Toniebox and Characters Review

Reviewed by Sian Manning

We were delighted to get this item to review, I have a just turned 4 year old, a nearly 6 year old and an 8 year old.

Toniebox is a small box, it has a speaker and characters that sit on top, each with different content to keep your little ones entertained. The idea behind Toniebox is to get children to use their imagination instead of screen time, the box and characters replace CD’s, DVD’s, TV’s or tablets, instead of watching their favourite characters they can have interactive fun by listening to audio content – stories and songs – with over 60 characters released so far.

We received the Grey Toniebox, a nice neutral colour that would look great in any home, the box came very well packaged, what I really liked was that there was minimal plastic packaging, most of it was card and it was all folded in such a way that the contents were securely in place and nothing got damaged.
Inside the box was the Toniebox itself, the charging cable and dock, the instructions and Grey the Creative Tonie.
The Toniebox is very tactile, it is made from sustainable fabric, it is soft and cushioned and just feels nice, like a comfy old sofa not a hard boom box. It has built in wifi to enable the characters to download onto the box. A headphone jack so little ears can listen by themselves if you and they want to. Once charged it is battery operated so you can pop it in the car, take it to a friends house or out for a sleepover too. It is super easy to operate, just pop your Tonie Character on the top and the content starts to play, to skip forward or backward tap one of the sides and volume is controlled from the cute ears on the top. My 4 year old is in love with this and knows exactly how to work it, she takes it up to bed with her, sits and plays toys while listening to it and then brings it downstairs when she wants it too.

The Creative Tonie that came with the box is a clever little thing, on this one you can add your own content, this is incredible and amazing for the current climate. If your little one hasn’t been able to see their loved ones due to lockdowns, Covid restrictions or shielding you can get people to record themselves reading a story, singing their favourite songs or telling jokes, you can then upload to your Tonie and this can then play on your Toniebox – this can all be done easily through the Toniecloud or Tonie app. You can buy more Creative Tonies if you want to for £11.99 and each stores 90 minutes of content, so lots of stories from your favourite people.

We were also sent a small selection of Tonies to go with our box, we got the Rapunzel and other fairy tales., Bedtime Songs and Lullabies, Playtime and Action Songs 2 and Little Red Riding Hood and other fairy tales. Each of these titles has approximately 50 minutes of content on them.
They all come in their own individual pouch so would be a great little gift on their own, they come with a little information leaflet on the back showing what is on the Tonie (like the insert from a Cassette Tape back in the day). The stories are all beautifully read and easy to follow along with plenty of content to keep little ones occupied and interested. The songs are all lovely and my little girl really enjoys playing along to the action songs just like she does at Pre-school. And the lullabies are just perfect for bedtime, she likes nothing more than popping her Tonie onto the top of the box, snuggling up in her bed and drifting off to sleep. She’s a very sing song little girl and there is nothing she likes more than making up her own songs and stories, so this box and selection of characters is just perfect for her.

The Tonies themselves are also gorgeous and magical in their own right, they magnetically sit on the box and have a special kind of magic in them that allows the right content to play with no hassle, no trouble and they always just work. They are beautifully designed and look like your favourite characters from books, films and fairy tales. They can be played with in their own right or even displayed on a shelf they won’t look out of place.

The Toniebox would make the perfect Christmas or Birthday present, it is so nice to have something in the house that doesn’t involve a screen and has an interactive presence, it captivates, it uses imagination and it fits in beautifully with childhood. This is a box to create and excite, to make memories and to treasure and to enjoy together. The Tonie Characters can be bought with the box to bring your favourite stories to life (they even have The Gruffalo, Lightning McQueen, Fireman Sam, Peppa Pig etc) they would make ideal stocking fillers or gifts for friends or family to get. I can’t wait to add to our collection and watch them grow.

Rating: 5/5

RRP: Toniebox starter set £69.95 Characters £14.99

You can purchase the Toniebox or characters from the Tonies website here