Melinda S in TX Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Dh heard some of his friends talking about Build a Bear and was wondering if our children would like it. I googled it and it looks like buying a stuffed animal and accessories. Is that it? Blessings, Melinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristinaBreece Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 That's pretty much it. The kiddo picks out an empty bear (or whatever animal) skin, they take it to the machine where the stuffing is inserted and they put a love heart in it, and a voice box if they want, name it.... It's something my little ones have enjoyed, but they can get pricey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EJCMom Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 We went to Build-A-Bear for each of the kids' birthday treats this year. They make it a really fun experience, especially if it's a special occasion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 :iagree: What the other ones said. It can get pricey, quickly. Go in with a budget in mind and stick to it. I usually went in and told the kids "you can pick these animals". And then I did the same thing when they were ready for an outfit. For the kids, we never did a voice box. But when the kids were till that age and the grandmothers needed surgery, we went in and made them a bear with a voice box. I think we recorded "I love you grandma!" The kids loved it. The grandmas love it. Win-win! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatmansWife Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 We saw this at the Mall of America and my little girl was all wide-eyed and wishing. But, we just couldn't afford it. :sad: I think just the least fanciest bear was too much money. But, we would have done it for dd if we could have afforded it at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepymommy Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 It's cute but it can get expensive. My SIL took my boys there (I always tried to avoid going in that store's direction at the mall:tongue_smilie:) and they loved it. I got a good deal on Groupon for it and took them there for a present before. We didn't do the voice box and stuck with the cheapest bear ($10). I did let them buy an outfit for the bear, but not any extra accesories (shoes, etc). The total wasn't really too costly compared to some of the other fancy stuffed bears on the market. I think ours were just a bit over $20 each with the tax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Build A Bear is so much fun! You can get out of their cheaply if desired (under $20) and still have fun. Or you can all out, and have fun that way too. Mine didn't like clothes on their bears when they were young so that helped :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Honestly, for us it was a giant waste of money. Unless your kids really love stuffed animals, don't do it. The process was a lot of fun, but then they never played with the animals again. Now six large and overpriced stuffed animals are sitting in a big trash bag in our attic :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnsinkableKristen Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 We've done one for each kid on an early birthday (2 yr for DD and 3 yr for DS). DD sleeps with hers every single night (she's almost 7 now) and it is very, very special to her. DS could care less and it was basically a waste of money. However, we're still planning on taking our little DD for her 2nd birthday anyway :) Even though DS doesn't care for it anymore, he still remembers the experience and talks about it all the time :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorganClassicalPrep Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 DD made a monkey when she was.... oh, 18 months? She carried that thing around EVERYWHERE for years. The monkey doesn't getting taken everywhere anymore, but has made a permanant home in our bed. For the time when DD was actively playing with the monkey it was a nice treat to go pick out a new outfit or something. (She also has a dog with puppy and dog carrier that she still plays with) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 DD made a monkey when she was.... oh, 18 months? She carried that thing around EVERYWHERE for years. The monkey doesn't getting taken everywhere anymore, but has made a permanant home in our bed. For the time when DD was actively playing with the monkey it was a nice treat to go pick out a new outfit or something. (She also has a dog with puppy and dog carrier that she still plays with) Ds too. He is 11 now and only in the last year or so has started to feel too old. BAB is an experience. They are marketing genuises I tell ya. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mejane Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 BAB is an experience. They are marketing genuises I tell ya. Yup. I was standing next to a man in BaB once while our kids looked around at the million accessories for stuffed animals. He turned to me, shook his head and said, "Only in America." :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 My dd has about 20 BaB's. Her father can't seem to say no. :glare: But, the birthday parties are a lot of fun, and really aren't that bad considering what it costs to have a birthday party somewhere else. If you don't go all crazy with accessories, it's not that bad, price-wise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cindergretta Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 My dc love BAB. In terms of "parties," they are the best value, IMO. And we are in the "Stuff for Stuff" Club and that helps, especially when we go during a birthday month. We go about once a year. My dc (except my oldest ds) all love the animals and actually play a great deal with them. Over the years we have accrued QUITE a lot of BAB animals and accessories. Quite a LOT. It is stored in big plastic bins and brought out periodically. I also like that they fix your animals for life. And rips, tears, holes, etc. and they fix them for free. