A life without Benjamin Blümchen, My Friend Connie and the Grüffelo is unthinkable, especially for younger children. You probably remember your own favorite cassettes or radio play CDs from your childhood. As a modern variant of the classic listening media, there are nowadays so-called listening boxes. But what exactly can Tonie, Tigerbox and Co. actually do?
Listening boxes, also called music boxes, are available from various suppliers. Depending on the manufacturer, the prices differ, but are mostly under 100, – €. When you buy a box, stories are often included. However, if you want more audio stories or songs for your child, there may be subsequent costs.
The boxes all work on a similar principle: they are child-friendly and usually designed like a cube. Above all, they are easy to use. Colorful pens or figurines in the form of animals that you plug into the audio box, or connect via Bluetooth, can play all kinds of stories. You can also get creative yourself and record (your own) stories.
Listening boxes are specially designed to meet the needs and motor skills of younger children and are designed not to break quickly. The few functions are easy to perform, so your child can operate the box independently. Selecting and starting stories themselves, pausing, stopping or exchanging them as needed – the young users can do all this on their own. Children as young as about two years old can operate the devices intuitively. This can boost your child’s self-confidence.
Some boxes offer the possibility to set a time limit. This will help your child stick to agreed upon listening times.
Audio boxes can be used to play audio games and music, whether for entertainment or to learn new things. If the stories are stored on animal figures or similar, these figures can also be used as toys.
Find out about the different listening boxes to decide which one is right for your child. What is the right shape? Are the stories stored on some kind of USB stick or does the box always have to be connected to the Internet? How much do new stories cost?
Research what age the stories you want to listen to with the box are appropriate for. Since your child can also use the listening box on his or her own, an age-appropriate selection is especially important. Also inquire about the data protection of the respective box: What private data is collected? How is the personal information of the users protected?
We present the most popular boxes in more detail on the Parents’ Guide: Tigerbox, Toniebox and Hörbert.
An audio box does not replace the togetherness of your own reading aloud: Regularly take the time to read to your child from their favorite book or listen to the audio stories from the box together.
Many children make their first media experiences through audio media – whether audio books before bedtime, music in the nursery or children’s radio during the car ride. The selection is huge and the playback devices have long since gone beyond cassette recorders and CD players. People are increasingly listening via mobile devices, voice assistants and listening boxes.
Audio media offer many advantages, especially for young children. They can be used as a sideline medium for playing and painting, but can also be used for relaxation. In addition, turning on the children’s program at a fixed time can be a nice ritual that gives your child security and routine.
Traditional radio has evolved its distribution channels and offers a range of content suitable for children. There are special children’s radio stations and also radio stations with children’s programming that can be used both via conventional channels and via the associated website (livestream via web radio) or via app.
Regular podcasts and themed specials from children’s radio stations have the advantage that they pick up on current events and phenomena and explain them in a way that is suitable for children. The child’s perspective is taken into account and content that concerns and interests your child is discussed. Auch die Möglichkeit zum Mitmachen und des Meinungsaustausches in Form von Höreranrufen ist bei einigen Radiosendern für Kinder gegeben, wie bei Kakadu oder Radio TEDDY.
So next time you’re driving, turn on the children’s radio station or listen to a streaming children’s podcast while you’re doing housework together. We adults often learn something in the process 🙂
Other recommended radio programs for children:
A “treasure chest for audio play experiences” – that’s how the provider itself describes its Toniebox. As a contemporary alternative to cassette recorders and CD players, listening boxes can already be found in many children’s rooms. Why is the colorful box so popular and how exactly does it actually work?
Square, practical and easy to use – that’s how you can describe the Toniebox. This is a monochrome cube that can be used to play audio books by simply placing various figures on it. The play figures, called Tonies, are available in two versions. The Tonies in the design of well-known children’s characters can be used immediately. Countless contents can be played via them. The Kreativ-Tonie, in turn, can be recorded with your own recordings via an app.
The padded cube can be easily operated by children themselves: A chapter can be jumped forward by a slap on the left side. Fast forward and rewind by tilting the box slightly. On each box there are also two rubber ears, through which the volume is adjusted.
Before the Toniebox can be used for the first time, you have to set it up. A WLAN connection is required for this. You also need a smartphone, tablet or PC. To set up the box, you create a free customer account in the Toniecloud. Once the Toniebox is set up, you can put the character on the box and play it.
