Visit Build-A-Bear Workshop for Special Occasions

Okay, I feel like this post could catch a little flack because Build-A-Bear seems to be something moms love or something they loathe. I know it is something that can get way expensive very quickly but hear me out, and if you haven’t heard about Build-A-Bear, you may want to give it a chance.

I’ve only been to Build-A-Bear once and it was a year and a half ago. But I still love the experience, and wanted to share about it because it was a great time to celebrate a very important occasion. We visited Build-A-Bear after we told our son he was going to be a big brother. He was a little over 2 1/2 at the time, had friends with new siblings, and understood what was going on- there was going to be a new baby.

We wanted to make becoming a brother feel special for him and find a way to connect him with his brother before he arrived. We decided that Build-A-Bear might do the trick. We ended up going to one out of town, in Reno, NV actually, because we went on vacation not long after we told him and we had planned to visit the snow but it had melted. So, needing something to do and decided it could be a fun adventure.


We went to the store on a weekday. No one was there and the woman we worked with made  such a big deal out of our reason for being there. E got a sticker that said big brother, he picked out an animal for himself and his brother- a dog for each. He stuffed them and we each put a heart in. He still remembers that the dogs (Both named Sam- he was 2 after all) have more than one heart that we each kissed before we put into the stuffed animals’ bodies. E chose this gift for his brother and he has one to represent himself becoming a big brother as well. We take a monthly photo with N’s Sam to mark the passing of time and to see how big he’s getting.

I know that Build-A-Bear is not for everyone and for some it can get out of control fast with all of the up-sells and add-ons. But, we went in with the idea that this was a special day and we were okay with spending more money than is necessary on stuffed animals. And it absolutely was a special day and completely worth it. I am so glad that we found a way to celebrate our older son learning about his baby brother in such a tangible way. We now have two boys, 2 dogs named Sam, and many great memories of our trip to Build-A-Bear.

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