Designing Webkinz Room

Posted by Alex Sharp Mar 19, 2009

My child first got a Webkinz a few years ago, and now we are suffering from a major overpopulation. We have fun playing Webkinz together - when we were first introduced to Webkinz, we both got pets so we could play together because I didn't realize how safe the website is. It is not possible for kids to give out personal information by playing games on Webkinz. Now we have fun playing together and I am impressed with how much creativity the decorating requires, and how math skills are built into the site through games and shopping at the online Webkinz store.

My students did a fun creative problem solving activity with stuffed animals, and most of the dolls that kids brought were Webkinz. It was so fun to listen to the 6th and 7th graders share how they had gotten Webkinz for their birthdays, and how they play together online on the weekends and the summers after school. We had some snow days a few months ago, and kids got online and played Webkinz together. I am happy that there is a fairly cheap toy that kids can use to stay in contact with friends that they meet at summer camps or who they knew before they moved. Email is tricky for kids; accounts change frequently and there is more to typing email than adults realize, because we are used to writing as part of communication. Webkinz is a fun, educational way for kids to keep in touch through pre-written messages, be creative, and play together with far-away friends.