We’ve got some exciting news! Webkinz World™ has been awarded the “Best Virtual World Site For Kids” award from About.com! Here’s what About.com had to say about our site:

Congratulations to fan favorite, Webkinz World, winner of the 2010 Reader’s Choice Award for Best Virtual World for Kids. The subscription-based website is unlocked through the purchase of a Webkinz stuffed animal. From there, kids are invited to care for their pets, play games, earn coins and decorate their own in-game homes. Webkinz World is a closed community with a nice suite of parental controls. It is highly regarded for quality entertainment and a safe environment.

We here at Ganz are very proud to receive this reward from About.com. Now in its fifth year, Webkinz World has been and continues to be a fun, child-friendly place for parents and their children to play, and we’ve got some great new features planned for this year to make Webkinz World even better!

Thanks to everyone who voted for Webkinz World; we appreciate the support, and we look forward to providing you all with more great plush pets and fun online games!

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Our first Communal Contest has run its course. Last week, players voted to win 500 KinzCash as the prize for our first contest, and the challenge was to score a whopping 6,000,000,000 points collectively in the game. Sadly, the goal wasn’t reached. But not to worry! There’s another chance to win great prizes this week with our new Communal Contest!

We’ve been paying close attention to the challenges, and we realize we made this first challenge way too tough. We’ll be making this week’s challenge much easier, and going forward, we’re going to be carefully watching this new feature and balancing the challenges to ensure that the Communal Contest is tuned just right!

Looking to give us more feedback on the Communal Contest feature? Head over to the “Feedback Friday” post, and let your voice be heard!

With a great line-up of fun features, sweet eStore items, and the introduction of the Love Lion, February followed in the footsteps of January as yet another big month for Webkinz World. March is now upon us, and we’re not slowing down one bit! We’ve got a huge month ahead. Here’s a quick glance at what’s going on in Webkinz World this month:

Webkinz World Updates

• We’ve got a brand new Arcade game coming this month. Here’s a hint: it’s a sequel to one of our current games!
• After asking you which retired games should return, we’re bringing one of the most-requested retired games back!
• There’s a new, special St. Patrick’s Day event coming to Webkinz World this year!

Physical Products

• Our featured pets for March include the Peace Puppy, the Bubblegum Cheeky Cat, the Shar Pei, and the Ferret.
• The Signature Pig joins the featured pets this month.
• Our new Signature Endangered line kicks off with the Signature Endangered Bengal Tiger!
• Our new Small Signature line starts with the Small Signature Beagle!

More details and a few teasers about what’s to come this month follow after the break.

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Last but certainly not least for the line-up in April 2010 is another featured pet that’s as dependable as it is adorable. Joining the cast of new featured pets alongside the Rainbow Armadillo, Warthog, and Dazzle Daschund is none other than the Donkey.

The dependable Donkey is a bit clumsy but forever loyal. The Donkey may dip into a daydream from time to time, but this cuddly pet is always ready for a hug. And with its frazzled tuft of grey hair on its head and its bushy-ended tail, this Donkey is simply adorable.

Our new Signature Endangered line of pets kicks of in March with the beautiful Bengal Tiger. The Bengal Tiger is a hard pet to top, but our second entry into the Signature Endangered line in April 2010 is just as impressive. Say hello to the Signature Endangered Asian Elephant!

Standing tall, proud, and strong, the stoic Signature Endangered Asian Elephant is one of the largest and most impressive animals in all of Webkinz World. The wise and quiet Asian Elephant has a great memory, so playing with it and caring for it will earn you a friend for life!

In addition to the fun featured pets and the brand new Signature Small Fox, there’s another great pet coming in April 2010. One of our most beautiful dogs to date, the Signature Short Haired Yorkie is nearly ready to make its debut!

You won’t find a more playful puppy than the youthful Short Haired Yorkie. This beautiful, bright-eyed pet loves a good tummy rub almost as much as it loves going for a run in the Kinzville Park! You’ll never be bored when you’re playing with the Short Haired Yorkie!