If you have a daughter between the ages of 6 and 11, you probably have heard of Webkinz. I have two daughters in that age range and they are obsessed with them! Therefore, I was a bit hesitant to write about Webkinz because I thought this activity would be considered old news. Then it occurred to me. Maybe you’re like me and didn’t realize that Webkinz are more than just the latest fad. They are the ambassadors to a whole world of not just fun, but serious learning!

For those of you who’ve been out of the country, just bought a computer or don’t have a daughter between the ages of 6 and 11, Webkinz look like your basic stuffed animal, but come alive online and become interactive pets in Webkinz World. There’s several to choose from including bunnies, pigs, gorillas, frogs, bears, cats and dogs.

At this point you may be asking yourself . . . am I on the product reviews page? I thought this was the kids’ activities blog. Let me explain. While Webkinz are toys, that’s not why I’m bring them up. For us work-at-home parents, they are more than that. They are a guilt-free means to an end! And that end is what it always is . . .time to get things done. Webkinz give you time to be productive and your kids an opportunity to have fun while learning.

Learning? What kind of learning?

I’m glad you asked.

Once your child has logged into Webkinz World, they can earn Kinzcash to buy things for their pet, including food, clothes and furniture. So they learn money management skills! Not buying it? Well, there’s more. Kids earn this Kinzcash various ways, including by answering questions in Quizzy’s Question Corner.

Quizzy’s questions are broken down into the following topics: social studies, math, science, language, health and the arts. Each subject has multiple choice questions for every age range. Here are some of the social studies questions for a child 9-10 years old:

- What is a civilization?

- What is the name of one of the ships the pilgrims used to sail to America?

- What does a relief map show?

- In the Middle Ages, what did serfs do?

Personally, I was thrilled that this stuffed animal my kids have been begging me for did more than just collect dust on the shelf. Now when they ask if they can go to Webkinz World, I say “Yes! Just let me get off the computer first.”

That’s the only problem . . . you’ll have to move.

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