The Toniebox impresses above all with its simple design and easy operation, making it easy for children to use on their own. In addition, many different characters are available for both the general Tonies and the Creative Tonies: Benjamin Blümchen, The Mouse, Knight or Rockstar – depending on the child’s preference. The range of different stories and content available for the Toniebox also impresses many parents. Once the audio stories are fully loaded in the cloud, they can be listened to anywhere even without WLAN.
According to the company, the Toniebox is made of high-quality and robust material, which is why children can use it without any problems. But the box should also be easy for parents to operate: For example, the maximum volume can also be controlled via the Toniecloud. The Toniebox is suitable for children from the age of three.
If you use the option of a creative Tonie, your own sound recordings are stored in the Toniecloud. However, these can also be deleted again. When closing the entire Toniecloud customer account, all uploaded data is also deleted.
The cost factor of the Toniebox is not entirely insignificant: the starter set with one creative Tonie currently costs €79.95, and each additional Tonie (€14.99) or creative Tonie (€11.99) must be purchased separately. However, compared to the hörbert listening box, it is a cheaper alternative.
The creative tonies offer a lot of space for creativity. Why not record a story or song together with your child? Very creative people can also produce their own radio play and listen to it together later. As parents, you should always keep in mind that it is the shared media experience that counts and that you should especially accompany young children in their first media-related steps.
On long car journeys, on train journeys, or simply cozily at home on the sofa – the Tiptoi interactive learning system is popular with children and parents. We explain the many functions offered by the hearing pen.
The Tiptoi is a reading or listening pen. If you tap the stylus on a picture or text in a book provided for this purpose, suitable sounds, speech or music will sound. Stories, games and toys are thus brought to life. To do this, you need to download the corresponding audio files from the Internet in advance. For the old generation of the hearing pen (for 3 years and older), you have to connect the pen to a computer to do this. With the new version of the hearing pen (for ages 2 and up), this all works via the charging station with WLAN connection; it is completely independent of the parental computer.
The levels of experience in the books or puzzles are divided into four categories:
The reading pen can be used not only in combination with books, but also with games, a globe or puzzles. It is recommended for children from 2 years. Products for different age groups are offered.
The earlier devices (since 2018) for children over the age of three have an integrated microphone so that children can record their own sounds and speech. The newer device (from 2022) for children from the age of two has no microphone and therefore no recording function.
The multiple uses of the listening pen offer an interactive and engaging way to learn. This encourages the children to become active and to foster their curiosity. By playing with Tiptoi books and toys, children can improve their cognitive skills and develop their language, math and social skills.
Also, the listening pen allows children to discover the world around them in a new way. You can immerse yourself in a variety of topics and learn more about history, science, or geography. For example, not only is it explained what the hoot of an owl sounds like, but you can also listen to it. Even several times. The operation of the pen is simple and its use is adapted to the motor skills of a child aged from about 2 years.
The products designed specifically for children over 2 years are usually simpler. They have larger and more colorful images, as well as less text and more complex interactive features. They aim to stimulate the senses and curiosity of younger children and develop their fine motor skills.
The products for ages 4 and up are usually more complex and sophisticated in terms of interactive features and learning materials. They are often designed with more text and more challenging content to give children a deeper understanding of topics such as history, science, or math.
According to Ravensburger, Tiptoi inspires and motivates to play and learn! It is an innovative learning and creative system with which children discover the world through play. Its child-friendly design and high-quality content, as well as the wide range of possible uses, are particularly highlighted here.
With the Create recording function, the provider promises to promote your child’s language skills and self-confidence.
The listening pen is only compatible with the corresponding Ravensburger products. The cost of the pen and matching books should therefore not be underestimated. The pen alone already costs about 39 euros. However, you can choose from a variety of products in different price ranges, which are also always a nice gift idea.
With the older version of the pen (for ages 3 and up), audio content can only be loaded onto the device using Tiptoi Manager, a computer program from Ravensburger. Computers and Internet access are therefore a prerequisite. The recording function cannot be used with all Tiptoi products, but only with Create products.
For more on what to consider when using family read aloud pens, check out our general post on this.
Put headphones on your ears and turn on the podcast in your smartphone – and you’re ready to listen! But which platforms and apps can you use to listen to podcasts? Which offers are best suited? What is there to consider?
Podcasts can be listened to in various ways: directly via a provider’s website or via various apps. The apps themselves can be divided into streaming platforms, such as Spotify and Amazon Music, and so-called podcatchers.
