Pajama Sam in No Need To Hide When It's Dark Outside-
Humongous Entertainment has scored a big ten with this new superhero! My five year old has insisted on showing me every detail of the program tonight....at times much to my consternation. This is his favorite program in quite some time. Since the play changes each time, it is one I find him returning to as well. Most kids experience fear of the dark. With Pajama Sam, your children will realize they are not alone, and they do have power to conquer their own fears.
As with previous Humongous releases, this program consists of beautifully hand-drawn animations. Hot spots abound and have become something of a Humongous trademark. Click on almost anything you see and you are in for an animated surprise. The music is not the least bit annoying and the more than 50 locations available to explore will keep your kids busily engaged for a long time.
Sam is a youngster who is going to bed with the lights out for the first time. His hero is a character called Pajama Man whom he tries to emulate. Armed with his mask, flashlight and lunch box (which you must find in his room,) Sam ventures in to the closet to capture Darkness, his arch enemy. The fact that Sam is afraid, yet faces his fears head on is an important lesson for young children. Throughout the program Sam will face obstacles which he must overcome to capture Darkness and conquer his fear once and for all. Problem solving skills and critical thinking skills are emphasized...although my kids just think it is "cool." This program is not scary, but there are scenes which may frighten a very small child for just a moment or two. This world Sam discovers is full of talking trees, dancing furniture and singing kitchen appliances. Since he is conquering his fear of the dark, some of the backgrounds and scenes may appear rather sinister to a very sensitive child or to a family who opposes this theme. I mention this simple for your awareness. We have had no problems with fear during the play of Pajama Sam at our house.
As with other Humongous Entertainment adventures, Sam will be collecting items throughout the program. He can choose to collect and match the socks he finds strewn around this new world in order to obey his mothers instructions. At one point Sam looses a rope which is given to him by a friendly tree. I was thrilled to see that upon returning to the tree Sam tells the tree to truth about his accident and is promptly forgiven. Not only does Pajama Sam teach strength, but several other worthwhile values as play progresses.
Pajama Sam is a big hit here and we look forward to more adventures with this new superhero of sorts. My only complaint about this program is that my son now thinks he can stay in his pajamas all day and simply say that he is Pajama Sam .....I wish I were joking!
Grading:
Educational value- 4
Entertainment value- 5
Use of medium- 5
Age- 3-8