Thomas & Friends Steam Team Station

App-Supported Active Play Device for iPad!

One of my sons favorite gadgets is our Apple iPad, which has been a fundamental part of his weekly learning, reading, and interacting with technology. I’ve encouraged my son to learn how to use all of our tech gadgets since he was an infant just learning to sit up and maneuver his fingers around the screen, but I have lately discovered a brand new way to introduce iPad play through active play devices, which creates a much more hands-on interactive experience. We recently received Discover Bay Games’ newest hot product, Thomas & Friends Steam Team Station, which is an app-supported active play device for the iPad!

My son is a HUGE fan of Thomas & Friends, so the ability to incorporate that with his favorite tech gadget has been a lot of fun for all of us! The Steam Team Station app features 3 interactive adventures that will get kids skipping, racing, jumping, and spinning around with the entire Thomas & Friends crew. Setting up the Steam Team Station and getting our son ready to play was very simple and easy! — Plus, I love how we can leave the station out and my son can easily load the app and setup the game all on his own!

All you need in order to play with the Thomas & Friends Steam Team Station is the actual Steam Team Station from Discovery Bay Games’ Duo Games ($39.99) and your iPad so that you can download the Steam Team Station game app. (FREE!). Once you’ve connected your iPad to the Steam Team Station — possibilities are endless! There’s nothing complicated about setting up the game onto your iPad and thereafter slipping the iPad into the active play device. Your little one’s can be ready-to-go and playing with Thomas in under 2-minutes (Seriously! It’s THAT easy!).

The app comes with three different interactive games, but you can purchase an additional game, Seek and Find Adventure, for $1.99 as an in-app purchase. The three games are called Steam Engine Relay, Seek and Find Adventure, and Sodor Spot-It. Each game features an entirely different game premise and goal, so your child has plenty of fun ahead of him as he learns how to play each of these games.

There are six engine cards included with the Thomas & Friends Steam Team Station device. The device connects to the iPad using sound technology (as opposed to bluetooth), which means that you will slip in an audio plug between the iPad and active play device. 

Don’t worry, mom! I know that you are already thinking about how your child could easily misplace the engine cards that come with the device. Have no fear! Duo Games thought of everything – including a useful storage spot to keep the cards once you are ready to put it away after playtime! 

The photo above shows the backside of the Steam Team Station device. There’s a pop-out style stand that’ll help the device from wobbling or tipping over. This pops right back to a flat position for easy storage. Notice there’s also a tiny door on the right with a gray tab? Open up that compartment and store all six of your engine cards so that they are ready for play next time!

The engine cards are used on the right side slot of your iPad active play device. They are double-sided and used in your Thomas & Friends app play, which makes for a lot of interactive fun for your child! We love our iPad and especially enjoy watching our son play, learn, and grow along with it. However, I am really enjoying the idea of giving my son a supplemental device, such as the Thomas & Friends Steam Team Station. This allows parents to incorporate technology and action so that your child won’t be sitting around anymore when he’s playing with an iPad! Your child will be learning how to interact and use technology while playing a game that encourages movement and exercise, too! 

The device is lightweight and very easy to transport! Storing it isn’t a problem at all since both sides fold in and the center compacts, too. The Thomas & Friends Steam Team Station would be a great game to bring along on your next vacation, trips to grandma’s house, slumber parties with friends, or while laying around the house (especially with the colder months here!).

I can tell you that we will definitely continue to play with our Steam Team Station device year round, but I am especially excited to use it on those days when we’re locked indoors because of a snow storm. This will make for a great afternoon of game play for our son! However, I can also see my family bringing this game to the beach. Why not?!

Purchase Discover Bay Games’ Thomas & Friends Steam Team Station for only $39.99 and get your little one’s playing with this fun app-supported active play device for your iPad today! The device is currently available from your favorite local and online retailers: Amazon.com, Apple Stores, and Target.

Learn more about Duo Games, which is a division of Discovery Bay Games, when you head on over to Duo-Games.com and discover more of their active play devices for your iPad! 

* Download the Steam Team Station game app for free in the Apple iTunes Store!

"Thomas & Friends Steam Team Station provides app-supported active play adventures and an all-new way for kids to play with the iPad. With the iPad secured in Steam Team Station, kids play with six interactive engine cards to activate games on the iPad."

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