By: Kara Haselton
They were our childhood. We were obsessed. The fuzzy, multicolored, stuffed animals were the toys that filled our birthday and Christmas wish lists. There was nothing better than getting a new Webkinz that we could name and bring to life via the internet. It was the best. We learned how to save money to buy that one thing in the W Shop that we really wanted in our virtual house. We learned how to take care of our pets and how to make sure they’re fed and happy. We were even able to play with our friends and their pets online. It was the life.
Dogs. Cats. Horses. Caterpillars. Dragons. Birds. Skunks.
Any animal that you could think of, you could find a Webkinz of it.
I remember when I got my first Webkinz, I was so excited. I had been asking for one for months. That was just the start of my journey to owning 10 of these special animals.
But I had a friend in first grade who had over one hundred Webkinz. And he threw a Webkinz themed party for his birthday. It was wild.
We all had such a good time growing up with these living animals.
But it’s not over.
Webkinz is making a comeback.
In October, Webkinz creator Ganz launched the Webkinz app for Android and Apple products. In the past month, there has been more than 500 thousand downloads. I even know teenagers who are downloading it again and reliving the childhood for which they’ve been so nostalgic. The app allows you to have one free Webkinz without having to even buy it, making it easier for anyone to enjoy this virtual world.
People always long for the good ‘ol days when they played their games and had no care in the world.
Well, the good ‘ol days have come back. Enjoy.
