Sweet Trip to Build-A-Bear Workshop®
Bakeshop Bears (my kids' personal favorites)
Attention! Megan (of Miles), GeekDad and CJ — congrats to each of you winning a $25 gift card from Build-A-Bear Workshop!
When I was pregnant with my youngest, Quinnlin, I took her brother Gage to Build-A-Bear Workshop® to make his new sister a Welcome-to-the-Family present. That was over 10 years ago and we’ve been Build-A-Bear fans ever since. The kids have made a lot of animals over the years… and we’ve celebrated more than one birthday creating loveable friends.
When Build-A-Bear asked me if the kids might like to go and create a bear named Cookie, Cupcake and Donut or maybe a Kissing Puppy and Kitty, it took me about 1 second to say yes. I mean, perfect treat before Valentine’s Day, right?
Hearts for the insides...my son requested 2, put them to his forehead and sent good thoughts to Billy.
We had a great time over our Winter break at one of our local Build-A-Bear Workshops where Gage picked Sprinkle Donut (it was blue and a “boy” after all, now named Billy) and Quinnlin picked Confetti Cupcake Bear now named Sprinkles. Confused yet? While some might think my son is a bit old for Build-A-Bear Workshop but you won’t hear that come out of our mouths. Stuff animals have been a mainstay for the kids through their medical journey as comforting friends. “Billy” is nearby as he sleeps comfortably in a hammock made with the back of a chair and my son’s bed frame and “Sprinkles” is already a favorite friend.
- “Bath” time…and laughing! Note the pretend eating of the donut!
While there Gage noticed a must have accessory – a guitar – high up on a display (he’s taking lessons) and before I knew it, he’d sent an employee in back who happily retrieved it for him and reloaded several on a shelf, all the while giving him kudos for helping make sure the store was in check! Their new friends wear simple clothes of jeans, Sprinkles with a “peace” shirt and Billy sports an orange hoodie.
Build-A-Bear is letting me give away THREE $25 dollar gift cards for a little one you love, to create a little one they love.
Leave a comment about a favorite stuff animal of your child or yours before January 20, 5pm EST and we’ll randomly pick three of you to win a $25 gift card so you can create a new friend! Enter to win now!
Success!
Announcing! I’m absolutely thrilled to tell you that I’ll be 
sharing Quinnlin’s story of navigating the world of special needs along with a special Build-A-Bear Workshop friend for the next several months on their new blog…which is coming soon! Of course, we’ll let you know when it’s live!
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Build-A-Bear Workshop and because they’re terrific to work with 3 gift card winners will get to benefit from it, too!
Prices: Kisses For You Puppy and Kitty, 2 for $30 or $18 each. Bakeshop Bears, 2 fo
r $35 or $20 each.
We may have a girl whose name begins with Q in our house who will love to learn that on January 20th (this week!) Build-A-Bear Workshop is releasing their new Victoria Justice bear!
Do you know what Bearville is? It’s Build-A-Bear Workshops’s online version of their friend accessible by a code my kids both received on their bears. Yeah, they loved that too.
Also, because I think about my kids putting things in their mouths past age 3 (sensory seekers!), be sure to check and see which animals are noted as safe for 3 and under!
Note: To support the site we make money on some products, product categories and services that we talk about on this website through affiliate relationships with the merchants in question. We get a small commission on sales of those products.That in no way affects our opinions of those products and services.
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About The Author
Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts is founder of Support for Special Needs and has been a regular contributor since its inception in May 2010. A mom to two kids with special needs, she didn't want other parents to feel what is the often isolating world of raising a child (or two!) with disabilities. Her kids had kidney transplants at the age of eight and will need liver transplants in the future as a result of ARPKD/CHF. They both have vision disorders and learning disabilities.
We are Build a Bear fans too. We just recently went out for a new friend with glasses, to match Mea’s!
