Skip to main content
Autism

Our Favorite Autism Toy: The Toniebox

Our Favorite Autism Toy: The Toniebox!

No Screens. Collect Your Favorite Characters.

Click on any of the products photos below to purchase from Amazon!

Shop On Amazon Now

🎧 Toniebox: The Screen-Free Storytime Companion for Kids

In an era where screens dominate our daily lives, finding engaging, screen-free entertainment for children can be a challenge. Enter the Toniebox—a soft, cube-shaped audio player designed specifically for young listeners. This innovative device brings stories and songs to life through charming figurines, offering a tactile and imaginative experience that captivates children and provides parents with a delightful alternative to traditional screen time.

What Is the Toniebox?

The Toniebox is a child-friendly audio player that operates without screens or complicated buttons. Instead, it uses Tonies—figurines embedded with audio content. When a Tonie is placed atop the box, it magnetically attaches and plays its associated story or songs. This intuitive design allows even the youngest users to independently control their listening experience.

Key Features

  • Durable and Kid-Friendly: The Toniebox is covered in soft fabric and built to withstand the bumps and tumbles of daily play.

  • Simple Controls: Volume is adjusted by squeezing the “ears,” and tapping the sides allows children to skip tracks or chapters.

  • Portable: With a battery life of up to 7 hours, the Toniebox is perfect for on-the-go entertainment.

  • Creative-Tonies: These customizable Tonies can store up to 90 minutes of personal recordings, allowing parents and loved ones to upload their own stories or messages.

Why Parents Love It

Parents appreciate the Toniebox for its ability to engage children without screens, fostering imagination and independent play. The device’s ease of use means children can operate it without assistance, and the wide range of available Tonies—from classic fairy tales to popular characters—ensures there’s something for every child.

Why It Works So Well for Avery (and Other Neurodivergent Kids)

Here’s why this has become one of our favorite tools for Avery:

  • Tactile + Predictable: The magnetic figures are easy to place and remove, and the stories start instantly. There’s no loading screen or confusing navigation—just clear cause and effect.

  • Soothing Routine Builder: We use the same Tonies at bedtime or in the car. The familiarity helps lower anxiety, especially in new environments.

  • Portable and Durable: The soft-sided cube can be tossed in a backpack or on a bed without worry. It’s built for busy hands.

  • Independent Play: Avery doesn’t need my help to use it—and that sense of control is empowering.

🧸 Collectible Characters for Every Interest

One of the best things about the Toniebox is that it grows with your child—not just in function, but in story selection. With over 100+ Tonie figurines available (and more being added regularly), you can build a custom library of stories, songs, and characters your child actually connects with.

Whether your kid is into action heroes, fairy tales, bedtime lullabies, or educational adventures—there’s a Tonie for that.

Here are just some of the characters you can collect:

🎬 Disney Favorites

🐾 Preschool Powerhouses

📚 Educational & Inspiring

🎶 Music & Bedtime

🧑‍🎤 Creative-Tonies (Record Your Own!)

  • Completely blank figures you can customize with up to 90 minutes of your own voice, messages, songs, or even family storytelling traditions.


💡 Pro Tip for Parents:

You can start small and build your collection based on your child’s current obsessions (you know those rotate monthly 😅). We rotate Tonies depending on season, mood, and routines. Bedtime = lullaby Tonies. Road trips = adventure stories. Feeling anxious = familiar favorites.

And if you’re traveling, you can preload content so the Toniebox works offline—no Wi-Fi needed once it’s downloaded!

Final Thoughts: Avery Approved

The Toniebox has become one of our most-used tools at home and on the go. It’s calming. It’s empowering. And best of all, it invites our daughter into stories rather than screens.

For families raising neurodivergent kids—or any parent craving more meaningful, screen-free moments—this little box has earned its spot in our daily routine.

🎧 It’s not just a toy. It’s a sensory-friendly, connection-building, independence-sparking tool we didn’t know we needed.


A Parent’s Favorite Feature: Record Your Own Voice

One of the most emotional and unique features is the Creative-Tonie—a blank character that lets you record up to 90 minutes of personalized content. You can:

  • Record yourself reading a bedtime story

  • Send a message from a parent who’s away on a trip

  • Have grandparents or siblings share something special

  • Make a calming routine track (we recorded a custom breathing meditation for Avery)

For kids who thrive on connection and routine, this is HUGE. It turns the Toniebox into more than a toy—it becomes a trusted voice, a calming anchor, a familiar friend.

Considerations

While the Toniebox offers numerous benefits, it’s important to note:

  • Initial Setup: The device requires a Wi-Fi connection for the initial setup and when adding new Tonies.

  • Cost: Additional Tonies are sold separately, which can add up over time.