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginevra Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 My dd went to a birthday party at Build-A-Bear when she was maybe 7 or 8. Honestly, I thought it was a consumeristic racket. :leaving: The birthday child was a very quiet, sweet girl, which was antithetical to the loud, attention-grabbing antics of the staff (at least at this particular chain). The birthday girl started to feel sick to her stomach; her mom guessed she was anxious. I think the dramatic pomp-and-circumstance was literally gut-wrenching for the girl. It was the least-fun party we've ever attended at a location, which is sad given how expensive it must have been. We could only afford a couple of unexciting accessories on the birthday budget and I was not willing to buy other expensive stuff myself to jazz up the bear. Although my dd loves stuffed animals, she didn't get any particular thrill out of watching it being stuffed and putting in the heart. YMMV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 But, the birthday parties are a lot of fun, and really aren't that bad considering what it costs to have a birthday party somewhere else. In terms of "parties," they are the best value, IMO. I do agree with this. The cost of a party there was surprisingly low (not cheap, of course, but definitely less than I thought it would be, and we had a lot of kids). If only my kids still wanted those instead of the $400 Sweet & Sassy party that they're hoping for this year :001_smile: I told them not to hold their breath! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 My dd went to a birthday party at Build-A-Bear when she was maybe 7 or 8. Honestly, I thought it was a consumeristic racket. :leaving: The birthday child was a very quiet, sweet girl, which was antithetical to the loud, attention-grabbing antics of the staff (at least at this particular chain). The birthday girl started to feel sick to her stomach; her mom guessed she was anxious. I think the dramatic pomp-and-circumstance was literally gut-wrenching for the girl. It was the least-fun party we've ever attended at a location, which is sad given how expensive it must have been. We could only afford a couple of unexciting accessories on the birthday budget and I was not willing to buy other expensive stuff myself to jazz up the bear. Although my dd loves stuffed animals, she didn't get any particular thrill out of watching it being stuffed and putting in the heart. YMMV. Aw, that's too bad :( Poor kid--nothing like being overwhelmed at your own birthday party. Our girls did love their BaB party, and they're generally big hits with the kids at other parties we've been to, but yeah, it does really depend on the kid, and it's definitely a consumerist racket. I can't tell you how much guilt I have over the stuffed animals in the attic--such a waste for us. I mean, it's basically like $300 in that bag. It kills me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LBS Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 My aunt took all her grandchildren to this, one Christmas. The kids ranged from 1 to 15. The older ones played along, but much would have rather had a gc to the mall or cash. Their mom said their bears ended up catching dust in their rooms. The younger ones enjoyed it, but Grandma gave them a budget, and that made it hard on parents, to calculate and say no, all the way thru. My kids and I walked thru and sort of dream/planned bears one time, but once done, it was not too hard to walk away, however, my youngest was about 5 and able to understand making a choice, and younger or less mature kid, wow, it would have been a major meltdown. My daughter and I came home and did some sewing and she made some beanbag animals, and gave to her brothers. They used them as grenades and bombs till they burst, and that was much more fun. My gift was not fussing and I did clean up the peas and beans. They never asked to go on there again, so I dodged that bullet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginevra Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 The younger ones enjoyed it, but Grandma gave them a budget, and that made it hard on parents, to calculate and say no, all the way thru. This was part of what I didn't like about the party, as the parent of a guest. We had our "allowance" as a party guest, but that only encompassed the $10 bear and a few "bottom-shelf" accessories. Most of the other Yuppie parents let their kids choose anything and they just covered whatever was not in the allowance. It went against my philosophy and my wallet. We ended up with a bear that dd did not really want in an outfit she didn't really love. I prefer stuffed animals that are already priced as-is, so that consumer pressure is not there. Generally, my kids prefer stuffed animals of the "beanie baby" size anyway; big stuffed animals turn to clutter quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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