diff --git a/client/i18n-test.js b/client/i18n-test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fcef18a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/i18n-test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+import i18n from 'i18next';
+import { initReactI18next } from 'react-i18next';
+
+import translations from '../translations/locales/en-US/translations.json';
+
+i18n
+  .use(initReactI18next)
+  .init({
+    lng: 'en-US',
+    fallbackLng: 'en-US',
+
+    // have a common namespace used around the full app
+    ns: ['translations'],
+    defaultNS: 'translations',
+
+    debug: false,
+
+    interpolation: {
+      escapeValue: false, // not needed for react!!
+    },
+
+    resources: { 'en-US': { translations } },
+  });
+
+
+export default i18n;
diff --git a/client/jest.setup.js b/client/jest.setup.js
index 233c76db..79652c74 100644
--- a/client/jest.setup.js
+++ b/client/jest.setup.js
@@ -3,21 +3,3 @@ import '@babel/polyfill';
 // See: https://github.com/testing-library/jest-dom
 // eslint-disable-next-line import/no-extraneous-dependencies
 import '@testing-library/jest-dom';
-
-import lodash from 'lodash';
-
-// For testing, we use en-US and provide a mock implementation
-// of t() that finds the correct translation
-import translations from '../translations/locales/en-US/translations.json';
-
-// This function name needs to be prefixed with "mock" so that Jest doesn't
-// complain that it's out-of-scope in the mock below
-const mockTranslate = key => lodash.get(translations, key);
-
-jest.mock('react-i18next', () => ({
-  // this mock makes sure any components using the translate HoC receive the t function as a prop
-  withTranslation: () => (Component) => {
-    Component.defaultProps = { ...Component.defaultProps, t: mockTranslate };
-    return Component;
-  },
-}));
diff --git a/client/modules/IDE/components/FileNode.jsx b/client/modules/IDE/components/FileNode.jsx
index 0533091a..f4b8166d 100644
--- a/client/modules/IDE/components/FileNode.jsx
+++ b/client/modules/IDE/components/FileNode.jsx
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ FileName.propTypes = {
   name: PropTypes.string.isRequired
 };
 
-export class FileNode extends React.Component {
+class FileNode extends React.Component {
   constructor(props) {
     super(props);
 
@@ -419,4 +419,7 @@ const TranslatedFileNode = withTranslation()(FileNode);
 
 const ConnectedFileNode = connect(mapStateToProps, mapDispatchToProps)(TranslatedFileNode);
 
-export default ConnectedFileNode;
+export {
+  TranslatedFileNode as FileNode,
+  ConnectedFileNode as default
+};
diff --git a/client/modules/IDE/components/FileNode.test.jsx b/client/modules/IDE/components/FileNode.test.jsx
index ddb8fec7..84b14aa5 100644
--- a/client/modules/IDE/components/FileNode.test.jsx
+++ b/client/modules/IDE/components/FileNode.test.jsx
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import React from 'react';
-import { fireEvent, render, screen, waitFor, within } from '@testing-library/react';
+
+import { fireEvent, render, screen, waitFor, within } from '../../../test-utils';
 import { FileNode } from './FileNode';
 
