Flashlight shadow puppets

Yoto

Yoto Player (4th Gen)

Kids pop in a card to play an audiobook, music or podcast. It's no screen, no feed and no algorithm, and the child is in charge. It's the single best "screen replacement" in the catalog, especially for quiet time.

What real parents say: A Wirecutter writer calls it her daughters' favorite gift ever: three years in, it runs bedtime and fills playdates. Sources

Honest drawback: Cards add up (make-your-own cards help). The parent app needs Wi-Fi for setup, and it's still media, so we use it with limits at bedtime.

tonies

Toniebox 2 Starter Set

A squishy cube and figurines: set a character on top and it plays. It's the easiest player for little hands (ages 1+ per the maker), and the figures double as toys.

What real parents say: In WIRED's testing it was the easiest player for a toddler to figure out: put a figure on top and it plays. Sources

Honest drawback: Figures are pricey, and they're collectibles. Set a limit early.

Oeuf

Oeuf Le Small Mushroom Lamp

A warm little mushroom of a lamp for bedtime stories. It's the "fall in love" piece in a big-kid room.

Honest drawback: Splurge for a small lamp. Keep the cord out of a crib or bed's reach.