We love build a bear too! We like to go for birthdays with the non-birthday sibling who gets to pick a new snuggle buddy for the birthday kid. 🙂
My favorite story about stuffed animals is my 2 year old son who has a wicked sense of humor already. During surgery one day this summer, I bought him a stuffed giraffe at the gift shop. When he woke up, I gave it to him and asked what his name is. He responded “Monkey.” I lauged and said “He’s not a monkey, he’s a giraffe!” To which he said “No. Giraffe’s name Monkey!” Alrighty then. He has since developed a comedy routine with Monkey the giraffe. He likes to take Monkey and a sock monkey tothe hospital. Then he asks everyone that comes in the room to hand him Monkey. They naturally reach for the sock monkey. He refuses it, asking again for Monkey. When they don’t get it, he says with a silly little grin “Giraffe’s name is Monkey!” and falls into a fit of giggles. Silly boy.
We love Build-a-Bear, too! The day that my Sophie was fitted for her back brace, she was given a Build-a-Bear puppy, named Phoebe, who was ALSO fitted for a brace! The puppy was made by another little girl being treated by the hospital (Children’s Memorial in Chicago.) It was such a wonderful way to help ease her fears and not feel quite so alone. We are so grateful for all that the Build-a-Bear folks do for kid’s with disabilities. Hurrah for new bears!
My favorite is my first BAB, a turtle with a backpack shell!
We love Build-A-Bear. Our daughter picked a grey kitty the first time we went and named her Owen. Owen has a sparkly pink tutu/ballerina outfit, and a toy cell phone. We’d love a chance for her to make a new one!
Silas’ favorite animial is a huge bat that was on clearance at Target after Halloween last year. He takes it when they get to take pillows to school. Sage’s favorite is a little dog that looks exactly like her grandparents dog, and is named after her – Daisy. Sage loves the real dog so much that she has cried a few times when we leave their house.
I took my two oldest children to Build a Bear a couple of years ago to make a welcome to the family bear for the little boy we were about to adopt. When I went to Africa to pick up our new son, we took him the bear. We had put a custom button in the bear’s hand that had a recording of each child telling their new brother that they loved him. It was such a great way for him to get used to their voices before he got to meet them. We are huge BAB fans!
Love Build a Bear! Two of my best friends started us on this trend by making my son a monkey for his first birthday, in turn my son made one for my daughter when she was born. Build a Bear is a special place for us to go to commemorate birthdays or milestone events for my kids! The Build A Bears are always made so nicely and we love the clothes!
love it! we have a much-loved collection of build-a-bears snuggled into my kids beds…
Love Build a Bear! It’s been a traditional our family for years! Always amazed at the new, adorable creations they come up with each year!
My Sammie B’s favorite stuffed animal is a small “Donkey” from Shrek. We take it every where with us. She got it at a live performance of Shrek the musical, and calls it her “hee haw.”
What a great idea! Kids that can express themselves creatively can handle so much more that life hands out! Well done!
I know of a great granddaughter about to celebrate her 2nd birthday in just 2 weeks… time to start her journey into the Land of Build-a-Bear workshops to create her newest friend.
We made our youngest a ‘Love Bug’ for her first Valentine’s day. I think she’d get a kick out of the process now that she’s older!
My favourite story is about Liam’s bear Nice. Nice was lost one summer and it was very heart breaking. As clueless parents we went out and bought a replacement Nice, but while New Nice was loved, he wasn’t Nice and Liam knew it.
Fast forward a year. We unearthed a long forgotten sleeping bag and as I smoothed it out, there was a lump at the foot. I reached in to find out what the lump was and was delighted to find Nice! He wasn’t lost, he’d been camping in the closest for the past year.
The best part of this story? My sensory sensitive boy can tell the 2 Nice’s apart by smell! Original Nice is still a favorite and can often be found in Liam’s bed 5 years later.
We have a small collection of build-a-bears that my kids adore! They have baby clothes on them from when they were infants and some of mine!! I love build a bear.. it’s just a fun experience. My son’s favorite stuffed animal is his rainbow lizard that a friend got for him. She even included one of those sound messages for him.