 describe('<FileNode />', () => {
diff --git a/client/modules/IDE/components/Toolbar.jsx b/client/modules/IDE/components/Toolbar.jsx
index 5a126b35..5da38560 100644
--- a/client/modules/IDE/components/Toolbar.jsx
+++ b/client/modules/IDE/components/Toolbar.jsx
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ class Toolbar extends React.Component {
             this.props.setTextOutput(true);
             this.props.setGridOutput(true);
           }}
-          aria-label="Play sketch"
+          aria-label={this.props.t('Toolbar.PlaySketchARIA')}
           disabled={this.props.infiniteLoop}
         >
           <PlayIcon focusable="false" aria-hidden="true" />
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ class Toolbar extends React.Component {
         <button
           className={playButtonClass}
           onClick={this.props.startSketch}
-          aria-label="Play only visual sketch"
+          aria-label={this.props.t('Toolbar.PlayOnlyVisualSketchARIA')}
           disabled={this.props.infiniteLoop}
         >
           <PlayIcon focusable="false" aria-hidden="true" />
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ class Toolbar extends React.Component {
         <button
           className={stopButtonClass}
           onClick={this.props.stopSketch}
-          aria-label="Stop sketch"
+          aria-label={this.props.t('Toolbar.StopSketchARIA')}
         >
           <StopIcon focusable="false" aria-hidden="true" />
         </button>
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ class Toolbar extends React.Component {
               }
             }}
             disabled={!canEditProjectName}
-            aria-label="Edit sketch name"
+            aria-label={this.props.t('Toolbar.EditSketchARIA')}
           >
             <span>{this.props.project.name}</span>
             {
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ class Toolbar extends React.Component {
             type="text"
             maxLength="128"
             className="toolbar__project-name-input"
-            aria-label="New sketch name"
+            aria-label={this.props.t('Toolbar.NewSketchNameARIA')}
             value={this.state.projectNameInputValue}
             onChange={this.handleProjectNameChange}
             ref={(element) => { this.projectNameInput = element; }}
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ class Toolbar extends React.Component {
         <button
           className={preferencesButtonClass}
           onClick={this.props.openPreferences}
-          aria-label="Open Preferences"
+          aria-label={this.props.t('Toolbar.OpenPreferencesARIA')}
         >
           <PreferencesIcon focusable="false" aria-hidden="true" />
         </button>
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ Toolbar.propTypes = {
   saveProject: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
   currentUser: PropTypes.string,
   t: PropTypes.func.isRequired
+
 };
 
 Toolbar.defaultProps = {
@@ -225,6 +226,5 @@ const mapDispatchToProps = {
   ...projectActions,
 };
 
-export const ToolbarComponent = Toolbar;
-// export default connect(mapStateToProps, mapDispatchToProps)(Toolbar);
-export default withTranslation()(connect(mapStateToProps, mapDispatchToProps)(Toolbar));
+export const ToolbarComponent = withTranslation()(Toolbar);
+export default connect(mapStateToProps, mapDispatchToProps)(ToolbarComponent);
diff --git a/client/modules/IDE/components/Toolbar.test.jsx b/client/modules/IDE/components/Toolbar.test.jsx
index cd435302..79b0f9ee 100644
--- a/client/modules/IDE/components/Toolbar.test.jsx
+++ b/client/modules/IDE/components/Toolbar.test.jsx
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 import React from 'react';
-import { fireEvent, render, screen, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
 import lodash from 'lodash';
 
-
+import { fireEvent, render, screen, waitFor } from '../../../test-utils';
 import { ToolbarComponent } from './Toolbar';
 
 const renderComponent = (extraProps = {}) => {
diff --git a/client/test-utils.js b/client/test-utils.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b8e9e382
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/test-utils.js
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+/**
+ * This file re-exports @testing-library but ensures that
+ * any calls to render have translations available.
+ *
+ * This means tested components will be able to call
+ * `t()` and have the translations of the default
+ * language
+ *
+ * See: https://react.i18next.com/misc/testing#testing-without-stubbing
+ */
+
+// eslint-disable-next-line import/no-extraneous-dependencies
+import { render } from '@testing-library/react';
+import React from 'react';
+import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
+
+
+import { I18nextProvider } from 'react-i18next';
+import i18n from './i18n-test';
+
+// re-export everything
+// eslint-disable-next-line import/no-extraneous-dependencies
+export * from '@testing-library/react';
+
+const Providers = ({ children }) => (
+  // eslint-disable-next-line react/jsx-filename-extension
+  <I18nextProvider i18n={i18n}>
+    {children}
+  </I18nextProvider>
+);
+
+Providers.propTypes = {
+  children: PropTypes.element.isRequired,
+};
+
+const customRender = (ui, options) =>
+  render(ui, { wrapper: Providers, ...options });
+
+// override render method
+export { customRender as render };