This blog post was originally published on JoJo Maman Bebe on 2 Jan. 2024.
Meet Tonies®. In 2015, Patric Fassbender and Marcus Stahl created Tonies®, a transformative toy that turns bedtime reading into an immersive audiobook experience designed for children. Simply turn on the speaker and attach a Tonie figure to the colourful box to unlock new worlds. As children play with their favourite toys, they can listen to stories and songs to enhance imaginative play from breakfast to bedtime.
Children can use Tonieboxes independently: simply squeeze, tilt, and touch the speaker to adjust the chapters. Compatible over-ear headphones also mean the stories don’t have to be blasted out of the nursery or playroom. If you’re looking for children’s activities that lower screentime, Tonies is just the thing you need.
Using a Toniebox will help improve your child’s vocabulary and literacy skills! In a survey from the National Literacy Trust and the Tonies’ Schools and Nurseries Education initiative, they found:
– 95.6% of children enjoy hearing stories read aloud to them.
– Nearly 380,000 UK children do not own any books.
– 23.4% of children listen to more audiobooks than they did in 2020.
– 81.6% of children have a favourite storybook character: Harry Potter, The Gruffalo, and Matilda are popular.
Find out how to use a Toniebox with our helpful guide — get Toniebox starter sets, characters, and Tonies headphones with JoJo Maman Bebé.
How to Use a Toniebox
The Toniebox is a must-have for any literary lover. Creative Tonies characters hold up to 90 minutes of stories that can be played without Wi-Fi access. Choose to listen to preloaded tales, or upload your MP3s, audiobooks, and sounds to the Toniebox characters through the mytonies app. With lots of free content for families to explore, there’s limitless opportunities to invent fantastical stories and worlds.
Pack the in-car entertainment
As the Toniebox weighs 600g, children will want to hold their new toy wherever they go. It boasts 7 hours of battery life, so it’s ready to entertain kids on any car journey. Instead of playing “Babyshark” on repeat, listen to the tales of Paddington Bear, Peter Rabbit, and more during the school run, playground trips, and big days out.
Control your child’s Toniebox usage
Set up or log in to your online Toniecloud account, adjust volume levels and story access for family-friendly reading and listening. Children can’t listen all night; as soon as the bedtime story ends, the Toniebox will automatically turn off and fall asleep. Although children can independently use their Toniebox, parents and responsible adults can also stay in total control over what their child accesses.
Toniebox Starter Sets
Introduce children to a world of audiobooks, music, and educational fun with a complete Toniebox kit. Toniebox Starter Sets come with a Toniebox speaker and a creative Tonie character that fits up to 90 minutes of stories. Upload MP3s and audiobooks onto the portable device, or use the Toniebox Starter Set to narrate your stories. It can simultaneously play and download content, so the audio adventures can continue forever — well, for at least 7 hours before it needs charging.
Toniebox Headphones
Toniebox speakers allow children to listen to stories out loud. However, the versatile Tonieboxes also allow for quiet listening on the go. Coordinate your Toniebox with colourful headphones. Cushioned ear pads and a padded headband ensure little heads and ears listen to their favourite stories in comfort. Adjustable features mean children can grow with their Tonie headphones, and volume-listening speakers protect tender ears from loud sounds. Plug the Toniebox headphones for on-the-go audiobook listening.
Disney Toniebox Characters
Can you feel the love tonight? Or maybe you want to build a snowman? There’s no telling how far you’ll go with a Moana singing doll and you won’t have to wait on a miracle with Disney Toniebox characters. Attach the Disney Tonie to a Toniebox for hours of singing and storytelling fun. Children will enjoy hearing the animated characters come to life in their nursery or playroom — the film characters will inspire a love of reading and listening to stories. Discover the best of Disney toybox figures with JoJo Maman Bébé.
Toniebox Stories
With dozens of Toniebox characters available to attach to Toniebox speakers, there’s no limit to all the stories you can listen to. Here at JoJo, we love the stories inspired by popular television and storybook characters. Splish splash in muddy puddles with Peppa Pig, look for creatures with stories inspired by The Gruffalo and We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, and enjoy marmalade sandwiches with Paddington Bear.
Go to Sleep with Tonies
Watch children drift off to the Land of Nod with a Tonie character by their bedside. Place a Sleepy Friend on your Toniebox for up to 90 minutes of melodies, lullabies, and stories, all chosen to induce a calm state of mind and encourage not-so-sleepy heads to close their eyes. Introduce a Tonies Sleepy Friends character into a child’s nighttime routine for a peaceful night. Choose from a slumbering sheep or a bedtime bear and get some extra zzz’s.
Sophie Thomas 