The Best Audio Players for Kids: Yoto, Toniebox, and More
The Best Audio Players for Kids: Yoto, Toniebox, and More
儿童最佳音频播放器：Yoto、Toniebox 等
In my current season of toddler parenthood, I’ve sometimes felt that I could cut the tension between myself and the TV remote with a knife. As much as I try to keep screen time in check, sometimes I need 10 uninterrupted minutes to unload the dishwasher before a certain almost-2-year-old goes for the dog bowl. 在我目前抚养幼儿的阶段，有时我觉得自己和电视遥控器之间的紧张关系简直一触即发。尽管我尽量控制屏幕使用时间，但有时我确实需要 10 分钟不被打扰的时间来清理洗碗机，以免我那快两岁的孩子去捣乱狗碗。
That’s where audio players are handy. In a world where screens are increasingly hard to avoid, parents are looking for alternatives—and these players, in their various formats, are to the rescue. The devices mark a sweet spot between independent play and story time, letting kids listen to music, audiobooks, and interactive stories without a tablet in sight. 这时，音频播放器就派上用场了。在一个屏幕越来越难以避免的世界里，家长们正在寻找替代方案——而这些各种形式的播放器正好可以救急。这些设备在独立玩耍和讲故事之间找到了一个完美的平衡点，让孩子们无需面对平板电脑就能听音乐、有声读物和互动故事。
Some audio players are geared toward younger kiddos who enjoy tactile toys and familiar characters like Elmo and Bluey, while other options are designed to grow with them to chapter books, podcasts, and beyond. 有些音频播放器专为喜欢触感玩具和熟悉角色（如艾摩和布鲁伊）的低龄儿童设计，而另一些则旨在陪伴孩子成长，适合收听章节书、播客等内容。
Over the past several weeks, my family has tested some of the biggest names in the category to see how they stack up. Here’s the verdict on which ones are best suited for different families and their needs. 在过去的几周里，我的家人测试了该类别中一些最知名的产品，看看它们的表现如何。以下是关于哪些产品最适合不同家庭及其需求的结论。
Best for Kids of All Ages: Yoto Player (3rd Generation)
全年龄段儿童首选：Yoto Player（第三代）
The Yoto Player is simple enough for toddlers to operate independently while offering a broad enough content library to keep it relevant as kids grow. Stories and music live on credit card–sized cards that my daughter could swap in and out with her little hands, and the small pixel display on the front of the machine adds a visual element without becoming another distracting screen. Yoto Player 操作简单，幼儿可以独立使用，同时其内容库足够丰富，能满足孩子成长过程中的需求。故事和音乐存储在信用卡大小的卡片中，我女儿可以用她的小手轻松插拔。机器正面的小型像素显示屏增加了一种视觉元素，但又不会像屏幕那样让人分心。
You can add each Yoto card to your child’s library through the device’s companion app. Once you do, you can stream the content directly from your phone or remotely send it to the Yoto. That means you’re not necessarily tied to bringing the speaker with you everywhere you go. I saw this capability as being especially useful on road trips—you can play stories through your car speakers or listen from your phone if the player gets left behind or its battery dies. 你可以通过配套的应用程序将每张 Yoto 卡添加到孩子的库中。一旦添加，你就可以直接从手机播放内容，或远程发送到 Yoto 上。这意味着你不必非得随身携带音箱。我认为这个功能在公路旅行中特别有用——如果播放器没带或没电了，你可以通过车载音响播放故事，或者直接用手机收听。
Yoto offers more than the stories and songs from its player cards. You’ll also get kid-friendly daily radio, draw-alongs, toothbrush timers, white noise, a wake-up clock, and a nightlight that activates when you flip the player screen-side down. I only see it getting more useful as my daughter grows, and if I’m being honest, there is a Nancy Drew story collection I am secretly eyeing for myself. Yoto 提供的不仅仅是卡片里的故事和歌曲。你还可以获得适合儿童的每日广播、绘画教学、刷牙计时器、白噪音、唤醒闹钟，以及当你将播放器屏幕朝下放置时会自动开启的小夜灯。随着女儿的长大，我觉得它会变得越来越有用。老实说，我自己也偷偷看中了一套《南希·朱尔》（Nancy Drew）故事集。
My biggest concern is simply keeping track of all those little cards. I’ve found them tucked into couch cushions and hidden under rugs more than once. Sure, once a card is in your library, you can play it on the machine through the app, but that defeats the purpose of this being a “screen-free” device and one that my daughter can use independently. 我最大的担忧就是如何保管好那些小卡片。我不止一次在沙发垫缝隙里或地毯下发现它们。当然，一旦卡片存入库中，你可以通过应用程序在机器上播放，但这违背了它作为“无屏幕”设备且能让女儿独立使用的初衷。
Best Bedtime Story Experience: Moonlite Storytime Projector
最佳睡前故事体验：Moonlite 故事投影仪
This little device has become one of the most cherished parts of our bedtime routine. Every night, my husband and I climb into bed with our daughter, turn off the lights, and read together while casting the Moonlite projector. No longer is bedtime a fight; now all we have to do is say “story time,” and she grabs her milk, makes herself comfy in bed, and points at the ceiling. 这个小设备已经成为我们睡前仪式中最珍贵的一部分。每天晚上，我和丈夫都会陪女儿上床，关掉灯，一边阅读一边使用 Moonlite 投影仪。睡前时光不再是一场“战斗”；现在我们只需要说一声“讲故事时间到了”，她就会拿上牛奶，在床上躺好，然后指着天花板。
More of a modern story projector than a traditional audio player, the Moonlite Storytime Projector is still relatively screen-free. The projector device clips over your phone’s flashlight and shines illustrations onto the opposite wall or the ceiling. Each story lives on a reel, and after scanning the reel’s QR code in the Moonlite app, it appears on your phone while the matching illustrations project in front of you. 与其说它是传统的音频播放器，不如说它是一个现代故事投影仪，Moonlite 故事投影仪仍然相对“无屏幕”。投影设备夹在手机闪光灯上，将插图投射到对面的墙壁或天花板上。每个故事都存储在一个胶卷盘上，在 Moonlite 应用程序中扫描胶卷盘的二维码后，故事内容会出现在手机上，而相应的插图则投射在你面前。
Best for Character Lovers: Toniebox 2
角色爱好者首选：Toniebox 2
Of all the kids’ audio players I tested, the Toniebox 2 was the easiest to pick up and understand. To operate the soft, cubed speaker, kids place a magnetic figurine on the top, and the associated stories and songs automatically play. The experience is very tactile; my daughter figured it out in minutes. 在我测试的所有儿童音频播放器中，Toniebox 2 是最容易上手和理解的。要操作这个柔软的立方体音箱，孩子们只需将一个磁性小人偶放在顶部，相关的故事和歌曲就会自动播放。这种体验非常有触感；我女儿几分钟就学会了。