Give a Build A Bear Experience - Gift Guide 2013

I wish the Build A Bear Workshop had been around when I was a child. I wasn’t so much into dolls, but I was totally into my stuffed animals.

The first time I walked in, I caught my breath – it wasn’t the “bear necessities” it was the “bear” accessories!!! This post about our first Build A Bear experience is brought to you courtesy of Build A Bear Workshop.

At first glance, BABW is where kids can pick out a stuffed animal (there’s several dozen to choose from, and not just bears!), stuff it, dress it, and name it. But that’s the simple version.

Here’s how it really goes:

All the stuffed animal choices are on one wall, clearly labeled with what kind of animal they are (there was a Red Panda that was so cute!), the price, and if their purchase contributes to a charity (some go to the WWF, others to book donations, etc). Our son selected a white polar bear, and we chose a shaggy doggy for our baby, because he goes crazy when he sees dogs.

Children choose an animal and head to the filling station. There, they help the BABW employee fill their bear with fluffy loft by pressing on a pedal. Watching the fluff spin around and around is captivating.

Then the Heart Ceremony. Pick a red or checkered heart, and rub it in your hands for warmth, on your cheek for smiles, on your ear so your bear will be a good listener. Then tuck the heart into the bear and he gets sewn up securely. You could also opt to include a sound device with various sounds, music, or even record your own voice!

Bring the bear to the bathtub, where he gets a brushing and an air bath! Great fun!

Finally, select from hundreds of outfits and accessories, and dress your bear in the dressing room! This is where it gets so exciting. Kids will find their favorite sports teams, occupational uniforms (fireman, police, etc), and even holiday clothing. Accessories include hats, shoes, sunglasses, smartphones and more!

For the baby we got the doggy a hat, but our older son picked out a fireman’s uniform for his bear.

I like how you can add on to your child’s bear in the future by giving them new outfits for other birthdays, holidays, or special occasions.

Last step: name your bear and print out a birth certificate. This was the hardest for my son, as he was too shy to come up with a name. Finally, he named his polar bear “SnowBear.” We named our baby’s dog “Spot.” I know, original!

It takes about 30-40 minutes to go through this experience, so it’s more than just handing a child a stuffed toy – it truly is an experience. I love how the BABW helpers talk to the kids about love, care, and friendship as they help the child put together their bear. They really have patient and caring employees.