Who Are These Webkinz…And Why Should We Have One?
Should I give in to the Webkinz craze? My almost six year old has never been one to follow trends. He likes what he likes and doesn’t care what others think and if everyone else is into something and he isn’t, so be it. That’s why I was so surprised when he began bringing up Webkinz. A lot.
I’m old and out of touch so it didn’t surprise me I didn’t know much about Webkinz, so we went to the website to take a look. They appear to be small stuffed animals. Interesting. My son has tons of stuffed animals but the only one he acknowledges is his trusty bear who has been with him from the very beginning. Further exploration shows there are Webkinz games one can play for free on the website. This must be what he’s talking about.
But wait.
In order to get into the Webkinz games one have a Webkinz secret code. How does one get said Webkinz secret code? Why, by buying the Webkinz animals, of course. Clever. Clever. Clever.
I also see the Webkinz games allow you to chat with and play with other kids. A dangerous situation, if you ask me, and we’re not going to be doing that. I did tell my son we can work on ways for him to earn money towards his Webkinz animal, but I’m not rushing out to buy one.
I also hear tell there are Webkinz cheat codes one can find by doing a search. Some of the moms seem to do that. Personally, I don’t feel right about teaching my son to cheat a system. I know, I’m a boring mom.
So Webkinz moms, enlighten me. Is this stuffed animal, complete with game and Webkinz secret code something I want for my child or is it a trend he’ll grow tired of in a month?
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POSTED IN: Kid Stuff
14 opinions for Who Are These Webkinz…And Why Should We Have One?
Anthony
Apr 2, 2008 at 6:50 am
Can Dads weigh in on this issue too. :)
My 5 year old and his kindergarten friends are all into Webkinz and personally I don’t think you have much to worry about.
Chatting can only be done by selecting canned sentences like, “I’m glad you’re my friend” and there is no way to type in a message. Which is smart because this way you don’t have to worry about what people are saying to your child online.
And cheat codes seem to be what everyone is searching for online but if they catch you using one, your account will be canceled no matter how many Webkinz you have. There’s a lesson that’s worth learning.
Other than the consumerism of buying more and more Webkinz (my kids have 8) there isn’t a lot to worry about in Webkinz World.
Robin
Apr 2, 2008 at 7:05 am
My boys each have three Webkinz. We limited it to two, but Santa brought them each a third. At first they were frantic about getting online and playing the games to earn points so that they could feed, dress and furnish their pets. But the computer part quickly wore off, and they still play with the stuffed animals (the five year old in particular)
Anthony is right - the chat is nothing like a real chat. They can only send prewritten sentences. There is no way to share any kind of personal information.
I didn’t know about the cheat codes, and as far as I know my boys don’t either.
The webkinz are relatively inexpensive ($10-$15 depending on where you get them) and their are many games on the site that your five year old can play by himself. Letting my five year old play for 20 minutes or so in the morning often gives me a little time to empty the dishwasher and do a load of laundry without my “helper” that makes the task last twice as long!
Barbara Ling (aka Owlbert)
Apr 2, 2008 at 7:14 am
3 of my kids have webkinz…but methinks they just were seduced by the fluffy aspect. They don’t frequent the website at all.
Have to give webkinz credit, however - they did a superb marketing job with it. Have you seen some of the knockoffs like http://www.shiningstars.com/ ?
Enjoy,
Barbara
ColleenM
Apr 2, 2008 at 7:48 am
My two girls - 6 & 4 - love theirs. I actually love the games on the site so when they are in bed, I hop on and play a few!
Cheap Like Me
Apr 2, 2008 at 9:33 am
I was thinking of this subject just this morning when the conversation outside the first- and second-grade cubbies included “I have TWO Webkinz.” “Well I have a Webkinz.” “Well you only have one.” I saw the animals for the first time a couple of weeks ago at a toy store while buying a gift (a stuffed dog) for my daughter’s friend. My daughter wasn’t interested at all in the Webkinz despite the furor at school. But she’s not that into computer stuff.
Rachel
Apr 2, 2008 at 12:11 pm
My boys (8.5 & 6) have 4 and 3 respectively. Their newest were from the Easter Bunny.
