Get a Free Webkinz Toy Extravaganza

Webkinz retailers from across the US and Canada will be giving out free Webkinzs as part of the three day celebration of the popular toys.

The Ganz Company from Toronto, Canada announced the event on its website, "To celebrate Webkinz World's third anniversary, we're announcing a whole weekend of fun, prizes and surprises! Webkinz Day Extravanganza promotion available in U.S.A. and Canada only. Visit a participating Webkinz retailer on April 25th, 26th or 27th and you'll be surrounded with great Webkinz activities, contest and promotions!"

Participating retailers will each be giving away 500 Webkinz toys on a first-come basis. Most retailers stipulate that the free Webkinz is available with a purchase of ten dollars or more, yet others like the Monroe, Washington's Ben Franklin Crafts and Frameshop is giving the plush toy away with a two dollar registration for the event.

Checkout the Webkinz store locator to find a participating retailer. On the top left corner of this webpage is the link to the Webkinz Day Extravaganza Store Locator. Simplly enter Country, State, and City to find the nearest participating retailer. The stores with a calendar image beside them will have additional information such as times, location, and activities. A quick phone call to stores without the Calendar button may also locate local retailers who are having in-store events. Also, as this is breaking news, additional stores will be added daily to this list, so check back often.

Webkinz promises a full day of fun with activities to include:

Jellybean Challenge - Guess closest to the number of jellybeans in the jar and win a prize from the store.

Quizzy's Questions - Be the first to answer Quizzy's question correctly and win a prize from the store.

Wheel of Wow - Everybody can spin the Wheel of Wow to receive something special: a gift, a discount, a coupon you can redeem another time....your store decides the prizes!

Gem Hunt - Dig for Arte's buried treasure! Find one of the colored stones in the bucket and the store will reward you based on the prize list.

The Webkinz.com website describes the kid phenomena as,"the stuffed animal that comes alive online in Webkinz World. Keep your pet happy and healthy and build a home for it with our cool furniture."

The popularity of the toy has grown rapidly, according to MarketingNewz.com, "In the past year, visitors to Webkinz have increased by 342% to more than six million unique visitors in November 2007 (ComScore)."

Your child is not alone in the fascination with their new friends, in December 2007, eMarketer.com listed the website as the 15^th most popular in the US and, "estimates that 20 million children will be members of a virtual world by 2011, up from 8.2 million in 2007."

Hallmark Greeting Cards stores, which are independently owned, appear to be the largest national retailer to participate in the Extravaganza promotion. Call your local Hallmark store to find out if it is celebrating the event.

Kmart stores regularly sell the Webkinz animals for $19.99, making this promotion a great deal for cash-strapped parents. Mom can buy a little ten-dollar gift for her and basically get a $20 gift for her favorite WebKinz kid