Build-A-Bear-Workshop

unfortunately, being years since I’ve made a bear, I didn’t know the process of making one again. I wasn’t offered to put a little stuffed heart in two out of the three bears I purchased yesterday. I wish I would’ve known, it would’ve made my visit a bit more special considering the bears were gifts to someone else …

my lil niece made an elsa or anna bear this weekend with all types of clothes & accessories so even though it started off at $ 25 it ended up bein $ 80! the hell??? whoever came up with this idea is a smart mother flower cuz parents are spendin their money on these raggedy kids for these stuffed animals! lol

If you are thinking of giving someone a gift card here please don’t. Unless of course you hate them. This is a modern day version of a white elephant. Giving someone a $ 25 gift card for Build-​a-​bear is like giving someone a $ 1000 gift card to a Mercedes dealership. Sure it’s a nice thought, but in the end it will cost them way more. I’m giving 3 stars because the people were friendly and the service was good but in the end no stuffed animal is worth $ 75 unless it’s stuffed with gold.

Our first visit to any Build-​a-​Bear was the Woodfield workshop almost 4 years ago. It was a very special visit for us — coming at a sad time in our family due to loss of a loved (beloved) one. A dear friend provided us with Bear bucks, told us to take the kids and told us to have a good time. It was our 4 year-​old niece and 6 year-​old nephew along with our 3-​month-​old son and 2-​year old daughter. They all had a great time, and seeing them so excited and happy distracted us all from our heartache. From the moment we walked in, the kids were wide-​eyed. It took them some time to decide which animal to build, what clothes to put on, but each minute was enjoyable. Selecting a heart for their animals, giving the hearts ‘love’ and placing them inside before they were built — it was so much fun for them and the adults.
Fast forward 4 years and we’re still huge fans of Build-​A-​Bear Woodfield. My daughter is now 5 and it’s become her favorite place in the world. Any time there’s a special occasion (bday, holiday, etc.), she asks to come here. And each time, it’s like the first time. Figuring out which animal to take home, whether or not to dress them — it’s still so much fun for her and the kids.
They do it right here at Woodfield, particularly. Staff is wonderful. They are friendly, efficient, and they put in extra effort/​show for their customers. We’ve been here enough that we recognize most of the staff, and each time, they’re terrific.
Options have changed over the years. Music/​sound can be added to the animal, and/​or scents. They have special edition animals offered throughout the year too (this month is My Little Pony).
After selecting an animal, kids can pick sounds or scent, then are instructed to pick a small stuffed heart to place inside the animal before it’s filled with stuffing. The kids are in control of filling their animals by stepping on the stuffing pedal… animals can be soft/​squishy, medium, or firm. After the animal is filled, they can be taken to the ‘washing/​brushing’ station, where they are brushed down while applying air (like a hairdryer). Next up can be clothing and accessories (at additional cost) and moving on to the ‘dressing room’ counters to complete the animal’s look. Final step is to name the animal and record a birth certificate at the computer station (5 computers, I think? Enough that you don’t have to wait long for one)…certificates are printed and available at the register. And the animal/​bear goes home with the kids in a cute ready-​to-​color cardboard home. Also, I say ‘kids’ a lot here, but really, we’ve seen all ages come through from the littlest ones to teenagers to adults, boys and girls… it seems everyone enjoys it here.
Build-​a-​Bear can get pricey but not hideously expensive. The animals themselves range from $ 15 to $ 25 dollars, then additional charges for sound/scent/clothes/accessories…but worth it for a good time and particularly a special occasion. My daughter always wants to stop in whenever we’re at Woodfield to buy more accessories. They make furniture too. BaB offers a Rewards program for free… you earn a certain dollar amount back, along with special giveaways, for each dollar you spend. We’ve certainly seen a return from our visits already.
It can also get extremely busy here. Saturdays and Sundays in particular, depending on whether there’s a bday party going on that day, you can be waiting anywhere from 30 – 60 minutes just to stuff the animal. We tend to go during the week so that our kids can take their time and get the most out of the visit. Our last visit was this past Saturday (to spend Bear bucks from our Rewards program), and we waited 35 minutes in line to stuff the bear, then another 30 or so minutes on the rest. There was a big bday party going on at the time, so the store was crowded and hectic. Again, huge props to staff because they had registers full, each filling station attended, and others walking around to help.
Our first time here was special and fun, and each time has continued to be.