They love them and they do play online, but not overly much. I think the whole thing is GREAT. It’s not often that 8.5 year old boys are going to be into stuffed animals in the way mine is, and he loves them and sleeps with them. That he can feed them, and take care of them online is awesome.
I also love the site and will play the games sometimes, too. Both of the kids have plenty of activities they can do on their own to earn Kinzcash to make purchases for their pets.
There is a little movie maker that my 8 year old loves.
And it’s been mentioned before, but all chatting is canned, and there is no way to share any type of personal information. Very secure.
You can also send your friends mail, so my boys are constantly sending each other gifts through the mail. It is so great to see them sending each other notes and gifts “because you are my friend”.
I think they are great fun and would recommend it.
J-Coll
Apr 2, 2008 at 12:40 pm
I’m not a fan of Webkinz - I think its overhyped. Build a Bear is better and now they have a super fun site - buildabearville.com. Plus, the bears have a lifespan - Webkinz will eventually end up in the trash. JMHO.
Jennifer
Apr 2, 2008 at 2:35 pm
My two boys, ages 10 and 5, both have webkinz. I like it allows them practice on the computer in a “safe” environment, free from some of the pop ups, ads, etc that are seen on sites like Nick.com. Although the novelty of visiting the website comes and goes in spurts, they also like the animals themselves (they are pretty cute!)
shannyn
Apr 2, 2008 at 7:34 pm
My eight year old has 10 of them, and she’s been playing for over a year so it’s not something that they seem to get tired of quickly. I think the idea was genius and wish I had thought of it myself.
But I came up with something even smarter. Since I grew up playing nintendo and all the various systems that came after, I’m better at video games than my daughter, and she’s always in desperate need of kinz cash to buy things for her pets. So I trade her my elite skills for her doing the dishes for me! I don’t know how long it’ll be until she either gets better than me at video games or realizes how raw this deal is, but I’m enjoying it while it lasts.
Kati
Apr 7, 2008 at 1:15 pm
My mom (really me since she just sends money and I buy something here where we live) got my kids each a webkinz for x-mas. At one time I felt like you - didn’t like the idea and since it was a craze I liked it even less. But my neighbor was telling me it was a way to hook up her kids with their faraway grandma (they can play against another webkinz) so that got me.
We’ve had them for several months now and I/we love them. My boys are very into online games but there are few sites I allow them to use. The benefits of webkinz in my mind:
-most games are benign (no violence or bratty characters)
-lots to do besides play games - take care of pets, workout, garden, etc.
-many games are mind puzzle type games
-no popups
-no way to even get to another website while on the site
-no advertising. I guess there is advertising for webkinz themselves, but my kdis aren’t bombarded with ads/images for related toys/games/etc. (I just had my first request for another webkinz but it wasn’t very intense, if you know what I mean)
-webkinz are cute and cuddly. My boys are turning 4 and 7 and to this day they carry around the webkinz cows in various pretend play scenarios. One right now is on the couch under covers because he was too sick for school. And my kids aren’t usually like this - they are generally highly active with typical agressive-style boy play.
Overall I love the site and it was well worth the cost. I think the small ones we got were 8-9 each.
Stephanie Chance
Apr 7, 2008 at 3:55 pm
It is a very clever marketing ploy. But it can also be a useful tool. They are great to use as rewards, for good grades, chores, good behavior, etc. Limiting time played is also a good form of punishment for misbehavior. You can use them to illustrate moderation in purchasing (there are so many webkinz items available!). And if you give your children an allowance and require that they buy their own webkinz, it is a good lesson in managing money. Not to mention that my 5-year-old-daughter now has better computer skills than I do.
Stephanie Chance
Apr 7, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Another thing, I like playing the games!
Stephanie Chance
Apr 7, 2008 at 3:58 pm
When you register one Webkinz, that gets you a membership for a year. In order to continue your membership, you have to purchase another one. Just a tip so you can space out the times you register your pets in order to make the membership last longer.
Robin
Apr 8, 2008 at 11:52 am
So Deb - You never told us, are you going to give in to the webkinz craze or not?
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