Black Friday: what Muslim families should know before buying a Yoto

Yoto's Black Friday sale is when a lot of families buy their first player. If yours is one of them, a little planning means your child has Qur'an, du'as and stories to listen to from the first evening, rather than just the cards that come in the box.

Before you buy

Yoto makes a larger player that suits a bedroom and a smaller one that travels. The features change between generations, so compare the current models on Yoto's own site rather than going by an old review. The useful question is where your child will listen most. If it's mainly bedtime, the bigger player by the bed makes sense. If it's the car and their grandparents' house, the small one will get more use. Yoto recommends adult supervision for children under 3, so for little ones a player that stays in one room is often easier.

Set up your Yoto account in the app before the player arrives. It's a small thing, and it makes that first evening much calmer.

Buy a few blank cards with it

Yoto's own shop has very little Islamic audio, so most of what we list reaches a player through Make Your Own cards. These are blank cards you link to a playlist in the app, and you can change them as often as you like. A small pack alongside the player means you can set up a few favourites straight away. Our guide to putting Qur'an on a Yoto card walks you through it.

We'd have a couple of cards ready before the box is opened. One calm one for bedtime, and Abdullah Qureshi's Bedtime Lullabies, sung with voices alone, suits that well.

Then one with a short surah your child is learning. Surah Al-Fatihah is a good first, and the version we list has each ayah on its own track.

A story of the prophets makes a good third when you get to it. Everything we've checked against our standard is there when you browse by age.

If the Yoto is a present, for Eid or for anyone else, set up a card and tuck it in the box. It shows you thought about what they'd actually listen to.