Webkinz – They’re Taking Over the Neighborhood
I have kids. Three in fact. With kids you become aware (with no choice on your part) of certain trends. Many times the constant begging and pleading for the hottest new toy is too much to handle. Enter Webkins.
What are Webkinz?
“Webkinz pets are lovable plush pets that each come with a unique Secret Code. With it, you enter Webkinz World where you care for your virtual pet, answer trivia, earn KinzCash, and play the best kids games on the net!” (from webkinz.com)
I think they are annoying, expensive, and an attempt to reinvigorate the Beanie Baby craze of the 90′s with one addition – web connectivity. The problem with my opinion is that when your cute little kids come up and say, “Daddy, I want a Webkinz, I want a Webkinz!”, what can I do but cave to their desire. I don’t let me kids have too many “trendy” toys (mostly books, games, and art supplies) but these damn Webkinz have captured a place in their heart. How can you say no to that!?
What can you do with them?
Each Webkinz comes with an adoption code. After your kid rips away the packaging their next request -after already asking you to to drive all over town and find one of these damn toys even though they are sold out everywhere – is activate the Webkinz so they can start playing in the on-line community. I had my reservations about this aspect but Webkins.com has taken appropriate measures to ensure your children are not exposed to inappropriate behavior. Once on-line you get a virtual representation of your pet along with $2000 in “Kinzcash” that you can use to buy things for your pet or his living environment. The online world is massive – think Second Life for kids with fluffy little pets.
My final thoughts…
So other than the constant nagging to get a Webkins, the $20 it cost me in gas driving all over town, plus the $10 for the toy – the look on my daughters face when she picked out her special monkey was all the I needed to make me happy. I think this trend will last through this Christmas and then die down a bit. If you have a kid between 5-12 and you haven’t heard of Webkinz yet, just wait. The onslaught is coming.
Want to learn more? (Don’t look with your kids around) www.webkinz.com
