The Best Music Players for Kids

Screen-free audio players are a great way for kids to engage with their favorite audiobooks or music, and let their imaginations run wild.

With simple to use, fun controls, and an extensive library of storybooks to browse and explore, they can be the perfect antidote to idle screen time. Many double up as regular Bluetooth speakers as well, and some have the ability to download favorite playlists as MP3s.

These are the best music players for kids available today.

Our Favorite Music Players for Kids in 2023

Jooki Music Player for Kids

Best Overall

More than just a token music player

Use story tokens, Jooki figurines, and MP3 files to enjoy your favorite stories and music with the Jooki Music Player for Kids.

Pros

• Program your own MP3 files
• Portable and durable
• Plenty of content to enjoy
• Simple for kids to use

Cons

• A little expensive for what it is
• Additional cost involved for extra tokens or figurines

The Jooki Music Player for Kids offers a screen-free listening experience that’s ideal for keeping them entertained and stimulated, without any of the harmful effects associated with excess screen time. Jooki allows you to program your MP3 files to provide your kids with hours of music and stories, and its portable design means it can be taken anywhere.

Designed for kids aged between three to 10 years old, Jooki can play Spotify playlists wherever there’s a Wi-Fi hotspot and can play MP3 files anywhere. It has 5GB of internal memory, runs for around eight hours on a full charge, and includes a USB-C charging cable. It comes with two Jooki tokens which can be used to program the playlists that have been created, which is a great way to promote learning while still being lots of fun for kids to use.

Jooki figurines are also available separately and these can be used similarly and are easy to set up. Create a playlist, assign it to a character or a token via the Jooki app, and your children can swap them out whenever they like. Simple controls allow them to skip or pause a track or adjust the volume. A perfect companion for long car journeys, bedtimes, or rainy days.

Yoto Player + Starter Pack Bundle – Kids Screen-Free Bluetooth Audio Speaker

Best Additional Features

The card-based Bluetooth speaker that’s a big deal for kids

The Yoto Player + Starter Pack Bundle is a screen-free Bluetooth Audio Speaker with easy-to-use story cards that kids will love.

Pros

• Versatile
• Plenty of additional free content to enjoy
• Customizable settings
• Also works as a regular Bluetooth player

Cons

• For longer term use, it would be hard to avoid making additional content purchases

The Yoto Player is a screen-free Bluetooth audio speaker for kids, suitable for audiobooks, music, podcasts, or sleep sounds. It features an “OK-to-Wake” alarm clock, a soothing nightlight, and it’s aimed at children between the ages of three and 12.

This starter pack includes seven Yoto cards which have been pre-loaded with children’s stories. Simply insert the card at the top of the player to initiate playback and remove the card to stop the audio. Using the Yoto app, you can customize the player’s settings and gain access to free daily content. The Yoto Player also works as a regular Bluetooth player, making it relevant and fun for slightly older kids.

A front-facing pixel display brings your audio to life, and simple skip, pause, and volume controls are all prominently featured. Turning the Yoto Player on its side activates the built-in nightlight function, and by programming sleep and wake times, you can also use it to assist with sleep training. And with hundreds of additional story cards available from Yoto, you can keep content fresh and exciting as your child grows, making this a worthwhile longer-term investment.

Echo Dot (5th Gen, 2022 release) Kids

Most Versatile

Bluetooth speaker with a cute owl design

$35 $60 Save
$25

Give your kids the gift of knowledge and feed their curiousity with the Echo Dot (5th Gen, 2022 release) Kids.

Pros

• Great fun design that kids will love
• Plenty of customization options – including security features
• Versatile for work and play
• Encourages kids to ask questions and seek out knowledge

Cons

• Kids mode doesn’t seem to allow for looped sleep sounds to be set

As a testament to wit, Amazon has created the Echo Dot 5th Gen Kids to woo your children. And dodgy owl jokes aside, there’s plenty for them to enjoy with this product. This smart speaker with Alexa can do it all: play music, read stories, answer questions, make calls, and more. It includes one year’s subscription to Amazon Kids +, a digital subscription service aimed specifically at kids aged three to 12, filled to the brim with fun, age-appropriate content for them to enjoy.

Easy-to-use parental controls have been installed on the app-controlled dashboard to provide peace of mind, given that the scope of available content here is limitless. Simple settings provide child-friendly responses when asking Alexa anything, and you can filter out explicit language in songs too. It can also be used to set alarms, control compatible smart devices, and make calls. Mics can also be switched off with a simple press of the ‘mic off’ button, as an extra safeguard.

