Last Updated on November 15, 2024 by Natalie
Since my son was born, his world has been entirely in Spanish. The books, conversation, TV shows.
Despite our strict, timed and gradual introduction to TV, it was immediately clear that I needed to nurture other forms of screen-free entertainment.
As a parenting blogger, I receive emails about new products and services on a regular basis. A couple of years ago, one of those emails was about Storypod. Being all about screen-free entertainment for kids, I was intrigued. After learning that they also have Spanish options, I had to try it out.
What is Storypod?
Storypod is an audio device that works like a speaker with different interactive elements like…
Crafties: these are different knit characters that you touch to the top of the Storypod and they play the audio content. There is a growing variety of these that include known and loved characters as well as general themes.
Learning Sets: these include a combination of crafties, books, cards and tokens. You can also buy set pieces individually. The tokens work just like the crafties.
Recordables: these are tokens or the owl craftie that allows you to record the audio that will play when you put it on the Storypod.
How I Got My Child to Love It
It wasn’t love at first listen for my boy. Now, he loves it. Let me tell you what not to do.
When I first tried to incorporate Storypod into our lives, I was not trying to hide my motive of using it in lieu of television. My son would ask to watch something on TV and I’d suggest we listen to stories on “tu radio” instead. This was not an acceptable trade in his eyes. Of course not. I was inadvertently positioning this screenless gadget as the enemy that’s trying to get between him and his beloved TV.
What to do: start with their natural interests.
My boy LOVES Christmas. As in: reads Christmas stories and listens to Christmas songs year round.
When they introduced the Santa craftie, which plays Christmas songs (and is available in Spanish), I bought it, he loved it and warmed up to the Storypod. Now that he was open to Storypod, I bought Craftie Fox and he was hooked on the adventure stories. With the variety of different well-known characters, you are bound to find a craftie your child loves.
How We Use Storypod
Dancing: some of the crafties such as the monkey or the pig are a series of songs. We have really grown fond of the songs on Manu Monkey and we sometimes put him on to dance.
Background Music: we play these while the kids are playing independently.
Stories While We Eat: we have a “no TV while eating” rule in our house so my son often asks for a book to be read to him while he eats. These days it’s extra tricky because I’m feeding myself and the baby, while sometimes even helping my son along. There really aren’t any extra hands or attention to focus on reading a book.
Benefits of Storypod Screen-Free Storytelling
In today’s tech-driven world, finding screen-free activities for children can be a challenge. Storypod is a storytelling radio designed to spark imagination and create magical moments without the glare of screens. That, in itself, is the biggest attraction for me. But let’s highlight some benefits:
- Enhance language skills
- Boost imagination
- Promote emotional understanding
- Develop listening skills and creativity without the distractions of visual media.
$25 Off Your First Purchase of $75
If you are going to purchase a Storypod, use my link to get $25 off your first purchase of $75. Storypod is a gateway to adventure, creativity, and learning. With its range of topics and bilingual options, Storypod stands out as a great addition to any family looking to enrich their children’s screen-free playtime.
