Playtime with Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc. (Disney & Philips SoftPals Light)

Initial Impression

We had the opportunity to try out the Disney & Philips SoftPals light, which is Mike from the animated movie "Monsters Inc". We were initially reserved about its appearance: will Mike's huge eye scare our young son? The product states that it's suitable for children from 3 years onwards, but our son is only 2 and a half years.

 

Usage

As always, we will supervise our child whenever we introduce a new toy. I opened the package and was quite surprised by the simplicity of the set-up and usage. The wiring cable attached to the charging base is also of a good length: neither too long or too short. I was initially worried that my son would get himself tangled if the wire was too long. Using it was easy as well; we simply plugged it in without having to read any instruction manual. I placed Mike on top of the base for charging, which took less than a minute. I was amused to find that there was no on/off button. All we had to do was tilt Mike at a 45 degree angle and he immediately lit up! Switching it off was easy as well: just a mere tilt and Mike was back to his dark self. Definitely a suitable product for children as young as 3 years old and up.

 

The Real Test

I decided to let my son, Ayden, try the product on a Sunday evening when he was in a good mood. A side note: parents should understand that the mood of our children affects how they perceive introductions of new playthings. First, I had both Mike and base plugged on our TV console. We observed that Ayden didn't seem scared of the “monstrous-looking” Mike because his first reaction was a smile, which was a good sign! We had him fiddle with the lamp for a while and was waiting for the moment when Ayden would learn how to switch it on by tilting when he suddenly threw it onto the floor! To be honest, I was shocked when he did that because I thought it will break upon impact. But thankfully, the lamp looked like it was made from some kind of polymer plastic so it wouldn't break from being thrown. To make sure that Ayden was truly not afraid of Mike and would not hesitate to play with the lamp, I brought it into the bedroom where Ayden currently sleeps with us. I switched off the main light and walked Ayden into the darkened bedroom with Mike lit up. The glow of the light in the dark was just right; it was neither too bright for my son's eyes nor was it so dim that you can't really see your way in the darkness with it. My son was filled with so much excitement that he started throwing Mike around on the bed and tilting the lamp to switch it on or off. It sort of kept him busy while we were occupied with our household chores.

 

Overall Opinion

I think this product is simply great for both children and their parents. It has a collection of other cute characters available too, so the light can also be used like any regular toy. Looks like our colleague's son had a fun playtime with Mike Wazowski! If your child has a fear of sleeping in the dark, then this Disney & Philips SoftPals collection of lights will definitely chase those bedtime blues away. Don't forget to get one or two for your children!