In real life, all that 10-year-old Megan L.’s cuddly stuffed animals can do is sit on her bed in her room in Rockville, Md. But online, they can play air hockey, whip up a fish-and-chips dinner and take a dip in a hot tub.
Megan’s pals are Webkinz, huggable, plush toys with elaborate virtual lives. They combine classic stuffed animals with popular online trends, such as social networking and instant messaging.
Last week, one of Megan’s friends held a birthday party for her hippo, Cotton Candy, right in the middle of Megan’s family’s dinner. Megan excused herself from the table to log on to the Webkinz site, where four other girls were waiting. The girls played a four-in-a-row game and exchanged virtual presents, and there was a birthday cake and goodie bags.
Megan has 10 Webkinz. She sleeps with them every night and plays with them online several times a week for an hour or so at a time. She has a maze of rooms for her pets, including a back yard with a hot tub where they can swim.
On a recent afternoon, she checked in with her twin puppies after being at school all day. “How are you doing?” Megan asked one while the other snoozed on its virtual bed. “We had a big party,” the pup responded. “Just kidding.”
Each stuffed animal comes with an identification number that gives you access to the Webkinz site (www.Webkinz.com). There, you can discover your pets’ online lives (“I’ll let you in on a secret,” reads the profile of a cocker spaniel, “I love fish sticks, and I’ve always wanted a bunny clown.”). You also can buy clothes for your pets using virtual money, and decorate their virtual rooms with items such as stoves, boy-band posters and beds shaped like pirate ships.
Kids say they like Webkinz because it’s a chance for their real-world toys to come to life and play. Snuggling next to your Webkinz before falling asleep is fun, too, they say. But designing outfits for a pet in the Webkinz SuperModelz game and having friends vote on their favorite is even better.
Some kids even are finding that their Webkinz can come to life off-line if they just use some imagination. One of Megan’s friends made her seven Webkinz a house. Another likes to dress hers in the clothes made for American Girl dolls.
Since Webkinz were introduced in April 2005, the toys have taken off with tweens in the Northeastern and Southern United States, says Hallmark spokeswoman Rachel Bolton. The craze now is spreading to the Midwest. And their popularity has been all word of mouth — the company that makes them, Ganz, a family-owned business in Ontario, says they have not spent a cent on advertising.
Company spokeswoman Susan McVeigh says the Webkinz site has more than 1 million members, both boys and girls, ages 6 to 13.
Webkinz sell for $7.50 to $10 and are available at Hallmark Gold Crown stores, independent retailers and hospital gift shops. The toys come with a one-year membership to the site.
