How in the world did Build-A Bear Workshop get so popular?

[EMom]

DD loved it when she was invited to a BAB birthday party. We did one for her once. You tell each kid they have $X to spend on creating and dressing something, and the employees guide them through the process, making sure they stay within the limit. This would’ve been 15ish years ago, but $25 was a normal amount then for stuffing an animal and dressing it. Then you head to the mall food court for lunch and cake. Don’t even have to clean up your house afterward.

 

[slo]

Great memories of taking my girls to BaB when they were young. They have a huge tote filled with outfits.

I respectfully disagree about making a bear at home is the same as going to a BaB store. Nobody can duplicate that experience at home, just like nobody can duplicate WDW Magic at home by watching YouTubers walk through the MK.

Best BaB memory is us taking DD5 (who’s now 24) to BaB at Navy Pier in Chicago to make a very special bear for her unborn sister that was coming in a month. Watching her go through that store to pick out the perfect bear and dress it in the perfect outfit is a memory I’ll treasure forever and one that could never be done while making a bear at the kitchen table at home.

 

[barkley]

Why I think Build-A-Bear Workshop was even made was to keep kids from getting bored while parents shop at the mall so that the kids would have something to do while waiting for Mom and Dad

i don't know if they have any formal rules regarding it but i've never seen parents just drop kids at a build a bear unsupervised to serve as free childcare while they wander the mall but then the malls local to us have rules they enforce regarding unaccompanied minors.

on the subject of build a bear-we walked past the one at our mall just the other day, first time in YEARS. my gosh they've shrunk down in size-i guess covid killed out the parties b/c their store is 1/4th the size it was before and all the birthday party area was eliminated.

 

[sam_gordon]

i don't know if they have any formal rules regarding it but i've never seen parents just drop kids at a build a bear unsupervised to serve as free childcare while they wander the mall but then the malls local to us have rules they enforce regarding unaccompanied minors.

Even if there aren't rules, BAB isn't really marketed to the age groups where you could just leave your kid there.

 

[barkley]

Even if there aren't rules, BAB isn't really marketed to the age groups where you could just leave your kid there.

that's my thinking too.

 

[DisneyLover83]

My 8 year old daughter and her friends love it. She saves her birthday and christmas money and chooses to spend it on BAB. I saw another poster say $25 - now its more like $50-$75 depending on how many things you add. But yes it is very popular with the 5-10 year old girls where I live.

 

[Mysterian]

If one is crafty enough, they could build their own bear OR even an American Girl. Let your imaginations run wild!

One arm could be a plastic lobster claw, another is the scoop from a Tonka excavator. One leg could even be an entire Barbie doll. Endless options! The "magical experience" is included thanks to the fumes from the glue. Complimentary sawdust!

 

[barkley]

If one is crafty enough, they could build their own bear OR even an American Girl. Let your imaginations run wild!

One arm could be a plastic lobster claw, another is the scoop from a Tonka excavator. One leg could even be an entire Barbie doll. Endless options! The "magical experience" is included thanks to the fumes from the glue. Complimentary sawdust!

is that you sid?

 

[anniemae]

It's more about the experience IMO. Picking out the particular bear, the heart, the ceremony etc. They really upsell you with all the added "extras" too. Buy the special box to take them home, buy a recorded message to put in the bear, buy outfits, buy the certificate, buy accessories like a car or roller skates etc They also get you to come back by offering discounted deals, coupons and gift cards on your next visit. We got suckered into the gift cards. It was something like pay $50 for a $75 card or something if you bought it at check out.

We would take the kids on their birthdays an they loved it.

They also always have a fan base because as kids get older and outgrow BAB, more younger kids discover it.

 

[tcufrog]

They now have Build a Bear After Dark.

Our local children’s hospital has a Build a Bear in it and the proceeds go to the hospital. DS15 want to a birthday party there when he was a kid that was catered by the hospital Chic Fil A

 

[tcufrog]

They now have Build a Bear After Dark.

Our local children’s hospital has a Build a Bear in it and the proceeds go to the hospital. DS15 want to a birthday party there when he was a kid that was catered by the hospital Chic Fil A

 

[bcla]

The first time I'd ever heard of B-A-B was at an athletic dept awards dinner. Some of the players on the team went out and bought a couple for the seniors on the team. They specifically looked to dress them up in ways that spoke to the personality of the players.

 

[bjscheel]

BAB was a core part of my girls' childhoods...starting with a birthday trip when older DD turned 7. We probably have 30 or 40 in the house. DD21 still sleeps with the bunny that she got on her second trip, and DD24 got the autumn bear a year ago Christmas so they have not completely outgrown it either.

I will say they got a LOT of playtime out of them. These critters have been given first, middle, and last names, personalities, love interests, elaborate storylines, school classes, mock FB pages created in Word, etc. etc. And then there was Bearville, the online interactive world, and the more we bought at the store, the more they could do there. Many hours and summers at home filled with pretend play.

I regret nothing

 

[EMom]

My 8 year old daughter and her friends love it. She saves her birthday and christmas money and chooses to spend it on BAB. I saw another poster say $25 - now its more like $50-$75 depending on how many things you add. But yes it is very popular with the 5-10 year old girls where I live.

I mentioned $25 per child as a common limit on birthday party creations, but that was the early 2000s. Even then, you could spend $50-75 on one, if you added lots of stuff or picked a more expensive outfit. Back then, $25 would get you one of the lower priced animals and an outfit, just not a fancy one. And bows were free. Some kids chose a more expensive animal, with no clothes and only the free bows. Some chose the lowest price animal and a fancier outfit. But the employee party hosts were great about keeping them on budget.