To this day my son’s very first (and most favorite) stuffed Mickey Mouse is prominently displayed in his bedroom….and he’s 17!
i would make this for the Tracy, my friend that i work for. He is severly brain damaged since birth and loves my service dog. He would enjoy going to the mall to make it. my favorite friend is corduroy, its 30 years young
I am a huge fan of Build-a-Bear. My last animal was an adorable bear my brother and I made for our nephew. We put a beating heart in him and clothed him in the fisherman outfit. He is just too cute. I also have quite a few animals of my own. I’ve been in love with stuffed animals for a long time since I am quite sensitive to real animals. Build-Bear does a great job of keeping their customers happy. I would love to win so I can go make an animal with my boyfriend.
My daughter loves Build A Bear! She always manages to find the perfect outfit or accessory. My favorite Build-a-Bear experience was when she named her new dress-wearing koala “Luke Skywalker”, and laughed and laughed over her silliness.
Our favorite stuffed animal, though, is her big, stuffed cat. His name is Stripey to match his appearance; he’s big enough to be a pillow and soft enough to cuddle.
I still snuggle with my stuffed animal beaver, Bentley, when I sleep at night. I got him when I was 10 and he comforts me so much.
One of my favorite memory is taking my baby cousin to make her first build a bear she was so excited she made one named kitty.
M daughter has a Hello Kitty Build a Bear. She never goes anywhere without it!
i would like to make this with and for my daughter. i love my lamb debby
Macy’s favorite stuffed animal is this white TY stuffed bear with multi colored hearts all over it that her grandma gave her when she was a newborn baby<3!!! She still sleeps with it every night and takes it everywhere and anywhere with her:)!!! THANK YOU SO SO SOOO VERY MUCH FOR THIS:D!!!
I made my oldest daughter her first bear for her first birthday. When she was a little bigger, she fell madly in love with the friends she made at Build-A-Bear. When her father passed away, she and her sister and cousin all made matching pink bears, and her teachers gave her a Build-A-Bear gift certificate and she made a special dog that is never far from her side. Her room is overflowing with stuffed animals, numerous of them made at Build-A-Bear. She talks about how now that she is 12 some people might think she is too old for them all, but she pulls one close to her heart and says, “But I don’t care. They make me feel safe.”
My daughter loves going to Build-A-Bear. She’s made a whole family of bears. They’ve married each other and had cubs.
The one that stands out to me right now is the one she calls Mr. Jonas–a tribute to her infatuation with the Jonas Brothers.
Now that my daughter is a little bit older, she likes to make bears for her nephew (almost as much as she likes making them for herself 😉
Thanks for the giveaway.
After taking my kids to their first Detroit Tigers baseball game we went to build-a-bear the next day and they picked out tigers w baseball hats & team tshirts. they bring those tigers out whenever we watch a game on tv to watch with them in addition to being one of their favorite stuffed animals in general. I promised them if Detroit lions made playoffs we would get them lions so I owe them a trip to build-a-bear now!
My almost 6 year old has been bugging me for a month now to take him to build a bear. He keeps saying “remember how you said you would take me to that place in the mall to make an animal”. We love that place!!
I just love build a bear my favorite memory is getting a pink monkey for my birthday I had never been to build a bear but when I finally went it really was like magic now my little monkey sits on my bed with her cute little tutu and matching heals. I love making the bears too for the people I love because there is a little love in every animal. 🙂
One of Andrew’s first “friends” was a white bear decked out as a fisherman named Joey (from out 1st trip to Build a Bear) The sweetest part was when he kissed the little red heart that was placed inside Joey. That bear went eveywhere with us! My favorite was a stuffed clown. Funny, but clowns scare the heck out of me now!
Evelyn’s favorite stuffed animal is usually a rabbit that she calls “Rabby.” But most often she has a new favorite stuffed animal every day. (We have lots of stuffed animals.) She loves being their doctor.