Gamertell

Ganz’s Webkinz virtual pets and world seem to have found a permanent and stable home on the internet. The stuffed toys come with a special code which allows users to unlock that pet at the Webkinz site and begin playing in the virtual environment. While it is primarily geared towards kids, many parents have also become fans of the toys and residents of the Webkinz world.

Now, Ganz has expanded the line of toys to very young children with Webkinz Jr. This division is geared specifically towards toddlers and kindergartners, roughly between the ages of three and six. The goal is to offered a simplified environment which allows younger children to also begin building computer skills and other abilities while also playing in a completely safe, virtual, online environment.

How does a child begin playing Webkinz Jr.?

First, you need a Webkinz Jr. pet code. These codes can be acquired in two ways. First, you can attempt to actually hunt down a Webkinz Jr. stuffed toy. The starting price of one is $25, but a search for “Webkinz Jr” on Amazon shows the toys selling for higher prices.

If you don’t care about having an actual stuffed toy, then the Ganz eStore is another option. Click the Webkinz Jr. tab and then head to the Online Pets section. All six initial pets are available, each one costing $25/25,000 eStore Points. Pick a monkey, kitty or puppy pet and then head to the Webkinz Jr. site.

Once at the site, parents will have to first create a Parent and Child account. It’s a straightforward process that asks parents to create an account for themselves, and then for the child. Parents will then redeem the acquired code, name the pet and determine it’s gender. After that, children will be able to start playing.

If parents want to add another child account, or add additional pets to childrens’ accounts, they will again have to visit the registration section.

There is also a deluxe account option for both Webkinz and Webkinz Jr.. If parents subscribe to certain plans, which range in price from $5 to $45, special areas will be unlocked in both virtual worlds and accounts will receive special gifts and 3,000 eStore points each month.

What do children do in Webkinz Jr.?

Webkinz Jr. is a game first and foremost, so the goal is to entertain the child. At the same time, little boys and girls are also taking care of a pet, learning responsibility and working on various essential skills.

The base of operations for each pet is the house. It’s a four room building, with each room having specific activities associated with it. The living room is for playing, the bedroom is for sleeping, the bathroom is for baths and the kitchen is for eating. If children have earned kinz coins from playing games in the playhouse, they can visit the W Shop to purchase decorations, furniture, extra toys, food and pet clothing to help customize their pets’ homes and provide more to do.

There is also a neighborhood for children to explore. At the moment there are five locations to visit, the school, park, playhouse, W Shop and Caring Center. First, we’ll look at the two education sections, the school and park. The Little Acorn Academy is a learning center with different activities designed to build children’s art, language, math, music, science and social skills. Children earn stickers for a sticker book by going through the different “classes.” Deluxe members have access to extra activities. The park lets children earn helper awards when they stop by to play hide and seek, see the letter and number of the week. Deluxe members can also go on adventures to assist neighbors.

Then, there are the fun sections. The playhouse is a place where children can play games. Each time it is visited, different games will be available on the board. If a child is playing on a deluxe account, the games available will change more often. When kids play, they earn kinz coins. These kinz coins can then be taken to the W Shop, where kids can purchase goodies for their pets and their pets’ homes.

The Caring Center is the final location. Kids who visit every day and click the heart will earn a balloon for their pets. If kids visit the Caring Center every day for a week, the pet will get a hat as a reward. Deluxe members will also be able to take part in Daily Surprise activities here.

How involved are parents in Webkinz Jr.?

Webkinz Jr. has a Parent’s Area that allows parents to monitor, alter and access their childrens’ accounts. How much involvement a parents has depends on whether the account is a basic or deluxe. Parents who are willing to pay extra will get more feedback and information on their children.

A basic parents account has only the features that are absolutely necessary. A parent can change the names of a child’s pet(s) and change a child’s account password. There is also a section that allows a parent to determine the difficulty level of the school activities and games.

Deluxe account parents get three significant additions to the Parent’s Area, progress reports, To Do Lists and at home learning suggestions. The progress reports let you check how a child is doing in each activity on the site, see a daily progress report telling how the child did that day or see an overall progress report to show if a child’s ability is improving.

Parents can then use the information gained from the progress reports to construct a To Do List. Each activity is designed to help with certain skills or abilities. If a parent sees a child needs help in an area or wants a child to focus on an area, the parent can add applicable activities to a To Do List. Then, these activities will appear when the child logs into Webkinz Jr. to play. Also, the site will recommend activities if a child is having trouble.

The last deluxe feature for parents are monthly at home activities. Parents can see five activities that Ganz has put together to help kids learn about a certain themes for that month. This way, parents can know what’s going on and try to help fascilitate learning offline as well as online.

If you’re a parent or guardian who is interested in possibly setting up an account for your child, take a look at the site and watch the informational video tour. Webkinz Jr. could be a possible virtual safe-haven for your child.

Site [Webkinz Jr.] Site [Webkinz] Site [Ganz eStore]