There’s no hiding it: I have always been a little extra (yes, extra, not ‘over the top’, my dear husband) in my seasonal celebrations. Halloween is no exception! The spookiness, the legendary creatures, the glow of decorated windows (and the Yoto nightlight – you can adjust the colour to pumpkin orange, blood red or slimy green in the Yoto app to set the mood) the excuse to rewatch Buffy and Charmed, the cosy evenings reading my children classics from my childhood (The Worst Witch truly stands the test of time) by the light of a prematurely-carved Jock-O-Lantern… Oh yes, Halloween is something we dive into in this house.
Having raved about our Yoto player (somewhat relentlessly but for good reason… books being read to my little ones without a screen in sight leaving me able to fold that ever-growing pile of laundry that’s far scarier than any Halloween costume I’ve come across? That’ll make a cheerleader out of me any day) we were kindly sent a package of Yoto’s finest Halloween cards, all stashed in their 64-Card Storage Case, which you can buy here. Being daily users of both Yoto Players and Yoto Minis, our card collection is ever growing, and needless to say, we’re firmly in the spirit in the lead up to the 31st October.
Yoto Cards For Halloween (And the rest of the year, really, as I can’t see my 4 year old parting with them in the name of seasonal correctness!)
The Worst Witch series, by Jill Murphy
I couldn’t not start with this – a true classic from my childhood! One of my favourite things about motherhood has been introducing my favourite stories to my children, and snugging up with hot chocolates to listen to Mildred’s disastrous adventures has sent me straight back to sleepovers with my cousins, listening to the same adventures on the cassette player. These tales have been the perfect introduction to chapter books, getting true belly-laughs out of all of us, and were exactly what we needed for these rainy days.
You can either buy the original audiobook on Yoto – currently on offer at £6.99, here. Or you can buy the full series of Mildred’s time at Cackle Academy – currently on offer for £39.99, here.
Room On The Broom by Julia Donaldson
An absolute necessity in any collection – I would consider it a travesty to not own the entire Julia Donaldson collection! From The Gruffalo to Room On The Broom, and everything in-between, these stories have been the foundation of motherhood for me. Sweet newborn days were spent reading my toddler this book as I breastfed, and to now have that newborn putting the Yoto card on of that very same story, my heart could burst. This card also has the nifty (do people still say nifty? Because it is nifty) feature of a read-along option, which has been fantastic in helping my four year old with his word recognition.
We love this story so much that we have ended up getting two copies of the cards, because some things in life are just too good to share.
You can buy Room On The Broom for your Yoto here – and I highly suggest you do – for £7.99, or complete your collection with these two bundles here and here.
Possibly a book that needs no introduction? It’s another timeless classic, and one that both my 4 and 12 year old have chosen for the school run every single day. It remains as weird, unnerving, hilarious and addictive as I remember it being when I read it as a child – and it’s been the perfect introduction to Roald Dahl’s works of art.
You can buy The Witches for £9.99 here
Magic and Mischief by Enid Blyton
Despite being a book categorised for older children (recommended for both 5-8 & 8-12+) this is my 4 year old’s current favourite, and is playing as he nods off upstairs in his bedroom as I write this. It’s a collection of 30 short stories (I’m sure I know The Goblin’s Dog word for word now!) that can either be listened to separately, or all together – it’s been ideal for long car journeys over half term, at the full audio lasts for a little over 5 hours and has kept them happy with their headphones and Yoto Minis in the back seat.
You can buy Magic and Mischief for £9.99 here.
Tricks and Treats by Enid Blyton
Another collection of 30 short stories, slightly shorter than Magic and Mischief but no less wonderful. Full of the wonder and misdemeanours of giants, witches, fairies and goblins, it’s a magical collection for this time of year. I have always loved my children falling in love with Enid Blyton’s work, as I notice how it helps their vocabulary develop, and even their manners! Having adored The Famous Five collection as a child (to the point where I still have a personalised mug and bowl with the name ‘George’ in the loft, despite my name being Helen) it’s a wave of nostalgia every time I walk into a room where they’re listening to Enid Blyton stories.
You can buy Tricks and Treats for £9.99 here.
This is an hour of original spooky stories – that aren’t actually spooky – for children of around three and above, though my two year old daughter always reaches for this one and contentedly listens to it. Not wanting to introduce her to anything actually scary, this collection is perfect for an introduction to Halloween.
You can buy Ladybird Spooky Stories for £9.99 here.
If this doesn’t throw you back to listening to your teacher read in primary school, I’m sure nothing will! All of my children have been longterm fans of The Skeleton Crew, so the toddlers, being a bit young to read themselves, but able to pick up the Yoto cards and play their favourite stories themselves leaves them quite delighted. Watching their faces light up and listening to the recite ‘In a dark, dark town there was a dark, dark street…’ has truly put a smile on my face.
You can buy Yoto’s Funnybones for £7.99 here.
This was definitely the card that got the most enthusiastic reaction upon opening the Yoto Case! An easy listen with characters children know and love, this story has been well-loved in our house.
Tip: I find that, if my children are ever going through a bit of a slump with reading and are asking for more screen time, listening to Yoto cards with their favourite characters reignites their love for stories. It works for me too, even as an adult. If I’m ever in a reading slump, listening to the audio of one of my favourites really gets my brain ticking again!
You can buy Paw Patrol Pup’s Halloween for your Yoto here, for £7.99
I hope you have a truly Spooktacular Halloween, and that you’ve found some new magic for your Yoto collection in here!
Disclaimer: This post contains gifted items and some affiliate links, though all photos and opinions are completely my own.
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