As kids and teens receive an average of 237 smartphone notifications every day, new guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics encourages parents to manage screen time for children. Excessive screen time can have a negative impact on a child’s social and emotional growth including their sleep and mental health, as well as their overall development.
That’s when two concerned fathers took matters into their own hands to create the widely popular Toniebox, to bring back imagination in its purest form – without screens. We interviewed Christoph Frehsee, Tonies President and Managing Director for North America to learn more about the product.
How does the Tonies concept work? Why was it invented?
Frehsee: Tonies is an immersive audio storytelling experience for children, ages 3 and up, to ignite their imagination, encourage independent play and spark their critical thinking in ways that screens simply can’t. The Toniebox is a screen-free speaker that comes to life when paired with a Tonie figurine and allows kids to listen to their favorite stories or songs from characters like Elsa, Cookie Monster SpongeBob SquarePants, Peppa Pig and more.
What does the product do for kids?
Frehsee: Tonies does a lot for kids. Not only does Tonies encourage independent, imaginative play and spark kids’ creative thinking but the Toniebox also increase kids’ attention, comprehension and vocabulary skills across the board.
A recent study from FUNdamentally Children showed that after using a Toniebox, 53% of children improved attention rating, reading attention increased by an average of 6%, engagement scores increased by an average of 7%, 60% of children improved comprehension scores, reading comprehension increased by an average of 13%, 66% of children improved their vocabulary level and vocabulary scores increased by an average of 13%. It’s incredibly meaningful to see results like these and the impact Tonies is having on kids.
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How does Tonies have a positive impact on bedtime routines?
Frehsee: Tonie is perfect for bedtime. We know that kids get better sleep, as we all do, when they’re not over-stimulated by a screen before bed. That is why Tonies has a specific bedtime collection called Sleepy Friends that is designed for screen-free nighttime routines. These Tonies include lullabies, bedtime stories and nature sounds so kids can unwind and let their little minds stay still.
Parents may be timid about taking away screen time but still providing another electronic to kids. How is this different from every other electronic out there?
Frehsee: Tonies is not like your typical electronics. It’s built to be interactive and with little listeners in mind. The Toniebox is padded on all sides so it’s squishy, snuggly and tumble-proof. Kids can also tap the sides to skip to the next track and move the Toniebox ears to adjust the volume. And once kids put a Tonie figurine on top, the Toniebox comes to life so kids can sing, dance and listen to stories and songs, not to mention they can also play with the Tonie figurines separately too.
What are some other tips we can use to get kids to ditch the screens?
Frehsee: First, we need to set the example as parents. We all need to take a break from our screens, not just our kids. I always encourage my kids to go outside – it’s important to get fresh air, play and exercise. We also cook together – my kids love eating a meal we create together more than something I’ve made for them. Another suggestion is to build or create something. Some of my favorite memories as a kid were building Legos with my father and I love doing this with my kids. It’s a special project we do as a family.
