I was compensated financially and in product by Hasbro for the Yo-kai Watch campaign. My thoughts, words, and whispers are my own.
Every now and again, a toy gives you a new perspective. Yes, they are fun, but sometimes the simple premise of a toy will make you think.
When the box of Yo-kai Watch appeared on my doorstep, I wasn’t really sure what to think. My exposure to and knowledge of the game and series was very limited. What I didn’t realize was that it happens to be one of the most popular franchises, OF ALL TIME, in Japan.
The story centers around a young boy,named Nate, who gets a special watch that allows him to see and summon mysterious spirits called Yo-kai.
And here is where the perspective comes in – the Yo-kai are everywhere! Nate finds himself in the middle of all kinds of adventure, usually caused by mischievous Yo-kai, that he has to find a solution for.
When you think of it, what a fun way to be able to talk about feelings and emotions with kids. On a daily basis they are bombarded with “spirits”, emotions or reactions from other people, that may cause them problems. Kids have to learn to be problem solvers, and sometimes they don’t realize that they have a whole host of “spirits”, or emotions, that they can summon to help them navigate their problems.
And sometimes the characters they encounter are just plain fun. And this is the world of Yo-kai, a boy surrounded by a swirl of adventure and comedy who summons Yo-kai to defeat other Yo-kai and save his day.
My kids loved the watches, which come with interchangeable discs – easy enough to use that my 4 year old son was able to navigate the operation after a few quick lessons from his older sister. They enjoyed the funny sounds of the summoning of each of the Yo-kai (each disc is a different Yo-kai).
The kids also enjoyed organizing the medals in their special Medallium Collection Books. And easy way to organize your Yo-kai, so you can the select the right one for the right situation!
But in order to learn how to use the medals appropriately, the kids had to watch Nate in action. So we broke out the watches and had a Yo-kai Watch party to properly train them how to use their Yo-kai!
Little did I know that it would eventually turn into a dance party…
Between the Yo-kai Watch, medals, album, app (yes there is also an interactive app to use with the watch), and show there is plenty of fun to be had.
The Yo-kai Watch line is a fun way to let your little problem solvers play and enjoy an adventure. As they say in the show “Once a Yo-kai enters your life, it will never be the same!”
Check out on these social channels for more details: