The Washakie County Library System is excited to offer a new resource to provide engaging and educational screen-free entertainment for kids ages three to eight—Tonie Boxes!
A Tonie Box is a sturdy, well-padded, musical, storytelling speaker box, similar to a blue tooth speaker. A Tonie is a small, plastic figure loaded with stories and songs. When paired with a Tonie Box, each Tonie provides a program of content related to the figure. Kids can listen to stories and songs while singing and playing along. The Tonie company has even partnered with the National Autistic Society; autistic children may have delayed language development and the Tonie box provides a way to listen to stories and music to help develop those language skills.
A variety of Tonies have been created for many classic and popular fictional characters including Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol, Disney and Pixar characters, as well as animals such as dinosaurs and octopi. Kids can choose to hear information, stories, songs, and other related content by placing their choice of Tonie on the box. The Tonie characters are preloaded with music, stories, and educational content. The controls are designed with our kids’ small hands in mind. Kids can easily adjust volume, fast forward, rewind and change the stories all on their own. There is even a connection for your headphones. Using the familiar characters make the Tonie Box a treasure trove for imaginative play.
Tonie boxes are charged with a power station and used cordlessly. Fully-charged the Tonie boxes can be actively used for up to 7 hours. Of course, the battery life depends on factors such as sound playback. The louder the volume, the shorter the battery life.
Thanks to the Friends of the Ten Sleep and Worland libraries we were able to purchase Tonie Boxes and a plethora of Tonie characters to go with them.
Washakie County Library Director Karen Funk, is extremely excited to share this new screen-free way to reach the children in our community.
“We want to instill the love of the library at a young age. Thanks to the Friends of the Ten Sleep and Worland libraries we were able to purchase Tonie Boxes and a plethora of Tonie characters to go with them,” said Karen. “Reading or listening to stories inspires the growth of imagination and creativity. We are proud to be the first library in the state of Wyoming to circulate this new, entertaining learning tool for children.”