Vtech - Smartville Alphabet Train Station

Other products by VTech

Product Features

• One deluxe play set with 25 Smart Parts and 12 learning activities!
• Move the train to hear the alphabet.
• Light-up display reinforces letters and objects.
• Press the track to learn letters, phonics and words.
• 12 months +

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 16.1 x 24.1 inches ; 8.4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 10.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000EQHK30
• Item model number: 80-69600
• Our recommended age: 1 - 3 years
• Manufacturer recommended age: 12 months and up
• Batteries: 3 AA batteries required.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,364 in Toys & Games (See Bestsellers in Toys & Games)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #62 in

  Toys & Games > Preschool > Toddler Toys > Electronic Learning Toys & Systems

• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)

Product Description

Editorial Review

The Alphabet Train Station packs a slew of activities for preschoolers, usually found in a combination of toys, into one fun-filled set. Toddlers learn their alphabet by moving the train around or pressing letters on the track to hear the letter and object spoken. Letters light up on the display panel for additional reinforcement. When kids get tired of that, they can place one of the 18 plastic animals in the Smart Parts spot to discover which animal they are and the sound they make. Still looking for more? Preschoolers can attempt some composing on the five-key piano or work on telling time by turning the hands on the station clock. As a last resort, kids can ignore all the electronic bells and whistles and just have some good old-fashioned creative play with the animals, the train track, and the seven role-play pieces. As with many Vtech toys, the Alphabet Train Station makes a lot of repetitive sounds that kids love but can get on parents’ nerves. Thankfully, there is a volume control for quieter play. The toy comes with three short-term "AA" batteries for immediate play out of the box and an automatic shut-off feature kicks in if the station is left untouched for a few minutes. --Cristina Vaamonde

Product Description

Next stop' SmartVille! This "smart" learning toy fuels your child's imagination with moving, interactive parts. Place the included 28 brainy characters on hot spots throughout the station and watch them talk and teach your child. Wind the hands on the station clock to learn time. Identify letters and their sounds on the light-up display. Move the train across the electronic track to hear the alphabet.

With the SmartVille Alphabet Train Station, your child will whisk from whistle stop to whistle stop while learning letters, phonics, vocabulary, numbers, shapes, colors, animals, animal sounds, music and so much more. Requires 3 "AA" batteries (included). Measures 32.5"L x 20"W x 13.5"H.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loaded with Stimulating Goodies!, November 25, 2006

By	Robert A. Meck "rameck" (Lancaster, PA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

We bought this for our son when he was around 9 months old. He's a little over 12 months now and it is still his favorite toy - even after all the goodies he got for his birthday! I always loved trains myself and thought this would be something we would both enjoy together. I was a little disappointed at first because there are no actual train cars and the included engine seems more of an afterthought. My son, however, was elated with the toy. He quickly learned how to place the figures on the pedestal to hear about what they are called and what sounds they make. The two modes (Learning & Discovery) can be easily toggled back and forth offering quite a bit of stimulation and the LED display really grabs his attention. It is extremely durable as my son likes to pull and push it, turn it upside down and bend it in ways you would expect it to break. I couldn't recommend it more...

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not Leapfrog..., January 9, 2007

By	Shannon Watson "Mom of 3" (Glenmoore, PA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

For some reason I thought that the train was motorized and would travel around the track but unfortunately, that is not the case. The child needs to push it by hand. While doing this, music will start to play and then some of the ABC buttons on the track will go off arbitrarily. It's rather confusing and not very rewarding. The track is not well designed as the child needs to lean over or sit on the track to reach the buttons. I bought this hoping to reinforce alphabet learning but this toy does not deliver. The only way to hear the letters is to press the buttons on the track but the stickers are not very interesting and so get ignored. It seems the most functional part of the toy is identifying the animals yet the animals are rather abstract looking. This toy is very disappointing and not very educational.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Badly Designed, January 4, 2007

By	L. Holmberg "Mom in Medway" (Medway, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My 17 month old received this toy as a Christmas gift.
He was eager to play, but unfortunately, the toy is designed so that in order to play with the train station, the toddler must sit on and/or kick the train tracks. The toy's babble resulting from the toddler inadvertently activating the alphabet train track is annoying at best. At worst it prevents the toddler from realizing and enjoying the features he is actually activating.
Another design flaw is in the folding action of the toy. I imagine they were going for better storage ability, but the train station can easily tip forward onto the toddler as he is trying to play. Not much fun.
The animals resemblance to the creatures they are meant to represent may be a little too abstract (our toddler could not recognize any of them and he's an animal nut).
I do not recommend this toy.