Hi! As a former teacher and now a homeschool mom of three, I’m always looking for simple ways to make learning meaningful without feeling like every part of our day needs to be a formal lesson.
One thing that has become a surprisingly regular part of life in our home is audio.
Audiobooks, stories, music, and educational audio have become some of our favorite screen-free options for car rides, quiet time, independent play, and those slower parts of the day when everyone needs a little space to recharge.
We still love physical books and spend plenty of time reading together, but I’ve found that listening gives our kids another way to enjoy stories, explore new topics, and build independence.
Two tools we use quite a bit are our Yoto Player and audiobooks through services like Audible.
They serve slightly different purposes in our home, and I’ve really come to appreciate having both options available.
Audio doesn't replace reading in our home. It simply gives our kids another way to experience stories, ideas, music, and learning.
Why We Started Using More Screen-Free Audio
With three young kids, there are plenty of moments when everyone needs something a little different.
One child may want to sit quietly. Another may want to build or color. Someone else may just need a little downtime after a busy morning.
And, of course, there are car rides.
Rather than automatically turning on a show or handing over a tablet, audio has become one of the easiest alternatives for us.
Our kids can listen while they:
- Color or draw
- Build with blocks or LEGO
- Work on a puzzle
- Play quietly in their room
- Rest after lunch
- Ride in the car
- Clean up toys
- Look through books
- Simply relax for a little while
I especially like that listening doesn't require them to stop everything else they're doing.
They can keep their hands busy while their imaginations are somewhere completely different.
How We Use Our Yoto Player
Our Yoto Player gets used quite a bit in our house.
One of my favorite things about it is how independently the kids can use it.
Instead of asking me to find a particular song, open an app, or choose something on my phone, they can look through their Yoto cards, pick what they want, and put the card in themselves.
That little bit of independence is probably one of the biggest reasons it works so well for us.
They aren't dependent on a screen, and they aren't dependent on me to constantly control what they're listening to.
Interested in a Yoto Player?
It's one of our favorite screen-free tools for stories, music, quiet time, and independent listening.
See the Yoto PlayerWhat Our Kids Are Listening to Right Now
One of the fun things about Yoto is seeing how different each child's interests are.
Our daughter loves choosing her Frozen music. Sometimes she puts it on while she's playing, and other times it's exactly what she wants when she's having some quiet time by herself.
Our son tends to gravitate toward stories and learning cards.
Frog and Toad is one of his favorites.
I love that one because it's simply good storytelling. The stories are gentle, funny, and easy for young children to follow, but they're also enjoyable enough that I don't mind hearing them again and again.
He also really enjoys BrainBots.
Those have been especially fun because they tap into his curiosity. He can listen to something because he's genuinely interested in the topic, while also picking up information about science, nature, history, and the world around him.
He now tells people all the fun facts he learns from it.
Not every educational experience has to begin with me saying, "Okay, now we're going to learn about this."
Sometimes a child hears something interesting, asks a question, and suddenly we're having a conversation about a topic I hadn't planned on teaching that day.
Some of my favorite learning moments begin with a completely unplanned question.
Why I Like Letting Them Choose Their Own Audio
As a former teacher, I've always believed that children are more engaged when they have some ownership over what they're doing.
That doesn't mean they make every decision, of course, but giving them age-appropriate choices can make a big difference.
That's one of the things I appreciate most about having a selection of Yoto cards available.
One day they might choose a story.
Another day it might be music.
Another day it might be something educational.
I don't necessarily need to turn every choice into a lesson.
Sometimes Frozen can simply be Frozen.
And sometimes a BrainBots card turns into twenty minutes of questions about space, animals, weather, or how something works.
Both have value.
How We Use Audiobooks
We also enjoy traditional audiobooks, especially when we want a longer story or something the whole family can listen to together.
Audiobooks work especially well for us during:
- Longer car rides
- Road trips
- Quiet afternoons
- Rest time
- Coloring or craft activities
- Family listening
- Times when I am helping one child and another needs an independent activity
They can also expose young children to stories that may be beyond what they're ready to read independently.
A child might not yet be able to sit down and read an entire chapter book alone, but that doesn't mean they can't enjoy the characters, vocabulary, humor, or ideas in that story.
Listening gives them another way in.
But audiobooks aren't only something I use with the kids. I listen to them quite a bit myself too.
As a mom of three, there aren't always long stretches of quiet time when I can sit down and read a book, even though reading is something I enjoy.
Audiobooks give me a way to keep reading and learning during parts of the day when picking up a physical book just isn't practical.
I might listen while driving by myself, getting things done around the house, or whenever I have a little time where my hands are busy but my mind is free.
Sometimes I'm listening to something purely for enjoyment. Other times it's a book that helps me learn more about a topic I'm interested in.
That's one of the things I appreciate most about audiobooks: they fit into real life.
I don't have to find an extra hour in the day. I can make better use of time that's already there.
Do Audiobooks Count as Reading?
This is a question I think a lot of parents naturally wonder about.
In our home, I don't look at audiobooks as a replacement for learning to read.
Our kids still practice phonics, letter sounds, handwriting, decoding, and reading physical books.
Those skills matter.
But listening to a story develops a different set of skills.
Children are still following a narrative, learning new vocabulary, visualizing characters and settings, making predictions, remembering information, and connecting ideas.
So rather than choosing between physical books and audiobooks, I like having both.
We read books, we listen to books, and we talk about books.
They all become part of the bigger picture.