I have been t this place more times than I can count. I love it and my children do as well. This place can get pricey quickly but I love seeing the job in my children’s eyes as they stuff, name, and dress their bears. The staff is always very nice and helpful. They really enjoy little kids and genuinely enjoy what they are doing. On the weekends this place is a mad house but with a little patience you will survive.

The staff at this location are always SO friendly. I love the little schpeal they do with the kids when they stuff it (make a wish, kiss your heart, rub it on your head, etc).
It’s pricey ($ 30 and up if you choose to dress your bear) but the kids have a great time!
Wonderful staff and a great concept!

Once again I visited this location and I was pleased with the superior customer service that we were given here. Danielle (Dani) helped us out with our purchase and was nothing but exceptionally nice and actually caring in assisting my 3 year old stuff her bear. I will continue to come back to this location and I hope that the owners/​managers give some recognition to their employees!

Who says Build-​A-​Bear is only for kids? My boyfriend got me a gift card so I could go and make my own, which is so much more fun than having one given to you. (FYI, I’m 23) I picked out a dog with floppy ears for $ 18. Then you stand in line and wait for it to be stuffed. You also get to put a plastic heart in there. I felt a little silly kissing the heart, as instructed, but I guess that’s what you get for being older and coming here. Once he was stuffed and stitched, I got to pick out his clothes! After trying some different outfits on, I settled on a wizard robe that came with a wand. Being a Harry Potter nerd, I named him Sirius. I typed his name on the computer and when we paid, I got his birth certificate and he came home with me in a cute carrier shaped like a house. He’s so cute and awesome to cuddle. I love my Build-​a-​Bear! It can get a little pricey, especially if you want a bunch of accessories, but I think it’s a lot of fun for kids of all ages to make and bring home a new friend!

WHYYYYY do I love coming here!!! It“s fun even for adults!

B-​A-​B-​W
I don’t know how you keep on doing this to me! Came here to purchase a B.A.B. for my niece a couple days before Christmas (no, we’re not ‘one of those people’) I was just SO against having my niece become addicted to B.A.B.W but look at what I caved in to.
Again, B.A.B. you suck my wallet dry and yet I still come back to you. Keep up the good job in making it such an enjoyable place for my daughter and niece.

Three kids (4, 3, and almost 1)? Check
A first day of preschool under ²⁄₃ of their belts? Check
A hefty price tag of $ 100+ for three bears, three outfits, some accessories, and a happy trio? Check
Listen, I love the B-​A-​B concept. The two older kids joyfully stuffed, kissed hearts, fluffed, and dressed their bears (and helped with the littlest’s one as well). The employees were friendly and engaging. The bears themselves were pretty reasonable; I think the most expensive bear was $ 18, maybe? But the clothing and accessories? Oh, man. Our youngest daughter’s bear is sporting some pj’s, but the other two? Dressed to the nines. And that, my friends, is where they get you. That’s minus one star right there – I mean, the bears’ clothes shouldn’t rival the cost of, say, mine. But regardless, we’ll be back. My older two want full wardrobes for their bears, so I’m certain Santa will make a quick stop or two at B-​A-​B on their behalf. Overall, I’d recommend it, but make sure you prepare yourself for the inevitable sticker shock. :)

