Build a Bear store, has anyone been?

[ebaynut31]

We are thinking of having my DD 11th birthday there in June. My sis and I went in to check it out. We had a blast!! (Grumpylilsis turns 31 two days after my dd bday) and she will make her own bear while there.

Has anyone had girls that age have a birthday parth there? I will have the girls here for cake and stuff then throw them all in my van and head to the mall

We will plan about 2 hours or so up there. What do you think?

 

[Serena]

I don't know anything about a party there, but my dd did make me a bear there and the thought that she had a hand in choosing everything makes it really special.

 

[Credit Man]

My DD, who is now 9, loves Build-a Bear and has attended several parties there. Two hours should be enough time. I have not seen how the run parties for kids your DD's age, however the younger kids seem to have a great time.

 

[Desnik]

That's exactly what we wanted to do for DD's B-day but, they were booked for the date we wanted. So, make sure book early especially if it will be on the weekend. You can even book on their website or at least check there for available dates. We have gone here numerous times and once for a B-day. DD loves it. She often uses her allowence to get outfits for her bear! I think this is a great idea for any age! Heck, I want one too!!

 

[tkd lisa]

My DD who is turning 12 has asked to have her party there (and our closest one is 2 hours away). I told her she's too old. It's obviously a personal choice, but my DD is pretty immature, and I think her friends would think she's baby-ish to have a party there. If your DDs friends are really into bears though, it's your choice. I do think it's pretty expensive. Each bear is something like $30 + clothes, and I'd assume I'd have to buy lunch for the girls too. I typically try to keep parties down around the $10 + food per person.

 

[missypie]

My DD was at a build a bear B'day party a couple of weeks ago. 1. Expensive! Each girl had a $25 limit, which was quite easy to spend. 2. You're right to do cake at home - at our local store, there is no place for cake and presents there. 3. As far as timing, one hour was enough.

 

[Desnik]

The bears cost between $10-$25. They have alot of options for $15. The clothes are $5 each piece and some outfits that are sets are from $10-$15. I asked my local Build-A-Bear and they said alot of people just pay fro the bear for a party. So each kid will get to choose one of the $10 or $15 bears and they get to stuff it, they get a special box and certificate. If they want clothes they can buy them with their own money. Or you can decide ahead of time what you will pay for and then they will let the kids choose that day.
Here's an example of the $10 bear:
http://www.buildabear.com/acb/showd...&CATID=1&Se_By=FF_Feature_14in.Lil'CaramelCub
Here's the link to party info:
http://www.buildabear.com/buildAParty/index.cfm?Se_By=tabNav_BAP_about

 

[gina2000]

We've done it for my niece's 7th birthday. Build a Bear prices range from the basic bear to extra outfits and sound bytes. The basic package is about $15 per child as I recall.

You'll only need an hour....maybe a bit more if it's a large party. We went to Micky D's right in the mall for burgers with the kids afterwards and had our cake there.

 

[Gupsmom]

Each bear is something like $30 + clothes

Actually, unless prices change regionally, you can get a great Bear for between $10-$15. The clothes run in all price ranges. The most expensive outfits that I saw were $15. There were outfits for $8...plus plenty of accessories for as little as $2. What i liked about that is that I can get a pair of boxer shorts, glasses, a hat or a hockey stick for under $5 each and use them for Easter, Valentines day or even a small reward!!

I haven't been to a party there. I think they're kind of expensive...about $18 per child. That's not bad if your making one for your child (lots of stuffed animals cost more) but if you're making them for 10 friends that will add up fast. We went as a family (my 3 kids) and made bears. I snapped a whole roll of film. We had a great time!!

Jess

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

My ex-boyfriends' sister works for Build-a-Bear. She loves doing the parties. She even had to do a party for a 16 yr old. so I guess that means you are never too old to have a b-day party at Build-a-Bear. Its cute to watch the b-day parties go on, the kids have so much fun.

 

[ebaynut31]

The minimum is 6 kids. I told her that if she keeps it at 6 then they can spend $30 each. We usually go to a hotel for the night, swim, order pizza, get breakfast etc... By the time I am done paying for that, munchies, drinks it costs the same.

Pizza and cake at my house then build a bear. I know some of the girls have bears already. They can get another one or get all outfits if they want.

