When I was in elementary or middle school Tamagotchi’s started becoming popular. If you have somehow escaped the Tamagotchi craze, what they are, are key chains that double as pets. Once you start playing with your Tamagotchi you get to see it be born, you feed it, play with it, and even tell it when to go to the bathroom. I can remember being obsessed with mine and playing with it constantly, much to the dismay of my teachers. Tamagotchi’s are still around, but now there is a much more advanced version of the popular toy: The Webkin.
If your child is pestering you for a pet cat or dog a Webkin can be a great first step. The way they work is pretty simple. You purchase a stuffed animal from your toy store. The stuffed animal comes with a secret code that your child can enter on the Webkin website. In real life the stuffed animal is just a stuffed animal. Online however you child can raise their Webkin for one year. They feed it, tell it when to sleep, and take it to the vet. Your child has to answer questions and finish puzzles in order to win kids cash to pay for the Webkin’s food and Vet visits.
For a child interested in owning a pet a Webkin can be a huge wake up call. I like that not only is the child responsible for feeding and taking care of the pet they also have to think through how they are going to pay for things like food and vet visits when their pet gets sick. If you’re thinking about getting your child a pet in the future it can be a nice way to see exactly how they will take care of it.
Webkins are relatively inexpensive at around $10 a piece which includes a one year subscription to the web service that can be extended later on should your child want to keep caring for their pet. In order to use the internet portion you will have to have an internet connection.
You can purchase Webkins at a most toy stores as well as online at Amazon.com