I remember, not too long ago, when iPods and similar devices were used almost exclusively by adults and teenagers. Now, kids in elementary school (and probably even younger) can be seen with headphone buds hanging out of their ears. Not every parent wants to spend that kind of money on something that little ones can easily damage or break, though. Playaway Ready-to-go Audio players are definitely cheaper and easier to use than other personal audio devices--each one comes pre-loaded with an audio book or music album, then it’s just a matter of turning them on and putting the earphones in your ears.
While the concept sounds great, unfortunately these players didn’t exactly hold up under testing. We had a mom and son try these out, with the 6-year-old listening to a “Kidz Bop” title and mom listening to an audio version of White Oleander. According to mom, the “Kidz Bop” player only lasted seven minutes before dying out and the audio book lasted an hour before the voice sped up and got distorted. She also said that the earphones were too big for her ears, let alone her son’s.
Even at $29.99 a piece, it looks like an actual MP3 player is still a better bet than these players. For more information, visit www.playawaydigital.com.