Jooki The Screen-Free Music Player for Kids

One of the biggest challenges these days I have as a parent is monitoring screen time. I’ve been an early adopter of technology, even owning one of the first generation Apple iPhones. My son who is almost 10 has had access to devices his entire existence, he doesn’t know a life without one.

Device use is a slippery slope. The older the kid’s get, the more, dare I say manipulative they become? My almost 10-year-old will covertly ask to use my device to ask Siri a question about the weather or the score of a hockey game, and then within seconds once I’m distracted he’s in another room watching videos on YouTube of people playing Fortnite.

Maybe your kids aren’t as old yet and you are ahead of the game, searching for a unique way to entertain the kids without full-on access to a device that can still preserve their childhood innocence and teach them early on that they can use technology for entertainment, without needing a screen all the time.  

We received a Jooki music player for free to review, so we could share with you some of the fun ways kids can connect with technology without constant screen access.  

Jooki is a screen-free way for kids to have access to a portable speaker that they can utilize to play music or listen to audiobooks. While parents will need access to a computer or smartphone to set-up the playlists, you are in full control of the content in the playlists. Kids have more independence in listening to what they like, without needing your help or access to your device to make a change. While the speaker itself is sort of heavy to carry for a young child, younger kids won’t shy away from an opportunity to utilize the toys in order to play music.  

• The Jooki music player arrives with 5 toys that parents can load songs, playlists, podcasts, audiobooks old CD’s and stories on. Additional tokens and toys can be purchased online. Think of the toys as a kid-safe, modern day version of the “mix tape.” 
• Set-up of the music player on the computer or a smartphone is easy and done in minutes The tutorials online were simple to follow. You will need wifi and the wifi password to complete the setup.
• If you want to design personalized playlists for the toys with specific songs, upgrade to a paid Spotify Premium account for the most flexibility. You can assign a toy to specific playlists.
• The speaker is wifi enabled with a rechargeable battery that has 8 hours of life. The speaker is portable and splashproof, so it can be used in the bathroom and outside. 
• Audio volume can be controlled in the parent settings on the smartphone app.  For kids who listen at night, parents have access to turning off the device from the app without ever needing to re-enter their bedroom!