Webkinz

A cuddly companion with a special adoption code opened the door to a virtual world of pets, games, rooms, and KinzCash.

The little tag was important - a Webkinz wasn’t just a stuffed animal, the tag had an “adoption code” to let you bring a version of that same stuffed animal into an online Webkinz world.

Ganz launched Webkinz in April 2005. Just enter the code, name your virtual pet, and start looking after it in the online world. Playing games at the Webkinz site earned you KinzCash for food, furniture, and other items for your pets. The actual physical stuffed animal could sit beside you while you decided what furnishings its online room needed. If you got another Webkinz you got another adoption code and could add that animal to your online world as well.

My kids were really into Webkinz - it was really the first online game that they played, and the Webkinz website experience was very well curated and tailored to younger children. I still mix up Webkinz and Beanie Babies (we had both in our household, Beanie Babies earlier on, and then Webkinz when the kids were a little older, both have been relegated to a storage tub at this point) - but I do remember that the Webkinz online site was very popular at the time.

Webkinz is apparently still active, though the old browser experience has changed. Webkinz Classic now uses an app, and Webkinz Next is a separate game.

Be aware that the adoption codes on the Webkinz tags are one-time use, so if you’re buying one online (especially an older or used one) just because the tag is attached doesn’t mean that the code has not been used already.