Users can also access podcasts through popular audio content platforms. You can search for podcasts using the search or filter function. Some of these are exclusive podcasts that are only available on the respective platform. The apps are usually free, but require registration. If you don’t want to listen to commercials in between, you have to take out a paid subscription.
With Family subscriptions, you can set up a separate account for your child. In it, you can create a playlist of age-appropriate podcasts.
Podcatchers are apps that allow subscribing to podcasts, downloading episodes and listening to them directly. New podcasts can be added via a search function. Such apps are suitable for those who like to listen to podcasts regularly. Podcatchers can access a great many podcasts, for example, content from the ARD audio library. Since the podcatcher offer in the app stores is very large, we have compiled the following selection, which can help in the decision for such a podcast app:
The free app is only available for Android. The range of functions is reduced, but clear. The absolute plus point is the good data protection. The app can also be downloaded and used without a Google account (via the alternative app store F-Droid). It is open source and there is no company behind it that wants to make money with the app.
The app only runs on iOS. It is already pre-installed on the devices. Those who use multiple Apple devices can sync the podcast content, i.e. access it from multiple devices. Unfortunately, certain settings in the app have to be made individually for each podcast, e.g. enable or disable automatic download when a new episode appears. The structure of the app is understandable and clear.
The free app is pre-installed on most Android devices and requires a Google account. Then content can be synchronized across devices. Podcast episodes can also be downloaded and listened to offline.
The free app is only available for iOS. It offers a wider range of features than Apple Podcasts and comes with unusual features, such as Voice Boost, so podcasts sound pleasant and consistently loud. There is no big company behind the app, but a single developer who is a podcaster himself.
The app is available for Android and iOS for free and it is also available as a web app. The app has a wide range of features, including creating your own playlists. Additional functions have to be paid for via in-app purchases, but are not necessary for most users. The app can be a bit confusing for newbies.
The app itself is free, but after a trial period, use must be paid for by subscription. It is available for Android and iOS. In it there are not only podcasts, but also audio plays and audio books.
The free app from a German developer is available for Android and iOS. The special feature: the app does not collect any data from its users. In addition, many of the sometimes innovative features were developed together with podcast fans. The app is suitable for podcast newcomers as well as for frequent listeners.
Podcatchers are not suitable for everyone. If you or your child only listen to podcasts occasionally and use platforms such as Spotify anyway, the corresponding app is certainly sufficient.
Before installing a new app, carefully read the descriptions in the app stores. Pay particular attention to which smartphone features the podcast app wants to access and whether that makes sense for you. You can also install and try apps before deciding to use them together with your child. Remember to uninstall the unused apps and delete the account. This conserves smartphone memory and ensures that unused apps cannot track data.
Young people use streaming services for music and podcasts. Audio books are also very popular. Those who don’t feel like reading themselves or want to listen to stories on the go use them via apps and audio libraries. The offer for different age groups is constantly growing.
Unlike audio plays, audio books are read books. Speakers read the books aloud. The recordings can then be listened to via audiobook apps, streaming services, audio files or CD. Radio plays differ from audio books in that the stories are acted out as in a film or series – with distributed roles, music and sounds.
Children like stories – they are exciting, provide role models, and relieve boredom. The special thing about audio stories: They stimulate the imagination and encourage the creativity of young listeners. Entire worlds are created in the mind. Audiobooks are a nice opportunity to dive into stories and other worlds. In the same way, they can take up challenging topics and explain them to children, convey values, provide comfort, train listening skills and contribute to language development.
Many children are read books at a young age and associate these situations with positive feelings. Parents don’t always have time to read aloud. Then audio books and audio plays offer a good supplement. At some point, children feel too old to be read to. Some children and teens have a hard time reading whole books. Others can best “read books with their ears” because they are blind or visually impaired. Audiobooks can also be an incentive for children who don’t like to read to discover books and then pick up a book themselves. Another advantage of audio books and audio plays: Children can listen again and again to stories or scenes that move them in terms of content.
Make sure the audio content is appropriate for children and their age. There are audiobooks (and radio plays) that can emotionally overwhelm, frighten, or scare children. The choice is huge. Consider the following criteria when making your selection:
Use theme filters when choosing and pay attention to the description and age recommendation. Audio stories that have been awarded the Auditorix audiobook seal are especially recommended. An overview by age incl. You can get audio samples of the individual audiobooks in the Auditorix online database.
