Our Favorite Yoto Cards and a Giveaway!

You know how it’s fun to peek at someone’s bookshelves? I thought you might like a tour of our Yoto cards. We have TWO Yotos, because we need to know one is always charged, so you know we have a lot of cards! 😂 (We started with the big Yoto, but there was some kind of safety issue with the screen. Now we have two minis, and they get used a lot.) My son is seven, and he still listens to many of the same cards he enjoyed when he got his first Yoto a few years ago, but it’s also nice to know they keep adding content that he can grow with.

We have our cards divided into “Daytime Cards” and “Nighttime cards.” Although sometimes a card that seems pretty mellow, like Make Way for Ducklings, has to go in the Daytime box, because there’s something confusing or silly that gets my son too excited. The Nighttime Cards are carefully curated to be as calming possible. There are hundreds of Yoto cards to choose from, so without further ado, here are some of our favorites!

(These aren’t affiliate links. They’re just the cards my son likes best!)

Brain Bots

These are the first nonfiction cards my son listened to, and he loves the Biggest Ideas series. Listen to enough of the Brain Bot cards, and the bots (Nellie, Buzz, and Gibbs) start to feel like friends. Honestly all the original Yoto content is strong. (Jakeheads unite!) And each Brain Bot card is well produced with sound effects and a quiz at the end.

Big Names

Yoto has the licenses for some big names like Harry Potter, Marvel, and the Spice Girls. Lately my son has been getting into The Beatles and he listens to the Encanto novelization and soundtrack on repeat. If you’re a Slumberkins family—we have three bigfoots!—there are stories and songs about many of the characters. I like that some of the older classics like Stuart Little still use the original recording. (Arnold Lobel reading Frog and Toad is a treat too!) Sometimes we watch the movie or read the book first. Sometimes we listen to the Yoto card first. It’s always really interesting to see/hear the story told in different formats.

Niche Cards

We also really like some of the super specific cards. There’s a whole Yoto Original album of Halloween songs, and Justin Roberts’ Songs About School speak to my son. (He sings about everything from picture day to recess.) We also like the Bedtime Stories for 7 Year Olds and Funny Stories for 7 Year Olds. There’s a whole series of them for different ages, although I’m sad to tell you they don’t make Bedtime Stories for 44 Year Olds. I haven’t heard Songs for Little Scientists yet, but I love the idea. Also don’t sleep on the blank cards! It took us a while to set ours up, but now we have several recorded with albums that my son loves but aren’t on Yoto yet like Mama Nous’s Sing Your Feelings.

Julia Donaldson

One of the reason Yoto (and really any audiobook) is so wonderful is that it lets kids get familiar with sophisticated literature at their own pace. My son started listening to Julia Donaldson books long before he understood the stories. He loved the rhymes and sound effects. (Did you know she wrote songs for many of her books too?!) But over time, somewhere around the 1,783rd listening, he understood the layers of the story. He could compare the audio to the books and then later the apps when he played the games. He developed an ear for masterful storytelling, and it never once felt like a chore. There are some great sets of Julia Donaldson’s stories. Or you can start with just Room on the Broom, Zog, or The Smartest Giant in Town. You cannot go wrong with her!

Sleepy Cards

Of course, I’m all about the sleepy cards. Sometimes the sound effects are a little much. (Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site might be a little too constructiony for bedtime), but there are some really dreamy meditation cards. (The Forest of Sleep is another favorite.) These are like “do not operate heavy machinery” sleepy!

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Giveaway!

To enter the contest, you must be subscribed to Nebula Notebook and comment below with your family’s favorite Yoto card. If you’re reading this via email, scroll down to the little speech bubble and it should take you there. One comment per family, please! I’ll pick a name 2/19 and send four Brain Bot cards to the winner. 🥳

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Nebula Notebook is a place to meet kindred spirits, get inspired, and learn how to find ease and joy in the creative process—even when life is bananas. 🍌🍌🍌

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✏️ PS—The fastest way to grow as a writer is to book a manuscript critique or a creative coaching session with an expert. My clients get agents, sell books, and win awards. They also learn how to enjoy the creative process, so they can keep going when life gets hard. 👏