With three kids in the house for over a decade now, we are always looking for engaging and exciting entertainment options. Screens being ubiquitous in every area of their lives, it’s always nice to find something that engages them without the need for a screen. For the past two months my daughter has carried her StoryPhones around with her on every early bedtime, road trip, and trip to the grocery store.
If you have been interested in a free standing story telling device for your kids, but don’t want to listen to the stories yourself, or want them to have a little more autonomy, then these headphones are the perfect fit. Created by Icelandic company ONANOFF StoryPhones are award-winning SafeAudio®, smart headphones for kids that play audio content offline, offering a screen-free entertainment experience.
Using attachments called StoryShields that fit on the ear piece seamlessly and with no bulk, the headphones preload the story(ies) via the shield and an app to regale your child with all manner of tales of whimsy and wonder.
Straight out of the box, these were easy to set up and start using. Packaged well, without limiting fasteners, but secure and seemingly conscious of waste, the StoryPhones are immediately fascinating. The instructions practically hit you in the face as you unpackage, so it is hard to get setup wrong, even living in an Android family as we do. We scanned the QR code and walked through the setup in just a few minutes. There is a video available to watch that walks you through the process, but we didn’t need it. After charging the physical StoryPhones themselves for twenty minutes, we were 100% up and running. We did find that the first time we used them the story felt like it took too long to load, but the instructions warn you that the first time loading will feel longer than it should, so we were prepared for that.
My daughter was excited to get her hands on them immediately, and is already chasing through the back catalog to see what stories she wants for Christmas. We were able to test out three kinds of story, The Incredibles, Mickey Mouse Club House, and Lingokids. For my 8 year old the favorite was definitely The Incredibles, she was a big fan of the way the story was told, and loved the creative choices made in the rewrite for this version. She enjoyed the Mickey stories, but was disappointed that the character voices were not present, that was about personal preference, not quality. For the Lingokids she did enjoy the songs, but said that she would probably have enjoyed them more a few years ago. However she has had the songs on virtually non stop on every car journey lately, so what she says and what she does aren’t lining up there!
There is definitely a great deal of scope in the StoryShields for a wide variety of ages to enjoy the StoryPhones. The library of content that they currently offer is curated for ages 3 and up. While my 12 year old did listen to them, as he still enjoys a good story time, the content is geared under his age group. I would happily use these for an audiobook if they expanded to other content. You can also purchase a recordable StoryShield and have up to 200 minutes to record, or have family members record, stories and songs tailored to your own family.
When attaching a new StoryShield the download should begin automatically and you will see the LEDs blinking yellow to show that it is downloading The LEDs will continue to blink till the download is completed. Downloads can take between 2 and 7 minutes to completion, and the story will begin immediately. The LEDs will blink different colors to alert you to different things, and if you aren’t sure what is going on, the app and the instructions are all very informative about what the lights mean.
For parents who have audible concerns, all StoryPhones are volume limited. You can select between different levels of sound; 5dB, which is recommended for toddlers, 85dB, which is recommended for all children, and up to 94dB which is suggested when heavy background noises present listening challenges, such as while traveling or sitting near an annoying sibling. You can change the volume limitation through the StoryPhones app. StoryPhones have received two CES innovation awards in two categories; Headphones & Personal Audio, and Health & Wellness. Settings can also be configured in the parent mobile app if you want to change or limit which stories they have access to, not just the sound level.
Charging for 20 minutes was enough to get us going on day one, though an hour is recommended, and the StoryPhones hold their charge for up to 20 hours of playtime. If like me you have kids who wander and leave things lying around, the StoryPhones will be idle for 15 minutes before switching off. If a story is playing when the little darling wanders away, the device will wait until the story ends before switching off.
In terms of the actual device, these headphones are exceptional value for money, with start up kits retailing only slightly north of $100, the quality of them feels and fits like a far more expensive item. Within a few minutes of wearing the StoryPhones I was telling my husband that I wished they were normal headphones because they were so comfortable. Within about ten minutes he was telling me that they were, and so that got me even more excited. StoryPhones automatically switch on the Bluetooth connection anytime it is switched on, if you don’t connect a StoryShield you can connect to your own device for easy listening.
Beginning at the end of the October a new line of Disney stories was released, allowing for a much broader catalog, the Disney Animated Classics StoryShields brings tales from The Little Mermaid, Frozen, The Lion King, Cinderella, and Aladdin. I am looking forward to listening to some of these retellings and to seeing what they come up with over the next year.
A long time fan of free standing story telling devices, my daughter has taken to the StoryPhones with far more enthusiasm than I could have predicted. She listens in the car, she listens around the house, and my personal favorite, when she wakes up feeling especially sleepy, she will put the StoryPhones on and listen while she wakes up each day.
From November 1, 2024, StoryPhones, priced are available nationwide at Target and Sam’s Club. StoryShields themselves start at $9.99. StoryShield bundles are available online at Sam’s Club starting at $39.99 The StoryPhones basic package includes the StoryPhones, 1 ZenShield, 1 PlayShield, a USB-C charging cable, an Audio cable and a storage bag. For the Disney StoryPhones, you will receive 2 StoryShields, a USB-C charging cable, an audio cable and a storage bag.
GeekMom received samples for review purposes.
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