You and your child can get audiobooks and audio plays in a number of ways. There are free and paid offerings.
Most (public) libraries have a digital offering. Via the so-called Onleihe, which is available as an app, electronic audio files can be borrowed, among other things. All that is needed is a library card, which children and teens up to age 18 can usually get for free at their local library. Audio books are also lent out on site, e.g. on CDs or as Tonie figures for the audio box.
The audio libraries of the public broadcasters also have a large offer. The audio libraries are available as web version or app. In the ARD audio library and the Dlf Audiothek there is a lot of audio content for children.
On the Internet, you can download self-produced audio books and audio plays free of charge at vorlesen.net (also available as an app). Mostly classic stories like the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, stories of Karl May, etc. There is a separate section for children & teenagers. LibriVox makes a similar offer – but the site is in English. German audio content can also be displayed via filtering.
Well-known music streaming services – like Spotify and Amazon Music – also offer audio plays and audiobooks. Since the free accounts often only have basic features, they are not unrestricted for this. Spotify Kids can only be used with a premium account and offers access to child-friendly audio content without advertising.
In addition, there are apps and platforms just for audiobooks. The best known are probably Audible, Amazon‘s offering, and BookBeat.
Younger children in particular can listen to stories via an audio box. New content can be downloaded and uploaded or new figures can be purchased for the Toniebox.
If your child uses audiobook apps or streaming services independently, the child mode should be activated – if available. Listening to audiobooks is also media use that should be part of family media rules. Balance this out so that your child gets enough exercise and variety.
A few years ago, there were still cassettes with which children could listen to the stories of Benjamin Blümchen, the little raven Sock and children’s songs of all kinds. Insert the cassette into the recorder, press “Play” and off you go! It was also child’s play to record your own sounds, music or stories on cassette.
Today, small listening boxes such as the tigerbox and Toniebox moved into the children’s rooms. These play stories as soon as an associated figure is placed on the box. A great thing for the kids, but also very expensive. Yet such a radio play box can be recreated with a little skill and a smartphone!
Now this all sounds very technical, but it’s not at all. The radio play box is replaced by a cell phone and the character by an NFC chip. The rest is done by the selected app almost by itself.
First, make sure that the smartphone supports NFC. NFC is short for near field communication. In other words, communication between two elements: the smartphone and the chip, which can only communicate with each other within a few centimeters. You can see if your device supports NFC in the smartphone settings by searching for NFC and activating it. The position of the NFC reader is in the center of the back of the device in most smartphones. Put the purchased NFC stickers ready.
Now it’s about the app, which is supposed to program the NFC chip. It’s easier than it sounds! The matching app is available in the Play Store or Apple Store. With the paid app NFC Tools PRO audio files that are on the smartphone can be programmed directly onto the chip. This doesn’t work as easily with other apps. The corresponding app will now open.
Hold the NFC chip against the back of the smartphone. After the chip has been recognized by the app, its properties are displayed in it (under READ). To describe the chip, it must be assigned a task. To do this, go to TASKS > Add task > Sound & Media > Play a sound file > and select the desired audio file. To program this command now to the NFC chip, Write must be clicked under TASKS. To do this, the chip must once again be held against the back of the cell phone. After that you will receive a confirmation of the overwriting.
Now the chip is programmed and the audio can be played when it is held on the back of the smartphone.
With these basic building blocks, you can now get creative together with your child. The NFC chip or sticker can be attached to game pieces, stuffed animals, etc. A container made of Lego, cardboard or wood for the smartphone can be connected and become a whole personal listening box with a speaker. For ideas on how to create your own audio content, check out our article “Listening Projects for Kids.”
Making your own listening box can be a fun family project. Children and parents learn about technology together and can get creative.
Even more ideas for homemade listening boxes can be found on the following pages:
We explained that music is important and beautiful for children in our article Accompanying children’s songs with apps.
In addition to apps, there are also some websites and YouTube channels that support listening, making and discovering music together as a family. If you don’t know how to play an instrument yourself or don’t think you are musical, this is a great way to introduce music to your child.
On the channel Children’s Songs with Bobby there are music videos with the llama Bobby. The colorful music videos designed as cartoons feature newly recorded children’s songs. They are also available on their own website kinderlieder-mit-bobby.de – sorted by categories like Christmas songs, music mix or lullabies.
The Children’s Songs to Sing and Move Along channel delivers just that: familiar and new children’s songs that show children and adults singing and dancing and encourage them to join in. The selection on this channel is huge and there are different playlists and categories under which the songs can be found.
