Safe haven
There’s every indication that Webkinz will be the next craze. According to the company, over one million virtual pets currently reside in Webkinz World.  Display shelves of the colorful toys are either bare or have signs limiting each customer’s purchase to no more than two per day. Like the last plush animal craze, Beanie Babies, Ganz regularly issues new models and retires others.

While the Internet is a wonderful new tool, parents and grandparents are rightfully concerned about what children are exposed to on the Web. The  Webkinz site is a safe haven. The site doesn’t ask for any personal information about the user—not even an e-mail address.

Webkinz has been recognized with an iParenting Media Award and was the Toy Industry Association Toy of the Year 2007 in the specialty toy category.

Awards aside, kids just seem to like the little creatures. Says Caroline De- Santis, “I like how you’re in charge of your own world. I like decorating my pets’ house and picking out the clothes for my pets.” She has a pink poodle named Lola and a white terrier named Laila. At 13, she’s on the older side of the Webkinz target age group, so she spends more time on the website than she does playing with the actual stuffed animals.

Her sister Caitlin estimates that she spends about two hours a day on the Webkinz website. “The number one thing I like about Webkinz is all the different foods you can make with your stove, blender, and sandwich maker,” she says. She has a blue hippo named Charlie and a gray elephant named Beatrice.

Other activities on the website include age-appropriate games of trivia and skill where kids earn “Kinz Cash”—a virtual currency used to purchase virtual clothes and virtual furnishings for their pet’s home. If they neglect their pet, he may get sick and need to see the vet; just like real life, they have to part with some Kinz Cash to buy medicine.

The good news is that while these pets might get sick, they never die. After one year online, you need to purchase another Webkinz to keep your account and your virtual pets active.

Life in Webkinz World
One sign that Webkinz are hot is the recent onslaught of imitations. An unsuspecting grandmother purchased a stuffed animal with one of those important-looking plastic-wrapped tags. It wasn’t until she presented the plush toy to her grandchild that she discovered that she didn’t buy a Webkinz—she bought a cheap imitation—one that did not give access to the virtual world.

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but in this case, the result was disappointment. If a special child in your life asks for a Webkinz, look for the multicolored tag that says “Webkinz” to be sure you’re getting the real thing.