Interactive Audio Stories for Kids
Interactive audio stories let kids take part in the story instead of watching it. They listen to voice actors and music, and at each turning point they decide what the hero does next. There is nothing to watch, so eyes stay free, and children practise listening, remembering details and thinking about consequences.
This guide is for parents who want to try AudioGames with their children. You will find how they work, what to check before you start and seven stories from the PlayNook catalog rated 7+.
How kids play an AudioGame
The story plays like an audiobook. When a choice comes, it stops and offers two or three options: follow the dragon or go back to the village, open the door or wait. Younger children usually play with a parent, choosing together out loud. Older kids can play alone and answer with a tap or with their voice.
Some moments use a dice roll, which makes the story feel like a board game. If something goes wrong, checkpoints bring you back to a key moment, so no one gets stuck or frustrated.
What parents should know
- Age ratings. Every story in the catalog has an age rating: 7+, 12+ or 16+. The stories below are all 7+.
- Length. Each story shows how long it takes before you start. Short stories last a few minutes, longer ones are split into chapters of ten or fifteen minutes, which fits a car ride or bedtime.
- Offline. You can download stories and play them without a connection, useful on trips.
- Languages. Several stories are available in English and Italian, a simple way to practise a second language.
Seven stories for kids aged 7 and up
- The Christmas Raccoons (3 chapters, about 35 min, English and Italian). On Christmas Eve the trees of the Evergreen Forest start disappearing. Three raccoons, a dog and two aardvarks have to solve the mystery together.
- Winx Club: the Awakening of Dark Musa (3 chapters, about 30 min, English and Italian). A magical flute hides a shadow virus that turns Musa into Dark Musa. The player decides whether to help the Winx save her.
- The Legend of the Magic Plant (2 chapters, about 26 min, English and Italian). A dragon steals the tools of a young fisher girl and a young farmer, and they set off to get them back.
- Micky's Road (about 14 min, English and Italian). Micky, a curious kitten, leaves her apartment and crosses the city, between parks, skyscrapers and busy streets.
- Bib the Alien (about 5 min, English). Bib, an alien with many tentacles and one big eye, looks for a new home after his planet is destroyed.
- Checkmate to Time (about 8 min, English and Italian). Markus plays the final of his first chess tournament, with his grandfather's lessons in mind.
- Conducting Masters (about 3 min, English). A duel between two conductors who summon musical genres with their batons.
Tips for playing together
- Use a speaker and let the child say the choice out loud before you tap it.
- After a story, ask what would have happened with the other option, then replay to find out.
- For bedtime, pick a short story or one chapter at a time.
Quick answers
Are AudioGames good for young children?
For children who can follow a spoken story, yes. They are a good middle ground between being read to and playing a game, with no images to look at.
Do kids need to read?
No. Everything is voiced. Choices can be made by voice or with a parent's help.
Where do I find stories suitable for my child?
In the Kids section of the catalog. Each story page shows the age rating, length and languages.
