Build-A-Bear Workshop

Fun spot for little ones to «create» their own stuffed animal. We’ve come to build a bear as a treat, and today we had the opportunity to attend as part of a friend’s birthday party. They have a variety of animals to choose from, ranging in price from $ 10 up to around $ 25. Animals from bears to dogs, to cats and monkeys, and even your favorite characters such as Smurfs, Spongebob, and My Little Pony are available.
The kids (and on some occasions, adults) next choose if they’d like to put a sound inside for around $ 4. Then, they choose a heart. The employees do a great job with the little spiel and sayings they do for the heart like «Put it on your back so he always has your back» and «Jump up and down to get the heart started» and «Put it on your head so he will be as smart as you» etc. Then, they get to help stuff the animal. The employee attaches the animal to the stuffing machine as they kid pushes the pedal with their foot. Then, they sew up the back of the animal and you’re off to the «Fluff» station. They use a pedal to force air down onto the animal and use a brush to «wash» their new friend. This is where the freebies end. The next stop is the dressing station, which has brand name clothes, character clothes, accessories such as couches and shoes and purses, and anything else you can image, including tents and strollers. For the birthday party, we didn’t dress the characters, we took them as is. The prices are a bit expensive to the tiny bits of clothing (think around $ 8 for a t-​shirt). The kids are usually happy with just the stuffed animal! After dressing them, you can go make a birth certificate, where you name them and put your name in as the owner. Then, they total up all your add ons and you pay and go home with your new friend in a cute little box home.
The birthday party was pretty cute, but they don’t have a party room or anything, so it’s more like corralling the little ones around to each station. They try to play games with them, like Simon Says and Hot Potato while they stuff the bears and get their birth certificates, but the whole process took about an hour for 7 kids 3 – 5 years old from start to finish. The party mom gets to make the choice on a limit for each bear, which will determine if they can get accessories.
Great little souvenir of a fun trip if your child is a lover of stuffed animal friends, and/​or if they enjoy dressing them up.