This post is sponsored by Build-A-Bear, but all of the opinions within are those of The Everymom editorial board. We only feature brands we genuinely love.
I Took My Kids to Build-A-Bear 20 Years After My First Visit—Here’s Why You Should, Too
There are certain things that—no matter how old you get—just instantly transport you back to childhood. For me, Build-A-Bear Workshop is a big one. Walking through the mall in the early 2000s meant having greasy hands from a massive Auntie Anne’s pretzel, stopping to peek into Limited Too, and, if I was lucky, lingering outside Build-A-Bear with my face practically pressed against the window. Every time we walked by, I begged my parents to go inside. As an only child who treated my stuffed animals like actual family members (they had names, personalities, the whole nine yards), the idea of creating my own stuffed animal from scratch felt like the coolest thing imaginable.
On my ninth birthday, I finally got my wish. I picked a fluffy white cat, dressed her in a pink spaghetti-strap top and black leather pants while I was deep in my Hannah Montana era, and proudly named her Sasha. I loved that cat for years. She went on vacations with me, slept beside me every night, and somehow survived countless adventures without ever falling apart. Fast-forward more than 20 years, and I found myself walking into that exact same Build-A-Bear Workshop again—except this time, I was holding the hands of my own four- and six-year-old as they got ready to make furry friends of their own.
What’s changed (and what’s stayed the same) since 2005?
I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure what to expect walking back into Build-A-Bear after all these years. The store definitely looks more modern than I remembered, and there are plenty of new features that didn’t exist when I was nine. But right when we walked in, it felt familiar in the best way. The magic was the same.
Picking a Build-A-Bear
To kick it off, our Build-A-Bear Builder made my kids feel like they were the only two customers in the store. The first (and arguably hardest) decision was choosing their new friends. I literally couldn’t believe how many options there were compared to when I was a kid. Alongside classic Build-A-Bear animals were characters from some of their favorite movies and shows, including Hello Kitty, Pokémon, Disney galore, and much more.
My son immediately spotted Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon, while my daughter fell in love with the sweetest pink-and-purple pastel cat. Watching them pick the plushies that perfectly matched their personalities made my heart explode. I couldn’t help but think about how I gave my own parents that same feeling so long ago.
Bringing their Build-A-Bear to life
Next came all the fun extras—which have, of course, expanded since my Sasha days. The kids could choose sounds to tuck inside their new friends from Build-A-Bear’s library (like Toothless’s actual roar from the film), or they could record their own voices. Both of them wanted to make their own recordings, and I wasn’t expecting something so simple to make me emotional. Someday, years from now, they’ll squeeze those stuffed animals, and we’ll hear the 4- and 6-year-old versions of them again. It’s the kind of keepsake you don’t really appreciate until you’re a parent.
They also had the choice to personalize their friends with scents, light-up features, and more, and they chose to go with the heartbeat feature that mimics a little heartbeat in their Build-A-Bear every time they squeeze it. My favorite part, though, is something that hasn’t changed one bit: the heart ceremony.
After the stuffing is finished (which they also help with), each kid gets a tiny felt heart and performs a sweet little ritual before tucking it inside their new friend. They rubbed the hearts on their cheeks, made wishes, gave them kisses, and placed them inside before everything was sewn shut. I remember doing the same ceremony as a kid, and seeing my own children go through those same motions more than two decades later genuinely made me tear up.
Customizing their Build-a-Bear
Next came what my kids (unsurprisingly) considered the most important step: shopping.
The clothing and accessories selection has exploded over the years. There were princess gowns, sports uniforms, tiny shoes, hats, licensed outfits, and shelves of more accessories than a celebrity closet. My son outfitted Toothless with a riding harness, a skateboard that attaches to his paws, and a mini gaming joystick. My daughter transformed her pastel kitty with Elsa’s dress, a sparkly crown, and a carrying harness so she could bring her new best friend everywhere.
And finally, our Builder led us over to the naming station, where each furry friend officially became part of the family. My kids proudly picked their names, created birth certificates, and I downloaded copies to save. The entire experience was so nostalgic and still very much like what I remembered as a kid, with modern touches that only made it more special.
Let’s talk budget: Is Build-A-Bear actually worth the price?
I know what some parents are thinking, because I thought it, too: This sounds fun… but is it going to cost an arm and a leg? Here’s the breakdown:
One thing I really appreciated throughout our visit was how transparent everything felt. At every step, our Builder tracked each add-on the kids selected and updated our running total before we moved on. There were no surprise charges waiting at checkout, which made it much easier to decide what was worth adding and what we could skip. I also made the kids aware of their budgets before arriving, so they became part of the process and chose items they genuinely wanted.
Honestly? After seeing the quality of the finished stuffed animals again as an adult, I completely understood why mine lasted so long growing up. These aren’t the flimsy stuffies you grab on impulse at the grocery store checkout. They’re larger than average, incredibly soft, and feel noticeably sturdier than most plush toys. My original Build-A-Bear survived years of daily play without getting matted or falling apart, and judging by the quality of the ones my kids brought home, I have a feeling theirs will too.
How to score the best Build-A-Bear discounts
If you’re planning your own visit, here’s the one thing I’d recommend doing first: sign up for Build-A-Bear’s email list and rewards program.
Build-A-Bear runs a ton of sales and promotions throughout the year both online and in-store. But the best offers only last for a limited time, so signing up helps you hear about upcoming promotions in advance. Members can also earn points toward rewards, receive birthday discounts, and get access to exclusive launches and offers.
All in all, the core memories are priceless
I expected to leave Build-A-Bear with two extremely happy kids and new stuffed animals that’d be attached to their hips. But what I didn’t expect was to leave feeling like I’d gotten a little piece of my own childhood back, too.
I won’t forget seeing my kids light up every part of the process, watching our Builder make them feel so celebrated, and realizing that we now share the magic of this experience even decades apart. Along with the actual plush, you’re paying for a couple of hours where your kids get to make choices, use their imaginations, and leave with core memories that’ll last another 20 years. That’s not something you can really put a price tag on.
My Build-A-Bear, Sasha, still reminds me of one of my favorite childhood memories with my parents. I have a feeling my kids will say the same thing someday, too.
Since becoming a young mama in 2020, Steph finds joy in creating beautiful yet relatable stories surrounding the raw realities of motherhood. She uses her real-life experiences and eight years of marketing expertise to produce authentic branded content that aligns with our reader’s interests.
McKenna Pringle, Assistant Editor of Branded Content
As the Assistant Editor of Branded Content, McKenna collaborates with our sales team by creating both written and social media content, collecting and analyzing performance data to report back to our partners, and assisting our editors with their everyday tasks to ensure a smooth and productive process.
This post is sponsored by Build-A-Bear, but all of the opinions within are those of The Everymom editorial board. We only feature brands we genuinely love.
