Toys
MBE partnered with Intelino for this review and giveaway and this post contains affiliate links
2020 Year of The Smart Toy Train
For decades, kids have been enchanted with trains large and small. As a Baby Boomer I know trains sure did fascinate me as I recall the book The Engine That Could which my parents read to me and the elaborate Lionel electric model train table village my Daddy built in our basement for our family and friends to enjoy. Then when I became a mother, we raised our foursome with the help of Thomas the Tank Engine as well as visits to children's museums dedicated to the history and fun of real and toy trains, and a family vacation train trip via the Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Denali National Park.
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| Photo Cred Balazs Busznyak |
The Classic Toy Train Reinvented for Modern Kids
A special thank you to my nephew and niece's darling children for test driving the Intelino J1 Smart Train Starter Set they received from the brand, sharing with you our loyal readers how much fun they're having with this intellectually stimulating toy and what a great holiday gift idea other kids will likely appreciate.
Rooted in the nostalgia and traditional toy train playing experience of yesteryear, the Intelino Smart Train incorporates the latest robotics technology. Even better, it is expandable and designed to grow with your child as their fine motor abilities and STEM skills emerge and develop.
For a child as young as a 3-year old, thanks to the simplicity of the train's design, no technical ability is required. As a child's first train set, a preschooler can enjoy screen free amusement with a modular train track that is easy for little ones to click together to assemble, ready for hours of train playing fun.
To make things even more exciting, little ones can even snap on different color tiles to the track which impact the way the train moves. Out of the box, the engine comes with 17 snap-based actions built-in to the train. So even without the app, the smart engine's color sensors are continuously scanning the track while the train is in motion, responding to each of seven tile colors with different actions. An added plus for the younger set is that the Intelino train included in the starter set is compatible with the ability to run (with a few limitations) on most major brand wooden tracks made by BRIO, IKEA and others.
Expanding Kids Minds As They Grow
Later, when paired with the free app that's included, older boys and girls are able to interact with the toy on a more complex and sophisticated level. Elevating the train's functionality to new heights using a smartphone or mobile device, the Intelino Smart Train grows with kids, expanding into a smart train featuring advanced robotics which will engage new STEM skills as youngsters grow, learn, control and interact with the train.
"First we went through the instructions together, learning about how everything works," the kids' mom recalls. "Then my six-year old easily assembled the track on his own in about 15 minutes while I downloaded the app onto a smartphone. The next thing I knew, my son and his younger sister, who is in kindergarten, were off to the races having a blast together, saying things like 'Oh my gosh, Mom, look at that train go and Vroom and off we go!'
"As a parent I like that the Intelino Smart Train is not only educational and helps to build STEM skills, it is also small, compact, making it simple for kids to put together and take apart for storage. Best played with on a wood, laminate or other smooth surface floor, the train, tracks and app are all easy enough for boys and girls as young as 5 or 6 years old to use without any adult involvement. This is a fun activity to keep my kids occupied for an hour or two while I'm preparing dinner, especially on hectic school nights."
How Intelino Works With the App
The smart engine is powered by a 32-bit ARM microcontroller via Bluetooth wireless connectivity, while the MCU controls the train’s sensors, running its software algorithms and communicating with external devices. It also enables firmware updates and user programmability features. But don't let all that technical jargon about robotics scare you because the Intelino train "brain" is hardwired to offer a host of really fun features which older kids can easily tap into and leverage.
In addition to a multi-function button to turn the engine ON and OFF and start and stop it, kids will appreciate all capabilities they can control such as traveling speed, sound and light effects. For example, the built-in speaker makes it possible to change the sound of the train from a city express train, to and police transporter and more.
Similarly, LED feedback lights on the train engine illuminate via color LEDs -- customized by the user by programming within the app -- which varies as the train starts, stops, moves forward or backward, or goes slower or faster traveling up to 3.3 feet (100 centimeters) per second. It even has a mileage odometer which tracks and records how far the train has traveled.
Additional cool features include the electro-magnetic wagon coupler in the rear of the engine which can also be controlled via color senor inputs or through the app, dropping off the attached wagon on demand. The included Lithium Polymer battery delivers 100+ minutes of continuous play time and is rechargeable via a micro-USB port.
The Intelino J1 Smart Train Starter Set
The fun begins as soon as the box is opened. Inside, kids will discover an unboxing experience like none other as they check out what's inside each of the nested boxes.
What's Included
- Smart Train Engine and a Wagon
- 20-piece Train Tracks Set
- 40 Color Snaps Controlling Train Actions
- Sheet of Decals to Customize Train Cars
- USB Charging Cable
- Quick-Start Guide
As you've seen by the images throughout this post, my 5-year old grand niece and 6-year old grand nephew gave this train set a thorough test drive, ultimately giving the Intelino Smart Train Starter Set a thumbs up kids seal of approval. Their mom and dad also agree and they look forward to many hours of family fun together watching their kids playing together while increasing their STEM skill smarts through interacting with this innovative train set.
Today Show Names Intelino to Hottest Kids Holiday Tech Gift Picks
According to https://t.co/QI0YNHeDFf, intelino smart train is one of the hottest gadgets and tech gifts for kids 2020https://t.co/hxQl6CL7L7
— intelino (@intelino) November 6, 2020
With such a popular kids tech toy now available in the US and Canada, we could not be more excited to be announcing that thanks to the brand we are hosting an Intelino Smart Train Starter Set Giveaway exclusively for MBE's audience. Read on to learn how to enter for your chance to win this fun and educational kid- and family-friendly prize valued at approximately $100 USD/$130 CAD.
GIVEAWAY
Thanks to Intelino, ONE (1) lucky MBE giveaway participant will win the sparkling Intelino Smart Train Starter Set (Approx value $100 USD/$130 CAD). To enter this giveaway Mommy Blog Expert is hosting, visit this MBE Instagram post. Contest is open to BOTH USA and CANADA residents and qualifying winner will be selected at random. Hurry, this giveaway ends December 1, 2020 at 11:59pm EST. Intelino is providing the prize and is responsible for delivery to winner.
Good Luck to Everyone Who Enters to Win!
Thanks to Intelino, ONE (1) lucky MBE giveaway participant will win the sparkling Intelino Smart Train Starter Set (Approx value $100 USD/$130 CAD). To enter this giveaway Mommy Blog Expert is hosting, visit this MBE Instagram post. Contest is open to BOTH USA and CANADA residents and qualifying winner will be selected at random. Hurry, this giveaway ends December 1, 2020 at 11:59pm EST. Intelino is providing the prize and is responsible for delivery to winner.
Good Luck to Everyone Who Enters to Win!
More About Intelino
Sold internationally since 2019, the Intelino Smart Train is sturdy and built to last, engaging and challenging kids' brains as they grow, expanding into learning reasoning and coding when used with the app. The Intelino J1 Smart Train Starter Set, as well as add-on accessories including the Intelino Track Extension Pack and Intelino Wooden Track Adapter Kit, are currently available for purchase separately.
Plans to expand product offerings and availability both online and in-store are expected to be announced soon. Founded by Dr. Armen Kroyan, PhD, an inventor and electrical engineer, California-based Intelino is a consumer robotics company focused on developing and bringing new smart educational toys to the current generation growing up today who are the future scientists and engineers of tomorrow.
Learn more about the Intelino Smart Train on the brand's website, plus stay up on all the latest Intelino news by following them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
DISCLOSURE: We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program that allows our site to earn compensation for including referral links within our posts to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
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