The Educational Toy Every Parent Should Know About

In this episode of Early Childhood Chats, host Andy Roszak sits down with Drew Vernon from Tonies to talk about a product that has become a staple in his own household and is making waves in early childhood classrooms across the country. Tonies is a screen-free audio system designed for young children, featuring a soft, portable speaker box and magnetic character figures that trigger stories, songs, and educational content when placed on top. Drew shares the origin story of the company, which began in Dusseldorf, Germany, when two dads on a preschool board saw teachers still using CDs and streaming devices that kids could not operate on their own. He walks through his own journey from Procter and Gamble to LEGO to leading the education program at Tonies in the United States.The conversation covers the growing body of research on screen time and child development, the L.A. school district’s recent decision to restrict screens through first grade, the power of audio-based learning in building vocabulary and creative visualization, and the many ways teachers can integrate the Toniebox into classroom centers. Drew also talks about Creative Tonies, the blank recordable figures that let parents, grandparents, and even incarcerated fathers record personal messages and stories for their children. Andy shares his own experience using Creative Tonies to connect his one-hundred-and-one-year-old grandmother with his daughters, and the two discuss the Toniebox 2’s new features including Bluetooth, a sunrise alarm, and a screen-free game system called Tonie Play.Learn more about Tonies: https://us.tonies.com/https://www.instagram.com/tonies.us/Episode Timestamps0:00 Introduction and Andy’s experience as a Tonies parent1:30 Drew Vernon’s background: from P&G to LEGO to Tonies3:30 The origin story of Tonies in Dusseldorf, Germany5:15 How the Toniebox works: magnets, RFID, and kid-friendly design6:30 My First Tonies for ages one and up7:00 Licensing partnerships: Disney, Paw Patrol, Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers, and more8:30 The philosophy behind screen-free audio and creative visualization10:30 Screen time research and the impact of COVID on children’s media habits13:00 The L.A. school district restricting screens through first grade14:30 Creative Tonies: recording your own voice for your children16:00 Incarcerated fathers staying connected through Creative Tonies17:30 Using Tonies during travel, road trips, and at Great Wolf Lodge18:30 Integrating Tonies into the classroom: five learning centers model20:30 Age range: from My First Tonies at age one to audiobooks at age ten21:30 Bluetooth headphones, external speakers, and classroom ratios22:30 Battery life and portability (eight hours)23:00 What’s next: Pokemon partnership and Tonie Play game system25:00 Where to buy and the twenty percent teacher discount26:00 Drew’s favorite Tonie: the LeVar Burton Reading Rainbow collaboration28:00 Wi-Fi and connectivity explained30:00 Drew’s closing thoughts on giving kids the right tools for one childhood----------------------------Early Childhood Chats is hosted by Andrew Roszak - JD, MPA, EMT-PExecutive Director at the Institute for Childhood Preparedness. The Institute for Childhood Preparedness is proud to use its decades of experience to offer comprehensive and expert disaster and emergency preparedness trainings live in-person, via webinar, and on-demand online. // Visit: https://www.childhoodpreparedness.org/ to find out more // Schedule your training today https://www.childhoodpreparedness.org/trainingFOLLOW UShttps://www.instagram.com/childhoodpreparedness/ https://www.facebook.com/ChildPreparedhttps://twitter.com/ChildPreparedhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/institute-for-childhood-preparedness© Institute for Childhood Preparedness 2026 all rights reserved