I’m 21 and I love Build-​A-​Bear.
My little sisters insisted that we go to Build-​A-​Bear, and my inner 10 year old had been insisting, too. We went, and my sisters showed me the ropes. They each made a bear for themselves, and I made one for my boyfriend as an «I’m sorry I started a stupid argument… again» thing.
There wasn’t a huge selection of animals to stuff like I had been expecting. There were, at my guess, 20 different animals to choose from, mostly bears (duh), and the one I really wanted, a WWF Gray Wolf. Sadly, the wolf was $ 25 for the animal alone, which I just couldn’t do at the time. I settled on one that donated $ 1 to a children’s charity, a bear with a little heart sewn on his chest. He was $ 16, I think. My sisters each settled on a bear, too, although even they were having a hard time finding one that they really liked.
We waited in a not-​too-​long line to stuff our bears, and along the way, there was a booth with sounds that you can put in your animal. There was the option to record your own sound, which I did. The girl who was stuffing my bear was really sweet, too. You pick out a little heart to stuff in your animal, and she asks the kids to do different things (rub it on your forehead so he’s really smart, rub it on your ear so he’ll keep your secrets, rub it on your tummy so he doesn’t eat all your food) and finally make a wish and give it a kiss before you put it in the animal. Not only did she ask my sisters to do it, but me too, so I didn’t have to be the frumpy old adult in the picture. It was a nice touch that was definitely noticed.
After stuffing your animal, you can pick out clothes, accessories, and other fun stuff. They had a really cute heart pillow that the animal holds in their paws that reads «I Love You» that fit with my bear perfectly. I also got him a pair of sunglasses so he’s not too cutesy. Once you accessorize your animal, they’re really very personal. To top it off, you get a little birth certificate for your animal and a sturdy box to carry it home in.
All told, we spent around $ 90, but we had fun doing it. The selection of animals wasn’t great, but the accessories (where they make the big bucks) was. It was a fun thing to do with a group, not something you can have fun with alone. Half the fun is giggling with close friends or family while making a bear that you can keep to remember the fun with. I’m sure we’ll be back again soon, once our debit cards recover.

This is a fun store. You get to see the stuffed animal of your choice built right in front of you. How I regret the time they had Cookie Monster I did not get one. The only thing I don’t like is the clothes look more and more cheaply made over the years.

Kids actually learn while they play!
Build-​A-​Bear Workshop is a great place to take your kids for a special occasion. It is relatively inexpensive and extremely interactive. What does get expensive is that it becomes habit forming, and once your kid has been there, they want to return and buy accessories.
The stuff it yourself animals range in price from $ 10-​$ 20. You have the option of adding various sounds to your animal from $ 3-​$ 6. After choosing an animal, you are then led to a stuffing station. You or your child are instructed to step on a foot pedal that fills the animal with stuffing. You then perform the ritual of kissing a red padded heart and place it within the stuffed animal. The Build A Bear staff person then sews/​ties the strings and voila! You have given life to a stuffed animal!
They have various stations for your child to visit after their stuffed animal is completed. They feature a faux bathing station and drying station. Kids get to step on a press that blows the excess fluff off. They also have computer stations where kids use their computer skills to create a birth certificate. They also have the option of buying accessories and clothing for their stuffed animal.
I’m not sure what it is about this store, but it’s been a favorite for my little one since he turned 3. He’s not into stuffed animals, just the ones that he creates at Build-​a-​bear. He was super excited to find a Spiderman costume for his bear.
On this particular day, it wasn’t about him. He chose to create a dog for his Daddy’s birthday. We have 2 dogs, one belongs to me, the other to him. Daddy doesn’t have his very own dog. Personally, I think that he just wanted to make another one, and has mastered the art of pulling on my heartstrings while manipulating me at the same time.
For Obama fans, they have just released the Portuguese Water Dog!

Super-​entertaining for kids. As a cute gift, I bought an monkey for an ex-​girlfriend (g/​f at the time) that was graduating college. I wanted to get the college grad outfit for it and she’s freaking crazy about monkeys.
Anyways, I got a few good laughs. One of the workers saw me carrying the monkey around and said, «Would you like me to stuff your monkey?»
I humorously responded, «Hey man, there are kids around and you’re not my type.»
He said, «Look, you picked out the monkey…»
Long story short, I wound up having to kiss the heart that goes inside it, make a wish, and then «wash» and «comb» it with my friend (who looks the gruff-​biker type from the Army) before I could buy it.
Embarrassing, but worth it. No wonder kids go bananas over it. Great job!

…unless you’re 12 years old and Grandma’s paying, this is NOT the place to spend the day. Overpriced and understuffed, it’s kitsch to the 9^th degree. Good times to watch the children play — as long as someone else is paying. .. .

This place is great fun. I helped my son make a bear here and he just loved the place. To be honest, I think it overwhelmed him a bit as he kept going all over the place and picking things up. The staff were really quite helpful. Overall it’s good fun.