There’s nothing better than listening to exciting stories. Is there?! That’s what I tell my 5 grandkids. In recent years, I’ve been reading them some of my favourite childhood fictional stories or sharing a few funny stories from our good times together.

The idea of immortalising these stories as a timeless gift crossed my mind, one that’ll allow me to read to them even when I’m not there. I wanted something experiential, something creative. But I didn’t want to give my grandchildren yet another screen — they are everywhere now.

I was looking for a fresh idea when my neighbour Mary suggested I check out the Toniebox. I picked up my iPad and looked it up.

The Toniebox is a musical storybox for kids aged 3+. It’s soft and squishy and comes with Tonies — hand-painted collectibles of their favourite characters — that are simply bursting with stories. Once you pop a Tonie figurine atop the box, you can listen to songs and stories that bring each character to life. And it’s totally screen-free!

The range of stories available is vast, encompassing timeless classics like The Lion King and Paddington Bear alongside contemporary favorites such as Cocomelon, Frozen, Peppa Pig, and Paw Patrol. For older kids, there is the Nat Geo collection that focuses on animals and nature. So it’s totally the gift that keeps on giving.

I read that 97% of parents claim that the Toniebox is fantastic for bedtime, with stories, white noise, and calm time — perhaps it could help my grandkids get into a routine. Further research shows that the National Literacy Trust affirms that listening to audiobooks is both entertaining and educational, boosting vocabulary and literacy skills.

They offer a single Toniebox for £67.96, or bundles like a Toniebox + 3 Tonies for £97.70, a Toniebox + 5 Tonies for £114.73, and Toniebox + 5 Tonies (best value) for £127.39.*

It sounded like a terrific present — I know my granddaughter would adore a Frozen Tonie, but what about my stories? That was when I saw that each bundle includes a FREE Creative-Tonie that holds 90 minutes of recordable space for kids’ (or Grandparents!) own songs and stories — yay!

The Toniebox is kid-friendly so my grandkids can use it themselves. All they need to do is pop, tap, tilt, and squeeze their Tonie’s ears to navigate through their preferred stories and songs. Plus, it will grow up with them.

This would be the perfect prezzie. The grandkids would enjoy it, and I could use the 90 minutes to record my favourite memories for them to listen to at anytime. My husband and I picked up the Full Experience Bundle for our oldest granddaughter Olivia’s 5th birthday and added all her favourite stories, including our personal tales to her.

And just so he wouldn’t feel left out, we gave her cousin Gerard the Tonies Collector. Soon enough, they both fell in love with the Toniebox. It wasn’t just my recorded stories that engrossed them but all their other favourite stories as well. And now, we continue to grow their Tonies collections on every occasion, and I’m recording more family stories for posterity.

So, if you’re seeking a way to read to your grandkids every night and reduce screen time, the Toniebox is an excellent choice.

Our friends at Tonies are offering our readers an exclusive 10% off Starter sets and Bundles for today only. Simply use the code: TOPTONIES

^{*All prices after discount code applied.}