Webkinz: Learning to Care for Pets

Today, I followed up on a product that has been released for about a year now: The Webkinz Plush/Virtual World Doll. The stuffed animal comes with an online code that, when activated on www.webkinz.com, allows the owner to participate in a virtual world through the pet they just purchased.

One thing that is important for any parent to know is that this is a controlled site that allows kids to "adopt" their store-bought stuffed animal. However, the membership lasts for only one year. After the one year, if you or your child want to continue on the site, a new plush pet has to be bought. One theme to this site would be responsible shopping and spending as there are plenty of ways to earn and spend KinzCash (the name for money on this site). It teaches that money does not grow on trees, and money needs to be earned through "work" before it can be spent. You can buy clothes and furniture for the pet's room and other Webkinz plush toys can be purchased from the site's store (with parental permission). These "jobs" and money earning games are all educationally-related, so even I learned a few new history facts as I played!

The site has done a good job at allowing tweens to participate in a "controlled chat." (The exchanges are pre-scripted and they do not allow for personal information to be shared.) For instance, there is a controlled and set Webkinz dictionary that all words must be approved through. Think of it as a kid's Scrabble game whereby every "legal" word must be in the approved dictionary. This way, the chat rooms (which are separate from the actually playing of the virtual world) cannot be compromised as numbers, number-words, harmful or violent words (ie: "punch"), and so forth are not accepted...which means the kid's comment will not be sent.

I like the concept of the site because it allows for some great life lessons to be practiced with a hands-on feel. They can learn about the responsibility of pet ownership. If the pet is not fed on a regular basis, then they get sick and sad. The comical part to this is that, if this happens, then the pet gets a sad and somewhat droopy face. The happiness of your pet is shown by a meter that is affected by how often the pets are visited on the site, but if interest is lost and the child stops visiting the site, the pet will be sad but won't actually die. There is a veterinarian, too, that will help the child understand that a pet needs to be cared for. Oh, and once a tub is bought for the pet, you can actually give it a bath, which also improves its overall health and happiness. Not to mention, it is a total blast!

This allows the opportunities for families to discuss the responsibilities of caring for a pet, such as: What the pet will need in order to survive? How often does a cat or dog get fed? How many times a day do you need to walk your dog? Why do pets need love and attention? Families can also discuss the pros and cons of computer play. The site also serves as a good launching pad into discussing the concept of money and spending, learning for fun, and how school is important for a good life (there is a school for the pet that needs the brains of its "owner" to play...it is challenging, too).

Spilling the Beans, a blog about teen and child toys says the following:

Many kids (and parents) are looking for fun, age-appropriate activities on the internet, and while there is a ton of content directed towards children, not all of it is this well-organized, insulated and frankly addictive. Ganz, the maker of Webkinz has invested mightily in this concept, based on early success, and the quality of the content is evident. The games are fun, and they target skills like pattern recognition, strategic thinking and quick reflexes.

Another thing to note: "They come in two sizes, and each pet includes a year’s subscription to the online service. After a year, you can extend the service simply by purchasing another Webkinz pet." Each time you adopt a new pet, your subscription renews.

As I’ve been writing this, I’ve been playing with Elevation United's new sample pet (It’s research, I swear!), and I’m really amazed by how motivated I am to keep him happy, healthy and well-fed. I guess that’s the reason these “pet” products all succeed — people are hard-wired to be nurturing. It’s fun to be the caregiver...at least until the object of our affection starts screaming to be fed in the middle of the night.

I want to make sure that the discussion boards are safe before I totally give my own "okay" to this product, so I am going to have more of a closer look than I already have. This means I have to do some "research" on my own. I think this is a great tool for any tween (it is actually great fun for any age though) that wants to buy a pet for the first time to learn about what it takes to care for the pet. From what I have observed and read, the site is safe and fun, but allows for some great topic discussions between parents and their kids.

More to come about chat rooms...