I quite like my PALight. I have the one with the "always-on" feature, and I like it. If/when I buy a second one, I'll probably opt for one I can actually shut off, so I can leave it in the glovebox with a Lithium 9V in it, as a low-light companion to the SureFire 6P or 9Z (depending on the vehicle) I carry there.
Oh, yeah... it's quite durable, what with its rubber body and all. It'll survive lots of drops and throws and such, although if your child really whips it across the room, it might hit on just the wrong spot and burst open; you'd then have to find the metal band that goes around the middle, and maybe the lens from in front of the LED-- no biggie on the damage, but a PIPPA (Pain In the Proverbial Part of the Anatomy) for the 'search and retrieve' factor.