As an extra hoot, kids can customize Alexa’s voice to sound more owl-like and enjoy character-themed greetings, jokes, and songs. Echo Dot works across multiple devices and therefore provides instant access to your children’s favorite audio platforms. And by taking advantage of Alexa Owl’s wisdom, your kids can even get a little help with their homework, too.

Toniebox Audio Player Starter Set with Playtime Puppy

Best for Recording Custom Content

The Tonie that’s award-worthy itself

Kids will just love interacting with this Toniebox Audio Player Starter Set with cute Playtime Puppy, and parents can use it to record custom content for their children.

Pros

• The touch controls work well and are great fun for kids
• Dozens of favorite characters available in Tonie form
• Free content provided through the app
• Record custom content on Creative Tonies

Cons

• Requires Tonies to provide the content, cannot store/play MP3 files

It’s impossible not to love the Playtime Puppy that comes included with this Toniebox Audio Player, and this hand-painted faithful friend is pre-loaded with 52 minutes of children’s songs to delight and entertain. Simply pop this Tonie on top of the box, and off he goes! And if he’s removed part-way through his renditions, he will pick up from where he left off, once placed back on top.

Clever, child-friendly controls make Toniebox a joy for kids to use. Pinch the little ear on top of the box to turn the volume down or pinch the big ear to turn it up. Tilting the box left or right rewinds or fast-forwards, and tapping on the side skips a track. An army of alternative Tonies is available to use here too, with branded characters and stories to enjoy from Disney, Sesame Street, DreamWorks, and many more.

Toniebox connects to your Wi-Fi and a suite of parental controls can be accessed via the MyTonie app. This is also where you can record custom content on ‘blank’ Creative Tonies, as well as explore additional free digital content. Toniebox includes a charging station and will run for seven hours on a full charge. It’s durable enough to take some rough and tumble and makes a great choice for endless screen-free audio content for little ones aged three and up.

Storypod Interactive Audio Learning System

Most Tactile Speaker

The Bluetooth speaker that’s super plush

The Storypod Interactive Audio Learning System is a screen-free audio player for kids that comes with a new cuddly BFF, iCraftie Owl.

Pros

• Encourages active learning and promotes literacy skills
• iCraftie plushies are adorable and great for younger kids
• Free content to access via Storypod app CONS

Cons

• Not the best choice for older children

The Storypod Interactive Audio Learning System starter set with adorable iCraftie Owl is a screen-free audio player for kids aged zero to nine, which plays stories, songs, and soothing nature sounds. Content is provided by a range of different Crafties, audiobooks, and cards, which are activated as soon as they’re placed on top of the Storypod.

The plush design of the Storypod and Crafties has a huge visual and tactile appeal for little ones, and it’s easy to see them falling in love with story time here. And as you can imagine, there’s a Craftie for every occasion, from story Crafties to music options, to learning and knowledge ones. And by using the Storypod app, it’s easy to record your own Craftie content as well.

The app also provides trivia and memory games too, rounding out this product with an educational lean as well. Storypod offers a plush and cuddly means for kids to learn valuable early literacy and language skills, as well as providing a gentle way to soothe them to sleep after a busy, activity-filled day.

Yoto Mini + Starter Pack Bundle – Kids Portable Screen-Free Travel Audio Player

Most Portable

Always up for a road trip

The Yoto Mini + Starter Pack Bundle is a Kids Portable Screen-Free Travel Audio Player that they can take with them anywhere.

Pros

• Simple for kids to use
• Works as a regular Bluetooth speaker
• Customization options through Yoto app
• Good battery life

Cons

• Built-in speaker isn’t great due to its small size

Like its bigger sibling, the Yoto Mini is a portable screen-free audio player with Bluetooth, for music, stories, and podcasts. This miniature version is ideal for stories and music on the go and runs for 20 blissful hours on a full charge. A handy headphone jack means stories and sounds can remain inobtrusive to others on longer journeys, as well as providing escapism and immersion for the listener.

Audio cards can be popped in the top of the device to commence playback, and easy-to-use dials allow for volume control and chapter skip functions. A mini pixel display is featured in one of the front corners to bring the audio to life, and as you would expect, the Yoto Mini also works as a regular Bluetooth speaker too.

Browse additional story content on the Yoto app, including plenty of free content such as activities, podcasts, and radio, giving extra value to your purchase. Plus, an alarm clock function and sleep sound make this a good bedtime buddy, as well as a road trip mainstay. So, if you’re considering a Yoto for your kids, don’t mind the smaller speaker and pixel display, and aren’t troubled by the absence of a night light, you could save a few bucks and plump for the Mini instead.