How We Use Audible
While Yoto is wonderful for independent listening for the kids, Audible fills a different role in our home.
Sometimes we use it together. Sometimes we put on a longer story for a car ride. And sometimes I'm the one listening.
I like having access to a wider variety of books without needing to find the time to physically sit down and read every one of them.
For the kids, that might mean children's classics, chapter books, educational titles, or a story we can all enjoy together.
For me, it means I can continue reading books I'm interested in during seasons of life when uninterrupted reading time can be hard to come by.
I can listen on a drive, while doing something around the house, or during one of those small pockets of time that otherwise might go unused.
And that's probably why I've come to appreciate audiobooks so much.
They're flexible enough to be something we enjoy as a family, something the kids can benefit from, and something I can use for myself too.
Want to give audiobooks a try?
Audible makes it easy to find books for yourself, children's stories, classics, and longer audiobooks for car rides and family listening.
Try AudibleI also recommend checking your local library.
Libraries can be an amazing free source of both physical books and digital audiobooks, and we are always fans of using what's already available before adding another expense.
For us, it's less about being loyal to one platform and more about having different tools available depending on what we're looking for.
Audio Can Pair Beautifully With Hands-On Learning
This is one of the reasons I enjoy unit studies so much.
Young children often learn best when they can experience a topic in several different ways.
They might:
- Listen to a story
- Read a book together
- Complete a hands-on activity
- Practice handwriting
- Explore an early math concept
- Learn a science fact
- Create a craft
- Ask a dozen unexpected questions along the way
Audio can simply become another piece of that experience.
In fact, some of the books and stories we use alongside our curriculum are also available as audiobooks or audio stories. Depending on what we're learning about, the kids might listen to a story through our Yoto Player or we might find an audiobook through Audible.
I love having that option because it gives us another way to experience the same story or topic. Sometimes I'll read the book aloud myself, and other times the kids can listen while they're coloring, working on an activity, playing quietly, or riding in the car.
It can also be fun to pair the audio with the hands-on activities in a unit. We might listen to a related story and then move into a craft, handwriting page, science activity, or conversation about what they just heard.
I don't feel like we have to use audio every time or follow the same routine for every unit. It's simply another tool I can pull in when it fits naturally with what we're learning.
That's the same philosophy behind the printable unit studies I create for our children and share here at Simplicity Home Living. I like giving kids several different ways to explore a topic rather than expecting every child to learn from a worksheet alone.
Looking for more hands-on learning?
Our Complete A–Z Alphabet Unit Study Bundle includes 26 themed units filled with literacy, handwriting, math, science, fine motor activities, crafts, and more.
Explore the A–Z Unit Study BundleOur Favorite Screen-Free Audio Picks
If you're just getting started, these are a few of the types of audio that have worked especially well in our home:
Yoto Player
Great for independent listening because children can choose and change their own cards without needing access to a phone or tablet.
Frog and Toad
A favorite in our home. The stories are sweet, funny, and easy for young children to follow.
See Frog and Toad audio options →
BrainBots
A fun option for curious kids who love learning about science, history, nature, and how the world works.
Music Cards
Sometimes kids don't need an educational activity at all. They just want to listen to music they love while they play or relax.
Our daughter currently loves her Frozen music, and it gets plenty of use in our house.
Audible
A good option when we want a larger selection of audiobooks, longer stories for family listening and car rides, or when I simply want a book to listen to myself.
A Few Tips If You're Introducing Audio to Young Kids
If your child hasn't listened to many audiobooks before, don't worry if they aren't immediately ready to sit through a long story.
Start small.
- Choose familiar characters or topics they already love
- Begin with shorter stories
- Let them color or play quietly while listening
- Don't require them to sit perfectly still
- Give them choices whenever possible
- Try music if stories aren't holding their attention yet
- Follow their interests rather than forcing a particular title
Over time, listening itself becomes a skill.
I've found that when the kids genuinely enjoy what they're hearing, I rarely need to convince them to listen.
Finding a Balance That Works for Your Family
There are plenty of conversations about screen time, educational activities, reading, independent play, and what children "should" be doing.
I try not to make family life more complicated than it needs to be.
For us, audio is simply another tool.
Sometimes we read aloud together.
Sometimes the kids play outside.
Sometimes they work on a printable or activity with me.
Sometimes they listen to Frog and Toad.
And sometimes my daughter wants Frozen playing for the hundredth time.
That's real life.
I don't think every minute of childhood needs to be optimized for learning.
But I do love finding simple tools that encourage imagination, independence, curiosity, and meaningful downtime.
Screen-free audio has become one of those tools for our family.
Sometimes the simplest learning tools are the ones that quietly become part of everyday life.
Final Thoughts
If you're looking for more screen-free options for your children, audiobooks and audio players are definitely worth trying.
And if you're a busy parent who loves reading but struggles to find enough uninterrupted time for it, audiobooks can be just as useful for you.
You don't need to overhaul your routine or turn listening into another structured activity.
Put on a story during the next car ride.
Let your child choose something during quiet time.
Play an audiobook while everyone colors at the table.
Or start a book you've been meaning to read the next time you're driving somewhere alone.
See what catches everyone's attention.
And if something the kids hear leads to a question, a conversation, or a new interest, follow it.
Those are often the learning moments I remember most.
Want more simple learning ideas?
Explore our printable homeschool resources, hands-on activities, and complete A–Z Alphabet Unit Study collection designed for preschool and early elementary learners.
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