Build-a-Bear Workshop

I can’t believe that I haven’t reviewed Build A Bear until now. From the amount of bears that we’ve made here, heaven knows that I could have stock in the company by now.
Today, we got an email informing us of their Star Wars bears on 2 for $ 49. Of course, our family being huge Star Wars fans, we had to rush down to get a Stormtrooper bear for our four year old son and a Star Wars bear for our seven year old daughter.
The boy was insistent on getting a sound in the paw and a berry scent in the tummy. Needless to say, we did the same for the girls’ bear as well. Stormtrooper plays the Imperial March and smells of berries and Star Wars bear plays the movie theme song and smells like strawberries.
I love the staff here because they’re always so good with the kids and make Mom and Dad feel like parents of the year while dropping damn near $ 100 for two stuffed animals. Que sera sera.
Build A Bear would have gotten 5 stars if they were cheaper.

WHAT?!? How is it even possible that I haven’t reviewed BAB (to those in the know = spent a bazillion dollars here)?
My kids talk us into Build A Bear at least 4 times a year so at this point their bedrooms like of look like a BAB shrine.
Over the years they’ve improved at taking even more of my money by offering scents you can put in the bear and sound recordings that have evolved to being able to record your own voice or sound because every child needs their bear to say I love you in their own voice for $ 12 extra said NO PARENT EVER.
Regardless, I have a total soft spot for BAB and I’m sure we will be back another half dozen times this year.
Be sure to sing up for their email and mailing offers — coupons are your friend here!
There’s something pretty magical about picking out your own furry friend and stuffing them just to your liking. The bear/​animal alone can be as little as $ 15 but it’s the extras that will get you like the wardrobe, scents (only $ 4 Mom!), sounds, etc.
Be sure to kiss the heart before you put it in your animal, visit the bath station and wash and blow dry your new family member, and make a birth certificate to remember the special day forever!
For now, I’ll just go visit our bears, bunnies, My Little Ponies, LaLaLoopsies, Darth Vader, Chewbacca, SpiderBear, Captain America Bear, Kitties, Rudolph, Grinch & Max we’ve made at BAB in my kids’ bedrooms until the next must have animal comes out!
P. S. I will say their customer service is second to none. If your bear loses it’s «smell» or gets a hole, just come by and their doctor, fix, exchange or whatever it takes to make you bear right!
So why 4 stars and not 5 stars you ask? BECAUSE it is hard to escape for under $ 60-​$ 70 a bear once dressed up like a Disney Princess, scented like Bubble Gum, and sounding of your child’s voice! And since I have 2 kids plus a husband who is a big kid, it can be an expensive spur of the moment visit to BAB!

We took our 3 year old here today and she had a wonderful time! She was really enamored with the wardrobe ($ 45), and since we were already going to drop $ 60 on a bear (with accessories), we said no.
At the checkout, the cashier have us a wardrobe box to color and use as a wardrobe — she was so happy!

I love this place! I was a regular before we had kids, and while Finn isn’t really old enough to appreciate the place yet (although he did grab a rainbow kitty of the shelf to droll on when I wasn’t looking, so we had to bring it home with us), we go back to get fun things for ourselves all the time. Well, we go back to get new My Little Pony stuff. The staff is great, and are a lot of fun no matter what age you are. There are products to suit every budget. I’m sure we will be customers for a long time to come. I know I’m loving forward to taking Finn there to stuff his first friend.

Everyone has explained the concept well already and it’s easy to understand — but you need to actually visit to «get it» fully. This is a child’s wonderland. There is every type of stuffie that you could imagine. Personally, I’m not into rainbow striped bears or polka dotted kitties, but there they are alongside more conventional choices, so any kiddo is going to fall in love with at least one. Watch for sale prices on some of them and if you’re on a budget, you can talk those up and see if it works for you ;-)
Sometimes we’ll go look for the perfect costume first, then decide which animal will look best in it. For instance, the Malificent costume, complete with a raven atop her staff, just won’t go as well on the sparkly puppy as it does on the display brown bear. The costumes are really my own personal favs here — there’s everything you could think of, from princesses to fairies to sports outfits — and you can also buy separate shoes, hats, wigs, etc. if you prefer.
After making your animal choice, your child will love getting it stuffed and sewed — they get to step on the peddle to fill the stuffing, put in a special heart, and be entertained by the patient staff. They insert part of the animal’s sale tag inside the bear with it’s tracking number — if it ever gets lost and someone turns it in, they can return it to you! There are charming stories about bears getting back to their owners after being lost.
Then go to the back where they create a birth certificate, then to checkout. Once there, provide your info to get an account for accumulating points and your child will get a birthday offer as well.
Plan to spend adequate time here if your child has a hard time making choices, but you’ll be leaving with happy smiles and a brand new friend :-)
P. S. there are mall couches and benches right outside so you can sit down and let your child dress their critter if they just can’t wait to get home — we never can!

I agree with the other reviewers… whoever came up with the build a bear concept is pretty darn smart! It’s a tad bit on the pricey side but I find that the animals themselves are better quality than say a walmart stuffed animal. I have a Halloween cat from there that I got about four years ago and it still looks brand new despite taking some abuse from kids I have looked after in my home over the years.
The accessories are also super fun and they have a wide variety that can support any childs favorite make believe fantasy from princesses to cowboys. Unfortunately much like the bears themselves they can range on the expensive side (usually between 8 – 25 $)
Build a bear is a great place to find a fun gift for somebody you love just don’t go too often unless your wallet can handle the abuse!

I love teddy bears! this place is one of a kind. Staff are always polite, friendly, and helpful. Excellent place for a kid’s birthday party too!

I checked out this store for the first time the other day. If I was a kid I would be in heaven. I think the name is pretty self explanatory. You pick out the kind of bear/​animal you want, get it stuffed, clothe it, name it, accessorize it, etc. I never checked the prices but my guess is it is pricier than your everyday stuffed animal. This would make an awesome gift for a significant other as well, because of all the thought put into making the bear.
Whoever came up with this idea is pretty genius.

I have to hand it to the Build-​a-​Bear creators, the concept for this store is absolute genius. When this store first came to West Ed, it was all the rage with kids and parents, and it’s still going strong. It’s your basic toy shop meets little elf workshop.
First, you choose your bear or other stuffed animal, then you stuff it. The staff will give you a heart, which you make a wish on, then place it inside your bear. If you want, you can also give your bear speech by stuffing a sound recording in it for an additional fee. After all that’s done, your bear is sewn up and you can select different clothing and accessory items for it. Each bear is given a big cardboard box in the design of a house, which kids can take their bear home in and color however they want.
It can get pretty expensive customizing your bear to be extra-​special though, especially if you want your bear to be chic and stylish in clothes. The basic bear is affordable, starting at $ 15, but it goes up from there with the option of sound recordings and clothes.
Build-​a-​Bear also does workshops for kids’ birthday parties and school groups, and it’s a hit with the kids. The staff at the workshop are fantastic with kids, walking them through the whole process and keeping them together.
I think it’s a great concept, and makes for great gifts, even for adults. You can give a friend or special someone a customized bear for a birthday or romantic occasion. After all, who doesn’t love a cute teddy bear?