Children’s songs on YouTube are mainly for younger children. If you are looking for and playing children’s songs this way, it is best to use the YouTube Kids app. Then you and your child won’t see any ads before and during the video, and it will be easier for you to find suitable video offers for children.
In the sound box of the WDR you can explore the big world around music. The site is designed as a web app, so it also works very well via smartphone. There are rhythm and sound games, concert videos and much more. The sound box is something for older children, who can learn and try out a lot about music here. There is even more music for all age groups to discover at Kiraka: Here you can find videos on current chart music, interviews with interesting female musicians as well as info clips on Beethoven and others.
Africa Junior offers insights into the musical worlds of distant countries. You can listen to popular children’s songs from different regions of Africa, watch video clips and there is a quiz on African music.
The very simply designed website Surakinder offers a musical and picture-rich world of experience for children. Select a field and dive in together with your child. With beautiful music, there are dancing flowers, fairy tale characters and much more to discover.
On the site of Junge Klassik you can learn a lot about instruments and classical music. The site is quite colorful and playful design. Even adults can discover new things here! There’s even more at Trompis Tondschungel, where kids can go on a musical expedition.
Operas are more for adults, aren’t they? With the Opera Maker app, children can discover the world of opera and tell their own stories about it. The website shows what this can look like.
There is also a lot to learn about music at the Children’s Radio College. Open your ears and go! This can even help in music lessons at school. And if you don’t feel like clicking, why not watch an episode of hr2-Lauschinsel together?
Spotify Kids is an offer from the streaming provider Spotify, through which selected music, radio plays or podcasts are accessible for children and parents are provided with corresponding setting options.
A dedicated editorial team selects the child-friendly audio content for Spotify Kids, so that only Spotify content that is suitable for children and young people is available. There are songs by musicians popular with children, movie music and many compiled playlists. In addition, radio plays such as Benjamin Blümchen or podcasts such as the “Sendung mit der Maus” can be listened to online and offline.
An interface designed especially for children with large images is intended to appeal to young users and make it easier for them to use it independently with simple operation.
Parents can choose between five different profiles and associated content. There are setting options for younger (0 – 6 years) and for older children (5 – 12 years).
The offer is part of Spotify Premium Family, which allows multiple people to use the Premium service at the same time without commercial interruptions. Each family member gets their own account.
Children love to listen to stories and music. As a parent, you may not always have the time to read to your child or turn on certain songs. For such situations, it is helpful if children can choose and save audio content themselves. Being able to choose media content independently is a great experience for many children and contributes to self-determined media use – but it should always be accompanied by you.
With similar services, such as YouTube Kids, it was observed that, despite a pre-selection, problematic content and content not suitable for children could also be seen time and again. Whether this is also the case with Spotify Kids is still difficult to assess, because the offer has only been available since May 2020. However, it is important to take a critical look at the audio content your child is using, despite the pre-selection. Users complain that the offer is not sufficient and parents should be given the option to add Spotify tracks themselves.
Spotify stores the usage behavior of its customers in order to optimize the product. Privacy issues should always be considered when selecting and installing a suitable streaming service.
When using Spotify Family Premium, parents can set which content children can and cannot listen to. The audio content selected by the children is visible to the parents for up to three months. You can then decide which songs, radio plays, and podcasts you’d rather take out of the app.
Offers such as Spotify Kids can tempt children to be left alone with their media use. However, a selection of child-friendly content is always subjective and may not correspond to what you want for your child. Therefore, you should look at the offer together with your child beforehand and talk about it.
The older your child is, the more you can let them make the choice on their own. The function of being able to watch the selected music afterwards gives you the possibility to keep an overview of the child’s media usage. However, it can also make your child feel controlled by you. Therefore, it is better to ask your son or daughter directly what they listen to and like. It is also a great experience to listen to music or stories together.
Here are the instructions on how to set up Spotify Kids.
This digital listening pen – the successor to the TING pen – wants to do more than just read aloud, but offers a recording function so children can get creative themselves and also functions as an MP3 player.
The digital audio pen BOOKii is designed to help children discover books with all their senses. The principle that when illustrations and texts in media designed for the pen are tapped with the tip of the pen, dialogues, sounds and information are heard is common to all listening pens. Texts can be read aloud or you can get active yourself with interactive search and knowledge games.
