Over lockdown,???? ????? ????? story time with the kids looked different. For many, it wasn’t reserved for bedtime - families would watch online videos featuring stories narrated by Michelle Obama, Dolly Parton, David Walliams and Cressida Cowell at various points in the day. Screen time increased substantiallyduring the covid-19 pandemic as in-person activities were restricted and school was moved online. Audiobooks, like podcasts, can fill a media niche as something to listen to without starting at a screen.

Research from Deloittepredicted that the global audiobook market would grow by 25% to $3.5 billion in 2020 - and that was pre-pandemic. Audiobooks continue to be popular, thanks in part to the hundreds of books that Audiblemade free to children, like Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stoneand Winnie-the-Pooh, when schools around the world were closed.

Parents have also started buying up audio readers, screen-free devices that bridge the line between toys and tech. These storytellers are designed for kids to use on their own (after parents connect them to their WiFi) and they’ve become increasingly popular in recent months as parents look for educational and entertaining screen-free alternatives. The German-made Tonieboxsaw sales increase by 500% within the first month of lockdown.

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Since experts recommend staying off of screens for at least 30 minutes before bed, these audio players can be a soothing bedtime routine alternative: reciting Roald Dahl, playing music or mindful meditations and emitting a gentle night-light glow to help a child fall asleep. Better yet, many give kids and adults the option of recording something themselves, so children can listen to their parents reading them a bedtime story.

Below, we’ve rounded up several different audio readers and storytellers you’ll find available online, to suit kids from one through 12.

Lunii My Fabulous Storyteller ($79.99)

The My Fabulous Storyteller is an audiobook reader for kids. Credit: courtesy lunii

The Lunii storyteller gives kids the opportunity to come up with audio stories they’ve crafted themselves, featuring characters Ben or Suzanne. Kids choose the protagonist, the setting, a secondary character and an object and the story begins.

There are 48 adventures built in, and a wealth more on the website (1,500 in total, 160 of which are in English). You can download another 12 for free - the others start at $6.90 and include Mr. Men and Little Missstories, spooky tales and adventures in Russian, French, German and more. We haven’t tried but would love to see how this device works to help kids learn a second language.

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Lunii My Fabulous Storyteller

The Good

• Incredibly easy to use and set up

• Stories available in a selection of nine languages

• Lots of stories come included

• Super portable

The Bad

• Stories aren’t well-known favorites

The Bottom Line

The Lunii nurtures creativity and teaches kids about story structure.

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This device is suitable for ages two or three and up, but has been a particular hit with our five-year-old: The Lunii accompanies her to bed nightly and playing the stories seems to help soothe her to sleep, something she struggles with.

Fidgeting with the dial also seems to relax her – she's is able to control it independently – and she likes the light display icons that pop up on the front of the box and work as a mini-nightlight. She even brought it in for her class Show & Tell on the topic of "Home," to show the class how it worked.

The Lunii nurtures creativity and teaches kids about story structure. It gets repetitive for parents, but there's a headphone jack and the company also makes volume-limiting Octave headphones ($34.90). Also, you don’t need to download an app to get started, which is a bonus.

The Yoto Player ($99.99)

The Yoto player can be a nightlight or a kid-controlled audio device. Credit: Courtesy Yoto

Yoto Player is the audiobook player that covers all of the bases. This cute white box with orange dials is user-friendly for kids, who simply pop in different cards to hear new stories.

There’s also a clock (you can set bedtime and wake-up time), a customizable nightlight, radio station and quote of the day.

With partnerships with Penguin, HarperCollins, Hachette, Macmillan and others, the library is vast, encompassing Roald Dahl, which we can attest the kids will listen to on repeat, and classics for older kids including The Wind in the Willowsand The Secret Garden.

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Yoto Player

The Good

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• Suitable for older kids

• Cards for activities beyond stories

• Major names like Roald Dahl

• Works as a night light, clock and Bluetooth speaker

The Bad

• Expensive

• New cards must be bought separately

The Bottom Line

A multi-purpose device with features that ensure longevity of use.

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There are also educational activity cards, including phonics and mindfulness, as well as podcasts and music, so this is truly a multi-purpose device that can be used as a home learning and a relaxation tool.

We also love that you can record your own cards for the kids, reading stories aloud, or filling the card with beloved songs and inspiring podcasts. The Yoto has longevity and can easily appeal to a tween or young teen as well as a younger child (the nightlight really helps for little ones). Each new card starts from $2.99 or you can become a monthly subscription member, launching soon in the U.S.

Toniebox ($99.99 for a starter set)

The Toniebox uses small figurines to play stories on a speaker. Credit: courtesy toniebox

The Toniebox is a German-made audio reader that appeals to kids right off the bat. Sturdy yet snuggly, it’s colorful and it has cute ears that can be used to adjust the volume. You change the stories by swapping out the figurines.

The selection of stories - which each cost extra - is really comprehensive. Kids will find everything from Disney stories to Peppa Pigand The Gruffalo.

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Toniebox

The Good

• Big range of colors and customizable elements

• Partnerships with major companies like Disney and Pixar

• Device is sturdy but cozy

• Cute figures indicate the theme/story

The Bad

• Expensive

• More work to set up

• If you lose the figures you're in trouble

The Bottom Line

Great content choices, but the figures feel a little gimmicky.

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There are also Creative Tonies on an array of different themes, from Santa to unicorns - these are designed to be filled with 90 minutes of your own audio content, but are pretty steeply priced at $11.99 apiece. Extra Toniebooks cost $14.99 apiece. Since the stories skew young, you won’t get as much mileage out of this one as some of the others, but it does look cute!

LeapFrog LeapStory Teller ($40.69)

This audio reader is also a nightlight and good for kids up through age 8. Credit: courtesy leapfrog

Yes, it’s another plastic toy in the house, you won’t be disappointed with this well-priced audio reader that will see kids through from babyhood to around the age of eight.

The LeapFrog LeapStory Teller ticks every box as a soothing nighttime toy. It can project images onto the ceiling, allows you to record your own stories, and recites nursery rhymes and lullabies. You can power it with AA batteries or plug it into the wall outlet.

The device also has a selection of more than 80 stories built in, from Rumpelstiltskin and The Tortoise and the Hareto Beatrix Potter’s beloved classics.

This interactive toy has been more than a storyteller for us; it’s helped a child who really struggles to get to sleep feel relaxed and calm. My five-year-old often programs it to recite 20 stories to help her get to bed - but hey, whatever works, right?

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LeapFrog LeapStory Teller

The Good

• Projector and nightlight in addition to a range of stories

• Easy for kids to use themselves

• Can record your own stories

The Bad

• Plastic, a little ugly

• Chunky and not super portable

• Volume can get very loud

The Bottom Line

The combination of longevity and price make this a winner.

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Me Readers - around $20

The most affordable of all of the audio reader options, these interactive pads have been around for many years. They invite kids to press a color-coded ID button that corresponds to a page in the print book they’re reading, so they can hear text read aloud.

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Me Readers

The Good

• Cheap and cheerful

• Easy to use

• Come with printed books

The Bad

• Limited to the stories that come in the set

The Bottom Line

This time-tested format is affordable and can help with reading basics.

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It’s a great way to get kids started on the basics of reading that inspires fun rather than stress, plus you can find a Me Reader that covers your favorite stories and characters, whether that’s Disney Princesses, Nickelodeon characters like the Paw Patrol, or Marvel superheroes. These are appropriate for kids up to the age of four, and require batteries.