I’m trying to remember when the first Webkinz entered our home. Let’s see…I think it was Valentine’s Day 2007. I’d read about Webkinz online and thought – now, that’s a great idea for a Valentine’s Day gift for my kids. Yes, I buy them both treats for Valentine’s Day because I have a shopping problem. Please see my Target-related post for more information on that.

Here’s the premise re: Webkinz (in case you haven’t heard). Webkinz are stuffed animals manufactured by Ganz. Each one comes with a code which is securely attached to the animal via razor wire and a spring-loaded buzzer which gives you a shock unless you have the proper key to unlock it. Well, maybe I’m exaggerating, but the tags are VERY securely attached to the animals because the code that comes with them unlocks an online virtual world where each pet you buy comes to life. You need to create an online account at www.webkinz.com and, using the code that came with the animal, “adopt” your Webkinz. My daughter Ana particularly loves this process because she gets to name the animal and print an adoption certificate. We have a folder of all her Webkinz adoption certificates going back to 2007.

Once you’re all registered, the online world of Webkinz is accessible. The Webkinz code unlocks a “virtual” version of the doll (e.g., the above llama has an online alter ego llama) which kids can move around on the screen. The site contains a bunch of games and activities that are appropriate for most kids with basic computer skills. Being able to read also helps. The Webkinz site also uses a virtual money system which enables kids to buy various items from the virtual Webkinz store. I’m not sure how I feel about this. I remember when Ana was about 6 she blew through her money in about 10 minutes by buying things like bedroom sets and a grand piano for her pet. You can also add rooms to the account (each animal starts off with one virtual room). As in the real world, it’s very expensive to add a room to one’s virtual house.

Kids can earn more Webkinz money by performing certain tasks within the site such as playing games, taking quizzes or performing virtual work (I kid you not). The other way to get more virtual money is, you guessed it, by buying more Webkinz which they then adopt within their existing account. The first Webkinz is worth 2000 “KinzCash”, the 2nd – 10th is worth 2500 each and after the 11th Webkinz they’re worth 3500 each.

The plush toys themselves range in price from $10.00 to as high as $20.00. There are small versions of Webkinz which are called “lil Kinz” and these are usually in the $10.00 range. I like them for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that they’re very well made. They also come in an amazing variety of real and fantasy animals including unicorns, dragons and I think Ana even has a DoDo bird. They’re the perfect size for playing with and collecting (this is almost unfortunate in our case, because we have so very many of them). Ganz has brilliantly marketed these things – they come out with new versions every month, which makes for a very wide variety of animals. You can get them just about anywhere, so shop around for the best price (they seem to be the most expensive at Justice, but if you have a 40% off coupon then you can get them for a great price there). When I first started buying Webkinz, there was only one store in the area that had them and they were almost always sold out. In fact, half the fun of Webkinz (in my opinion) was hunting them down. Now the thrill of the hunt is gone, but we still buy them occasionally if they come out with a really cool one (e.g., the llama, above!)

So what’s my final recommendation? Honestly, I really like Webkinz, though I don’t necessarily like the online world but then my kids really don’t go online much at this point. We probably have about fifty Webkinz in our house, most of them owned by my 8-year-old daughter, Ana, who loves stuffed animals. We’ve gotten these as gifts, (for other people) but I don’t recommend it unless you know the child you’re buying for doesn’t have the Webkinz already since you can’t return them (because of the issue with the code). Still, they make great gifts (for your own kids) for stockings, Easter baskets, Valentine’s Day, etc., and are the perfect “allowance toy.” That is, they’re not that expensive so kids can easily save their own money to buy them.

| Category Toy Box Musings