Does anyone remember beanie babies? How about Neopets? Well, put the two together and you’ve got the newest kid craze, Webkinz! Webkinz are stuffed animals you buy at $14 a piece and comes in as many types of animals as you can think of (there are six different types of frogs alone!). Then you can create a virtual version of your pet with a secret code that comes with the stuffed animal. These really are the hot items for kids from 4 to 14 right now. I work at a Hallmark and I get kids that come in every day to buy three or four Webkinz and already have 27 at home! I know we have been focusing a lot of things that are pop culture for adults more than anyone else, so I thought I would share that was going on in the kid world right now!
I’ve added some links for you to take a look at when you get a chance J Also if you have time you should go to eBay and type in sherbet bunny or love puppy. They are retired and go for around $200!
http://www.webkinz.com/
http://customerservice.webkinz.com/collectionscatalog/index.html
2 comments:
I work at Hallmark too- and little kids are crazy about those things! It really does remind me of the beanie baby craze, except with the additional computer game component. The stuffed animals are cute but I think they might be sending the wrong message to very young kids. I mean, we hear on the news all the time how more and more American kids are becoming obese- partially because of the popularity of video and computer games which kids use as substitutes for playing outside, with friends, or using their imaginations. Whether or not these games are truly to blame for childhood obesity, etc., is more speculation than anything else, but I do think that younger generations are becoming more and more disconnected from 'real people'- ironically, as they are becoming more connected to the world of technology. I mean, I played some computer games as a kid too, but some of the kids using these Webkins are as young as 3 or 4...I don't know, it just seems strange to me. It also reminds me of the "Little Einstein" videos that seem so popular for babies now. I just don't think babies need to be watching dvd's that are supposed to make them smarter...it's creepy. Again, I think they should be learning these things from their parents, or at least some real people! At the end of the day, nothing can replace face-to-face human interaction, for kids or adults...but that's just my opinion!
I work at Olde Sawmill Elementary in Dublin and you absolutely have hit the pop culture mark for elementary-age children right now. Some of the younger girls bring in up to fourteen a day just to play with before and after school. . .they are OBSESSED. Last Saturday, while babysitting, I watched a six-year-old girl log on to Webkinz.com to attempt an online purchase with her mother's credit card. . .needless to say, the credit card was soon placed out of reach, but speaking of young children becoming internet-savvy. . .
Great Post!
-Sheila
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