Disclaimer: I received a gift card to facilitate my trip to Build-A-Bear Workshop. No other compensation was received. Opinions however are 100% my very own.
This is not my first trip to Build-A-Bear Workshop and if you go through my blog, by using my search function, you may notice that I even highlighted my trip to Build-A-Bear Workshop when I visited Canada during Christmas. It’s the one place I can go and be the kid that I am. It’s also the one place I can go and make a brand new friend. Well although I’m not talking about a flesh and blood friend, I like to consider all my stuffed animal my friends. If you have not taken your little one to experience the joy of making a brand new friend at Build-A-Bear Workshop then I can tell you that you are definitely missing out on the experience of a lifetime. If there is one thing that you should do with your little one this summer, it’s taking them to Build-A-Bear Workshop. Trust me, you both would have a lot of fun doing it. Well on to my experience once again.
My Build-A-Bear Workshop store is located at my local mall which most of them are. Unlike the one in New York City that is a stand alone store, the mall ones are just as beautiful. No way can you pass by and not want to go in. Just look at the friends just waiting to be made looking at you through the glass window.
Choosing the friend you want may be the toughest decision that you may ever make in your little life. It took me going from display to display until I chose the two that I loved.
The collection of friends to be made is huge. There are dogs, ponies, bears and while some are themed like the My Little Ponies and Spiderman to name a few, there are a few that aren’t. Now that I’ve chosen my friend, it was time to bring her to life.
This may scare a few of the younger children because it sure did me when I was much smaller. I was too afraid to step on that pedal that made my friend come to life. My sister or my mommy was always the one to do it for me. It makes the sound of a vacuum cleaner which I’m still afraid of and I would always hide behind someone until it was all over. Now that I’m older I’m a lot braver.
You are asked how you want your friend to be stuffed. Do you want him/her to be stuffed hard to stand, or soft enough to be huggable? Since I chose the My Little Pony, I wanted her hard enough so she could stand on her own. She was given to me for my seal of approval which I instantly gave.
Now the next ceremony is such a delight. I got to choose a heart for my friend.The heart ceremony is by far the best part of bringing your friend to life. Each store is different and so your heart ceremony may be different since it depends on the employee. I got to put her heart on my forehead so it would be wise, put is near my ear so we can share secrets etc, then it was time to put her heart in.
Once the heart was in I also included a sound. I had originally chosen the My Little Pony theme song so whenever I press her paw it would play. There are lots of different sounds that you can choose for your particular friend.
Now that my friend was all done, it was time to give her a bath. She didn’t need one but I did it anyway. After all you do need to have a bath before putting clean clothes on. At least that’s what mommy always say.
Bath time over, it was time to choose her clothing. The clothing department in the Build-A-Bear Workshop store is extensive. You can choose outfits, dresses, underwear, shoes or even stand alone pieces.
I originally chose a two piece outfit but for some reason it didn’t look right on my new friend since she had wings, so I decided to just put a skirt on her. She looked amazing with her skirt on if I do say so myself.
Now that she was stuffed, had a bath and was dressed it was time to name her. I was able to give her a name and that meant that she got a birth certificate. There is a special computer just for that and your little ones may need help doing the process but it is very easy to do. This is the last thing that gets done before heading to the check out counter to actually pay for your new friend.
Now that everything was done, it was time for me to take my new friend home. If you’re new to Build-A-Bear Workshop I would suggest signing up for their Stuff for Stuff program. You receive coupons in the mail and get rewards based on your purchases. Mommy has been a member for the past 13 years and so knows her number by heart which surprised the employee. I know it surprised me too since mommy forgets everything else, but now I have a new best friend.
My experience was amazing and I would suggest heading to Build-A-Bear Workshop before the summer is over with your little one. You both would love it and you will be gaining memories to remember in the future.
Find your closest Build-A-Bear Workshop store using their store locator or make a new friend by shopping online.
Have you ever been to Build-A-Bear Workshop? What was your experience like?
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Disclosure: Growing Up Madison receives products in order to conduct reviews. No monetary compensation was provided unless noted otherwise. All opinions are 100% my own. Some posts may contain affiliate links that I receive commission for payment from in exchange for referrals. In the event of a giveaway, the sponsor is responsible for delivery of the prize, unless otherwise noted in the posting. Giveaways are not sponsored by Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ or any other social media site. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be a good fit for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
