Guest post by Kelly Wilson, an editor for Teaching Resource Center.
My son spent the night with a family friend, and came back with a Webkinz Dalmatian that he named Firedog.
We’ve been hooked ever since.
What are Webkinz?
Webkinz are popular stuffed animals that come with their own avatars, and they live in their own virtual “Webkinz World.” The stuffed animals range from $10 to $30, and are intended for children ages 6 to 13. Don’t despair if you have younger children – Webkinz Jr. is appropriate for those from ages 3 to 6.
Each Webkinz stuffed animal comes with a unique code. Enter the code on the Webkinz website, complete the adoption process, and you can play online for a full year for free!
Each animal comes with one virtual room and a couple of toys. Begin earning Webkinz cash to add on as many rooms with furnishings that you’d like. Outdoor spaces are also available, complete with lawn fixtures, furniture, and gardening plots that must be maintained to yield a harvest.
Advantages to Webkinz World
There are many advantages to allowing kids to play with their Webkinz online.
Safety
The Webkinz site provides kids with one of the safest online communities available. When kids log in, they play in their own accounts that can’t be accessed by other players without an invitation from the account holder.
Kids can socialize and “chat,” but they must be on each other’s list of Friends and there are predetermined phrases that they use to communicate. An advanced version is called “KinzChat Plus,” which requires parental permission. Words are monitored for appropriateness and kids can be banned from this area for not following the rules. This area of Webkinz World would be a great opportunity for discussing internet safety with your kids.
Computer Skills
Webkinz World is a great place for children to learn computer skills, including:
• how to navigate a website
• using a log-in and password
• how to use a mouse
• typing skills
• internet safety and appropriate behavior
Kids can also practice more academically-centered skills through Quizzy’s games and the Job Center, as well as Kinzville Academy.
Responsibility
Kids learn responsibility skills while playing in Webkinz World.
• Pet Care – in order for pets to thrive, the owner must maintain good levels in three areas: happy, healthy and hunger. These meters range from 0% to 100%, and kids need to make sure that their animals stay as close to 100% as possible, which requires regular feeding and time interacting with their pets.
• Time management – my kids are limited to thirty minutes online, after homework and chores are completed. It’s a great motivator, and they are more conscious of the passing of time and their responsibility to manage it well.
• Money management – completing jobs and games helps kids earn Webkinz cash to make purchases, and there’s no getting into debt – the lesson is that you must have the money to make the purchase. This is also a real situation in our household when it comes to accumulating Webkinz. If my children want new Webkinz animals, they save up their money and buy them, which is a great lesson in delayed gratification.
Play Time
Not all Webkinz play time is online. My two boys love stuffed animals, and they have a “family” of Webkinz that take rides in the car, help us run errands, and play outside. The stuffed animals also accompany my kids on overnighters and trips, and the presence of the Webkinz help my kids develop and demonstrate their imagination and creativity.
Always Something New
On a regular basis, Webkinz World is updated with new games, rooms, furniture and clothing items. There are also ways to help celebrate holidays, like Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas with special events, free gifts, and items to buy with KinzCash.
If you wish, there is also the opportunity to upgrade to a Deluxe Membership. There are four available levels that range from $2 for one month to $45 for an entire year. The advantages of each level of Deluxe Membership are laid out and easy to understand, and can also be purchased as gifts.
The best element about this virtual world is that everything about Webkinz is easy to understand and navigate. This may be one of the reasons it has become so popular – there’s always a friend in Webkinz World!
Kelly Wilson is a mom, freelance writer and editor at Teaching Resource Center, a Teacher Store providing high-quality Teacher Supplies at low prices.
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