 

[Felicia]

My DH's friend was taking his daughter to Build-A-Bear (for his daughter's 4th bear!) and ask my DH if he wanted to take our daughter. He took her as a fun daddy/daughter day and the bear ended up in the $40 range! She picked out:

bear, approx $12
"sound" button, approx $4
clothes, approx $16
shoes, approx $10

He said he didn't look at the prices, she was having fun picking out what she wanted. When he got to the register he found out just how expensive it could be ! Needless to say, DD only has one Build-A-Bear.

 

[Kimberle]

Yes, we were just there a couple weeks ago for a 5th bday party. It was a lot of fun! The kids loved it!

The party in the store was about an hour (the store told them 1.5 hours, but finished in 1). She had pizza & cake at a pizza resturant in the mall. But I've seen lots of others just grab a bunch of tables in the food court and either buy a couple of pies or get happy meal. You can bring your cake from home & your own juice boxes to keep the price down.

Anyhow, the kids were instructed to choose any animal. The hostess did not buy clothes or sound buttons. That was fine! I thought building the animal was more than enough. (After the party, bumped into many other parents buying the clothes! *LOL*) As the hostess, you can either choose the $10 bear and have them all build it, select a few for the kids to choose from (say the $10-15 range), or let them choose what they want.

Considering you don't have to buy goodie bags and you only pay for those that show up, you can have this party at a reasonable price.

I just had my dd's 5th party at a Gym last Sat. I'm thinking of doing the Bear one for her 6th.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

My DD 7 had her b-day party there. It took about 1 1/2 hours for 6 children. Afterwards we went to Chick-Fil-A in the mall.

I have had many parents tell me that their child loved the stuffed animal from my daughter's party. They thought it was a great idea.

I also don't feel that I spent anymore on this party than I would have spent on another type of party.

BOOK EARLY, they fill up their calendar quickly.

Lori

 

[Mamu]

Your never too old for Build-a-Bear.

Even this Grandma LOVES Build-a-Bear.

 

[holycow]

Sounds like lots of fun!

HC

 

[Patio]

We went to Build a Bear in King of Prussia Mall. My niece really wanted one (she's 14) and then when my kids (14 and 9) saw how cool this place was, they wanted one, too. I must admit I really ended up liking it myself. I think a party there would be really cool. Have fun!

 

[jel0511]

We had DD's 5th birthday party at Build-a-Bear and her 6th birthday is going to be there also. My advice BOOK NOW!! Our Build-A-Bear is booked for all weekends from now until the end of May!! You can't get a time before 6PM on any Saturday, and all Sundays are booked. I booked my DD's party about 3 weeks ago for May 8th, and I practically had to beg to be squeezed in. Also, they can't book parties at the individual stores, you have to book on-line or call the 1-877 number they have on the website. All they can do at the individual stores is look at what is available and e-mail someone at headquarters to book it, it's easier and better to book it yourself on-line. Based on what I've experienced having a Build-a-Bear party, here is what I advise. DO NOT let the kids run wild and pick out anything they want, it usually leads to TONS of fights and problems. We unforunately had those problems last year, with kids not adhereing to the spending limits. It turned into a disaster, and I'm changing how things are going to be done this year. We're picking out a few bears for the kids to choose from, and are also picking 5 or 6 outfits for the kids to choose from. That's it, otherwise it can become a complete free for all, and end up a disaster. We had 24 kids last year and this year we're only inviting 20, so hopefully a smaller party.

 

[pjlla]

My DD's Girl Scout troop did this last year with their cookie money. It was my first experience with BAB..... My daughter loved it. She has since bought herself another animal and some outfits with her own $$..... but watch out!! It can get very pricey!! Be sure each child knows ahead of time how much $$ they have to spend to avoid disappointment! Have fun!!......P

 

[elgerber]

I do not think 12 is too old to have a party there if she wants too. I went and built myself a reindeer on my lunch hour during Christmas, my kids were at school. My kids love that place. My dd has 3 bears and my son has 1. We took the Brownie troop there and they had $20 each to use. They got to pick a $10-12 bear and an $8-10 outfit. To make things simple, a couple of us moms went and gathered all the $8 outfits we could find and had the girls pick from those, so they weren't overwhelmed and didn't want the more expensive outfits. It worked out great, and we found a bunch of cute outfits for that price. You can also just build the bear if you chooose, how much you spend is up to you.

Erika