Will Elmo Live be the Hot Christmas Toy for 2008

August 6, 2008

The Question: Will Elmo Live be the hot Christmas toy for 2008

The Answer: We'll see

A perinneal favorite, Fischer Price's Elmo doll has always held it's own on top ten toy lists. The newest generation of Elmo dolls called Elmo Live is already the talk of this year's toy conventions and is receiving positive buzz well before the little ones have even gotten their hands on it.

According to an article on Associated Content

...Elmo Live will be the first Elmo doll that actually acts like the beloved Sesame Street Muppet character. According to Fisher Price's press release on Business Wire,"In this truly life-like creation, for the first time ever, Elmo seems to actually be speaking as his mouth opens and closes just like the real Muppet, Elmo, from Sesame Street.

His mannerisms are right on target as his head bobbles back and forth as he speaks. He waves his arms, sits and stands, even crosses his legs, all the while telling stories and jokes, singing songs and playing games. Children can activate the magic with a tickle or a squeeze of Elmo's foot, tummy, back or nose."

Keep your eyes peeled for this 21st centure Elmo who is sure to be as popular, if not more so, than his predecessors like Tickle Me Elmo.

Read the full article at Associated Content.

Filed Under 2008 Top Toys, Elmo Live, Fuzzy and Cuddly, Little Kids · Leave a Comment

Using Webkinz Pets in the Classroom - Turning Toys Into Tools - Teaching With Technology

July 23, 2008

Image via Wikipedia

By Kathy Cothran

Have you ever stood in front of your class presenting an action-filled lesson only to feel like your students were more interested in their toys and life outside of school?

So often the aspects of life that excite children the most are banned or excluded from the school curriculum. What would happen to our classrooms and the engagement levels of our students if we turn toys into learning tools? When I look inside the bags my daughters carry around with them everywhere I see their digital camera, Nintendo DS, phone, Webkinz pets, and an iPod. This made me ponder this idea: what if I could harness the enthusiasm kids have for their toys and turn them into learning tools?

As I was listening to my daughters play online one day I realized that the games they were playing weren't all arcade games but many are educational! Imagine that! Kids are raving about something that is actually educational too! I knew I needed to find out more.

If you aren't familiar with Webkinz pets, they are stuffed animals that come with an access code attached. You visit the Webkinz webpage and adopt your pet which gives you a virtual, animated pet identical to your stuffed animal. You must care for the health, hunger, and happiness of your pets. Within the world of Webkinz there is an extensive economy built around KinzCash. With the Kinzcash you earn from playing games you can purchase all kinds of items along with the food that your pet requires. If you aren't familiar with the world of Webkinz, ask any eight to ten-year-old child to give you a guided tour. Children are experts and usually very excited to teach something to an adult.

So I started asking kids what they would think about participating in some Webkinz-based activities during school. The faces of children were lighting up around me (which is every educator's desire, right?) and this clearly showed me that students would be excited to learn through these activities.

I began to create activities based on the world of Webkinz. Many of the activities could be utilized during literacy work stations. Whether children are building words in Quizzy's Word World, answering questions in Quizzy's Questions, creating a play with their pets, practicing math facts and typing, graphing their pet's hunger, growing plants in their gardens, mapping their house, or keeping track of their kinzcash, they would be learning!

Adopting classroom pets is an excellent way to begin using Webkinz pets in your classroom. In many cases, you will find that almost every child in your class probably has at least one Webkinz pet of their own. I have surveyed class after class of children and it is not easy to find a child that doesn't have at least one pet until you reach some sixth grade boys. Even then, the activities are good for that age group and beyond, so you may need a couple pets with unique logins for those students to use. I've even heard of high-school classes using Quizzy's Questions and Quizzy's Word World.

Amazingly, there are many adults who find themselves addicted to the world of Webkinz. So, if this is possible, there must be activities to engage students of all ages. I have played many of the games and can't even come close to the high scores, indicating to me that there are more than just children playing! I wonder if these adults have the stuffed animal sitting on their lap while they play like my daughters often do!

How will it change your enthusiasm for teaching if your students are eagerly awaiting the start of every school day?

Kathy Cothran is an elementary media specialist committed to helping teachers turn toys into learning tools. Her vast teaching experience ranges from preschool through Master's level education classes.

For years Kathy has been a "Gadget Girl." She loves technology! Tie that to her extensive teaching background and she has been able to interest, invigorate, and inspire children and teachers to use technology in a rich, exciting manner.

Find out more about teaching with webkinz pets and sign up for hot tips via email at http://teachingwithwebkinz.com

Interested in other ways that toys can become learning tools? Visit http://turningtoysintotools.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Cothran
http://EzineArticles.com/?Using-Webkinz-Pets-in-the-Classroom---Turning-Toys-Into-Tools---Teaching-With-Technology&id=1312884

Filed Under 2008 Top Toys, Fuzzy and Cuddly, Webkinz · Leave a Comment

The Wonderful World of Webkinz

July 22, 2008

Image by WoofBC via Flickr

In 2005, the Ganz company released a series of stuffed animals called the Webkinz. Today, they are among the most popular toys for children. What makes Webkinz unique from their other plush counterparts is the fact that they have secret 8-character codes on their labels that allow their owners to enter the "Webkinz World" website which is a virtual world that the toys inhabit. The smaller, more affordable sidekicks to the Webkinz are micro versions called "Lil' Kinz".

Like in the virtual world of Second Life, the Webkinz, too, have an online environment with its own economy that is funded by the purchase of additional Webkinz toys, trading cards and accessories with which they can communicate and visit with friends, shop online, pay Wacky Bingoz, buy swimming pools and any number of entertaining and sometimes downright bizarre activities.

Following in the tradition of Ty's Beanie Babies, the Webkinz come in the many species of the animal kingdom including a Webkinz panda, a Webkinz polar bear, Webkins poodles, lions, ducks, monkies and more.