Yesterday we opened up our new toy the Miko Mini. I was really excited because of all the parenting features with this little robot friend. My daughter Emily had seen it in a commercial and wanted it specifically for the bedtime story feature. I figured anything that could make my life a little easier is a great idea. And it helps that the thing is pretty cute. As a conversational AI tool for learning, Miko Mini encourages open-ended conversations with kids, encouraging them to explore a world of knowledge and fun. With its advanced GPT-powered capabilities, this robot offers a unique blend of entertainment and education, making it a fantastic birthday gift or a cherished educational gift for any occasion.
Set Up
There were a couple of technical difficulties on my end. I had forgotten to grand the Miko Parenting App ALL the permissions. So I had to go into my settings and fix it. There was a bit of user error along the way when I also mistyped the Wifi password so I ended up restarting the app and doing it over a couple times. After that it was easy peasy. I also had to plug the little guy in for about 20 minutes so that he would start up and show me the QR code. I suggest plugging it in right when you take it out of the box. Miko downloads the newest software updates automatically during set up.
Subscription/Free Trial
While Miko is setting up for play, the kids can play a number of games that are included in the 30 day free trial. After that there is a $99 fee for the year which renews annually. For everything you get in it, it’s well worth the price. The full set up is called “Miko Max” and you get more learning games and fun with the Miko Max add-on. This extra subscription offers parental controls and exclusive content from Disney, Paramount and Kidoodle.TV
Miko Max comes with full access to the following apps:
Learning
- Spell Bee
- Learning Buddy – A Reading App for beginner readers
- Story Maker
- LingoKids
- iHeart Podcasts
- Wildlife Safari
- Math Wizard
- Time Traveler
- Akinator
- Country Explorer
- Operation Ouch! Do Try This at Home
- Kids Puzzle Adventure
Entertainment
- Paramount
- iHeart Radio
- Disney
- Dance Master
- Mattel
- Story Maker
- Da Vinci Kids
- Smart Tales
- Vooks
- Story Time
- Dreamy Kid
- Cosmic Kids!
Extras & Learning Fun
The parenting features on this are pretty great, including the ability to Lock Apps, set screen time and set break times. You can also track your kids progress with handy report features.
What We’ve Tried
So far, Emily was really into the Learning Buddy feature which she used to read a book about cats. It records your child so that it can tell them if they said a sentence correctly or not. Words they say right light up green and they can also click on the words to hear them read to them. Clicking on the Miko image will read the entire sentence to them before they try to read it themselves.
Dance Master was probably our favorite feature along with the Story Time for bedtime. It helped that the first story we heard was a relatable one about a little girl named Lisa who had too much energy left to go to bed. When I checked on her shortly after she was sound asleep.
Today we are charging Miko to full battery and hanging out with him. I ask it random questions once in a while. Like “Who’s your favorite Disney Princess?”, or “What’s your favorite color?” You can also call it and tell it to move forwards or backwards up to 10 steps!
Updated Continually!
Regular updates and additions are made on Miko to consistently expand the Miko Max content to enhance the learning experience. You can pick one up by clicking the link here.