The range of compatible books and games is constantly being expanded. So far, there are around 50 titles from various publishers. The popular WAS IST WAS? series is available for the BOOKii, as are language learning books from Langenscheidt.
Since the pen has a recording function, other books can also be expanded with read-aloud elements. The BOOKii comes with stickers that can be reloaded over and over again with your own recordings. For selected products for older readers, BOOKii – via a Bluetooth connection with a cell phone, tablet or PC – leads to videos or further links on the topic. The function as an MP3 player and the possibility to connect headphones also make the BOOKii attractive as a multifunctional digital listening pen.
It is exciting for children to experience the information they find in a book in different ways. If, for example, it is not only explained how the call of an owl sounds, but an audio example can also be played, this is an exciting reading experience for children.
The recording function and the associated stickers make the pen special. Children can record things themselves, sing or make sounds and add stickers with their recordings. These stickers can be stuck almost anywhere: in the favorite book, on the family calendar or in the school notebook of the sister.
With the successor model to its TING pen, Tessloff Verlag is focusing entirely on interactivity and openness. In addition, during the production process attention was paid to health and the environment: The BOOKii case is made of food-safe material and can be used even by small children. The packaging of the hearing pen and the case are produced in Germany and are recyclable.
Already in its first years, BOOKii received several nominations for prestigious game awards. The justifications emphasize that the pen promotes children’s auditory skills and that small guessing games train concentration.
Tessloff itself highlights the many possible applications for different ages, the possible promotion of language development and children’s cognitive abilities. Thus, according to the manufacturer, the hearing pen is also suitable for use in kindergartens, schools and other educational institutions.
Even if the operation seems child’s play, discover the listening pen and what can be done with it together with your child. There are a number of BOOKii starter packages for different age groups. They usually include a book, the pen with case and recording stickers.
If you want to discover a children’s book with the BOOKii, the associated files must be installed on the pen. To do this, it is best to connect the hearing pen to a PC or laptop. Connection and charging cables are included.
Find out what else is important about using listening pens in the family in our article “Using listening pens for an interactive reading experience“.
It looks like a classic radio: the hörbert listening box. Listening boxes are very popular with children and there is a wide selection on the market. Like many other boxes, hörbert also advertises with foolproof usability. But hörbert looks a little different and brings other special features.
The best way to describe hörbert is as a wooden MP3 player. It was specially designed for children from 2.5 years. Simple and few functions should help children to use the hearing box intuitively. hörbert has nine colorful buttons in addition to the on/off switch and volume control. Behind each button is a whole playlist of songs or stories. Clicking the same button will jump one track further. For fast forward and rewind, there are two more buttons that the child can easily operate independently.
When you purchase an hörbert, songs and stories are included on a memory card with 140 minutes of runtime. The content can be overdubbed with your own favorite songs and audiobooks using the software.
The box offers clear functions and a simple design, which allows children to operate it independently.
The simple transfer of the memory card with a variety of new content will not let you get bored. Children (with your help) can download their own favorite songs and stories to the memory card and play them through hörbert. Thanks to its own software, Hörbert does not need the internet or the cloud and does not require any personal data from you or your child.
You can also limit the maximum volume via a small additional switch next to the battery, e.g. for small children or if your child wants to listen to a story in bed at night.
Is your child growing up bilingual or would like to get a taste of other languages at an early age? Songs and stories are available at hörbert in German, but also multilingual.
If you want, you can even get creative and make your own hörbert! For this, you order “hörbert’s electronics kit” and can build your own individual creation of the box together with your children.
“Children can operate hörbert entirely by themselves from about 2.5 years of age, because then they are strong enough to operate the on/off switch.” According to the supplier, in addition to the simple operation, the robust design is specially designed for children: hörbert works wirelessly and the batteries are tightly sealed. The box can withstand shocks. If something does happen, the individual components can be repaired or replaced. The hörbert is produced in a way that conserves resources. The box is made in Germany. Due to the environmentally friendly processing, there is no health risk for (small) children.
Buying the hörbert box is not for the small purse: without special requests and individual engraving, it costs € 239.00 in the in-house store. Additional memory cards with more than four hours of content have a cost factor of €29.90. The electronics kit for tinkerers is available for 119,00 €. A cheaper alternative is, for example, the Toniebox.
Although listening to stories and music is an enriching experience for children, it does not replace reading aloud by parents. Media are not babysitters and they should always be there, especially with young children, when their children have their first experience with media.
