listen to. It captivates even the youngest of children as they listen intently as the audio plays.
The volume is operated by the 'ears', a feature my children love, which you squeeze to turn up and down. Great for the fine motor skills. The sound that comes from the box is excellent quality and doesn't distort as you turn the volume up. You also have the option of adding headphones if you wish to as there is a headphone jack.
A big bonus for me is that the box is portable. You can take this outside with you and you're not restricted to sitting next to a power outlet as there are no cables! Once fully charged the box will play audio for up to 7 hours! That is so impressive! It's an item that can accompany you in your playgrounds, gardens, day trips out, holidays and even car journeys. 7 hours worth of power, such an excellent feature!
There are no screens or buttons. Something that in this day an age is rare. It is completely child friendly and something they can operate independently. Even the charging unit has been carefully thought out. A disc shape that just slots onto the bottom of the player.
What is a Tonie?
Tonies are characters/figures that connect with your Tonie box to bring alive favourite stories and songs. There is detail and quality not only in the Toniebox player but in the figures too as they are all hand printed! My children have loved using them as part of small world set ups aside from using them on the Toniebox.
The range is extensive from characters created by Julia Donaldson, Disney characters, Elmer, Fireman Sam, Peter Rabbit plus so many more. They also do topics such as How and Why Astronaut which is all about Space. These really do complement learning and play perfectly. Creative Tonies give you the freedom to add up to 90 minutes of your own recorded content onto them. So you really do have some great control with this item to direct and introduce songs, challenges, stories and information that you personally want to share with your children. All you have to do is download a free app and get recording.
The Tonies are super realistic, incredibly sturdy and durable. They are a great size for little hands and feel substantial and weighty when you hold them.
How does the Tonie Box work?
It is a cloud based system that requires you to make an account on their website during the initial set up. You simply enter the code on your Toniebox and download the content by placing your Tonies on top and waiting for the light to change colour to tell you the download is complete. It really is that straightforward and simple. Once the content has been downloaded you can use the Tonies without any connection needed.
There are no buttons and no screen which is something I love about this item. In a world where everything is screen based it's refreshing to have a product that can be independently used by young children and enjoyed without screens!
How did we get on with the Toniebox?
They couldn't wait to get stuck in right away. My boys have really short attention spans but this device has really captured them. We have the Tonies that match their interests so they love putting the figures on top of the Toniebox and singing and dancing along.
They pop it on when they're busy crafting as they enjoy the familiar sounds playing in the background.
It has been a great encouragement to them to read more too. They love going to their book box and matching the stories to the Tonie they're playing. The sit flicking through the pages as the story is told out loud.
We have also been taking the box out and about with us, which is a massive plus for me. It really is a fun addition to our outdoor play and ventures. I'm looking forward to our trips in the sunshine over the Spring and Summer where we can sit and enjoy a picnic and outdoor craft together. For sure will be taking this along with us too.
I love that once the content has been loaded onto the Tonies that this operates without any connection needed.
Lets see the Toniebox in action:
It really is a great product that children love. The content is engaging and fun. The products themselves are so well made they really will stand the test of time.
I absolutely would recommend this product whether you are considering buying one for home use or an addition to a Nursery/School. A great range of content means the player can be used across many different interests and topics.
I have been very impressed with the Toniebox and I look forward to adding more content to our range.
AD - Please note - I was gifted a Toniebox and some Tonies to enable me to write an honest review. All thoughts are completely my own.
Thank you for taking the time to read. You can keep up to date with the Toniebox by following along on Facebook.
No comments:
Post a Comment