RUIZU 16GB MP3 Player for Kids

Best for Older Kids

Panda to their need for music

The RUIZU 16GB MP3 Player is ideal for older kids, and comes with 16GB of storage for all their favorite songs and playlists.

Pros

• Suits older kids who are more into their own music
• Plenty of storage space
• Can be used with wireless headphones or earbuds
• Fast charging

Cons

• Can be tricky to load music onto

This Ruizu 16GB MP3 Player for Kids has a winning panda-inspired design that delights younger kids and contains a host of neat features that are bound to impress them. It’s ideal for slightly older kids who perhaps aren’t old enough to have their own phones but want the freedom and independence to enjoy their music on the go.

This 16GB MP3 player has built-in FM radio and provides a huge 100 hours of playback on a single charge. It supports up to 64GB of storage through an SD card, allowing downloaded content to be boosted significantly, to around 4,000 songs. And it works with Bluetooth 5.0 too, meaning it can be enjoyed with wireless headphones or earbuds.

In terms of additional features, it supports voice recording, there’s an alarm clock function, a stopwatch, a pedometer, plus a date and time display. There’s also a custom equalizer, for kids to tweak their tween pop favorites. And fast charging support means it can be fully juiced up in just a couple of hours, ready for the next marathon dance-along!

ONANOFF StoryPhones Storytelling Headphones For Kids Disney Bundle

Best for Disney Favorites

Mouse House approved Bluetooth headphones for Kids

Explore the magical storytelling of Disney with the ONANOFF StoryPhones Storytelling Headphones For Kids Disney Bundle.

Pros

• Explore all the magic of Disney
• Huge selection of Disney franchises to choose from
• Magnetic StoryShield feature is cool to use
• Suitable for regular music and audiobook streaming too

Cons

• Purchasing additional StoryShields can get expensive

The ONANOFF StoryPhones Storytelling Headphones for Kids Disney Bundle is the best way for Disney Princesses and Princes to listen to all the Disney classics. This Bluetooth headset uses Disney StoryShields, which attach magnetically to the left earcup, and on which are recorded stories featuring your favorite characters. Swap these out to enjoy a wide variety of officially licensed Disney themed content, including stories, music, and podcasts.

On the opposing earcup are simple controls to adjust volume settings and to skip forwards and backwards. Additional StoryShields can be purchased separately to increase your child’s library of story content. And being Bluetooth speakers, they are easy to pair with your favorite music streaming platforms, so they can enjoy their favorite pop music too. Another smart feature offered by these headphones is volume limiting circuitry, which keeps things safe for kids, and won’t damage their hearing.

The StoryShields are great fun to use, and kids will get a kick out of popping these on and off of their earcups for fresh new stories whenever they want, and easy connection to the StoryPhones app provides access to additional content to explore or purchase should you wish. Additional StoryShields can be costly, which is worth considering if you’re planning to shell out for ther headset itself, but they cover just about every Disney franchise you can think of and offer a near limitless choice of content. Plus, the fact tht these Bluetooth headphones can be used for regular music and audiobook streaming provides enough longevity to make them more than enough value for money.

How to Pick the Right Music Player for Your Child

Screen-free entertainment that can keep your child entertained for longer than a hot minute is the holy grail for many parents with young children. And filling their ears with something that will feed their imagination is a great way to captivate their attention. Most screen-free audio players for kids feature cards or tokens with pre-recorded books and stories on, and are ideal for encouraging kids to interact with technology. By choosing the stories themselves, and adding and removing the cards, they are learning to entertain themselves and enjoy some quiet time.

Many screen-free audio players work just as well without the officially licensed story content too, and can connect wirelessly or via Bluetooth to various streaming platforms, where kids can access their favorite pop music, audiobbooks, or podcasts. Naturally, this gives such products a longer shelf-life when your kids get a bit older, and perhaps grow out of the more junior themed story content.

But for younger kids, the Jooki Music Player for Kids is a fantastic introduction to audio technology. The story tokens are easy to use and can be easily added or removed to the player. There’s plenty of storage space for younger listeners to program their favorite music (or have it programmed for them), the on-board controls are nice and simple to use, and it has a reasonable battery life too. Plus, it has a reassuringly sturdy build and can withstand the odd drop or twelve.

Jooki Music Player for Kids

Best Overall

More than just a token music player

Use story tokens, Jooki figurines, and MP3 files to enjoy your favorite stories and music with the Jooki Music Player for Kids.

Pros

• Program your own MP3 files
• Portable and durable
• Plenty of content to enjoy
• Simple for kids to use

Cons

• A little expensive for what it is
• Additional cost involved for extra tokens or figurines