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By Pat Washburn
Have you heard of Webkinz yet? These cute stuffed animals are the latest
rage, and feature prominently on many a grandchild's wish list.
For that reason alone, a slew of grandparents will invest in the toy.
Investigate a little further, though, and you may find these fuzzy
creatures opening up a new way of interacting with your grandkids.
The secret to a Webkinz toy is the code number that appears on its tag.
Type this code in at webkinz.com,
and up pops a virtual version of your pet. Plus, you'll see an introduction
to a kid-safe, online world overflowing with games and explorations - a
world they can share with friends, parents, and you!
Meet Kathy, a Webkinz grandma. Her grandkids - Aiden, 4, and Charlotte, 6 -
discovered the toys earlier this year. Soon after, Kathy found herself the
owner of a plush polar bear (which lives with the kids, lest it "miss its
Friends"). Kathy lives 600 miles away from her grandkids, but looks forward
to visiting them on the Webkinz Web site.
There, she can interact with Aiden and Charlotte ... even when the kids
don't feel like talking. They keep the phone near the computer and play a game
together. "It's hard to talk to small kids and get them to say anything,"
says Kathy, "but when I play a game with Aidan, I can hear him get so
excited and then he'll re-challenge me!"
Kathy admits that the games can get heated enough to bring out grandma's
competitive side. "Charlotte will say, 'Nanna, thanks for letting me win!'
But, there's no way I'm going to let her win."
What you can do in the Webkinz world:
Shop: You're given 2,000
Kinzcash and a virtual room with your first pet.
You can spend that Kinzcash in two online shops, and earn more by doing most
of the activities on the site. No real money changes hands, except when you
purchase the plush toys (or, the related trading-card game).
Decorate: You can buy extra
rooms to add on to the first. Furnish
the rooms in a variety of fanciful styles, from baseball to pirates to
ballerinas.
Chat: Unlike more freewheeling
(and hazardous) online chats, on Webkinz you
choose from a list of available remarks, all of which are positive and
friendly.
Send mail ... and gifts:
Similar to the chat feature, mail messages are
limited to pre-chosen messages. As for gifts, you can send any of the game's
virtual furniture, clothing, or room decorations as presents.
Work: One of the ways to
earn Kinzcash is to perform at a job, which usually
has an educational component, such as typing, matching colors, or building
memory. Note:
You can only perform one job every eight hours.
Take quizzes:
Answer questions at Quizzy's Question Corner, which also has
an educational component. Tip:
This is the fastest way to earn Kinzcash.
Perform daily tasks:
Spin the Wheel of Wow (doing so can earn you anything
from a virtual T-shirt to a large sum of Kinzcash). Or, hunt for gems at the
Curio Shop (run by a gruff-but-kind dog named Arte Fact).
Care for your pet: Three
meters display your pet's happiness, health, and
hunger. Boost its happiness by playing with it, its health by giving it
baths and exercise, and its health by feeding it.
One of the most exciting things, says Kathy, has been seeing her grandkids
learn through the Webkinz site. And, some of the lessons aren't built into
the games.
"Soon after they got their Webkinz, their 12-year-old cousin came over and
spent all but two of Aidan's Kinzcash," says Kathy.
"At the same time, Charlotte was reading a Harry Potter book where they
talked about rationing, and she asked what it was. We got to explain that
sometimes when you have a limited amount of something, you use it up a
little at a time so you don't run out," says Kathy. "The kids got it!
Charlotte has 30,000 Kinzcash now and she hates to spend it."
Other lessons they've learned: how to type (even Aidan, at 4, is pretty
good at the Lunch Letters typing game); and, remembering to send thank-you
notes after they receive Grandma's online gifts.
For Kathy, the best thing about Webkinz has been getting closer to the kids.
"We talk all the time now," she says. Aidan and Charlotte have even honored
their grandmother in their Webkinz virtual homes. "I have a pond in my
yard," says Kathy, "and when the kids built outdoor yards for their pets,
one of the first things they each got was a pond."
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