what age for build-a-bear?

DD got some cash from her great-grandparents for Valentine's day. Our usual MO is to just deposit any money she gets in her savings account, but I was toying with the idea of letting her buy something that we'd never spend money on normally.

We have a Build-A-Bear at our local mall, but I've never been in it. First, is 2 and a quarter too young to bother? And second, can it fit into our $30 budget?

Of course, DD has something along the lines of a million stuffed animals, but she does love each and every one and she plays with them all often, so it would definitely be loved and used often. And it has just the right "cheese" factor for something that would wind up being a gift from the people in question. ;) They'd be thrilled to get a picture of DD with her new special bear bought with the money they sent.

So, is it a crazy idea? I'm open to other ideas too.

Thanks!
Sarah :)

If she likes stuffed animals I bet she would enjoy BAB. :)

As to whether she will like the making part, who knows? We were just there the other day with our 4yo and he hated the stuffing machine ("too loud"). But, he did not mind when he was younger.

I was surprised how affordable just the stuffed animals are. The bear he picked with $14. I think they "get you" with the accessories. So, for $30 you should be fine.

Have fun!

Beth

DD is sleeping with Ginger right now. Ginger is the kitty she made at her friend's 3rd birthday party at a Build-a-bear kind of place. DD was 2.5 at the time. I don't know if she really *got it* while we were there, but I think that was partly b/c we were there for a party and there were lots of kids. I don't think DD understood whatever the station was that blew air on the animals. She liked picking out an accessory for Ginger and picking out the animal itself.

I don't think it's a crazy idea. Your DD might get *more* out of it later on, but I think she'd have fun!

Like others said, I think she would enjoy it, but may not really "get it". I had Sarah's 5th birthday party at BaB and the kids who were 3.5+ really got it and enjoyed it. There were a couple younger kids there too and they liked it, but it wasn't the same. The 4 and 5 year olds really had a great time.

Loud noises don't generally bother DD, so hopefully that won't be a problem. Accessories, on the other hand...DD adores accessories. Wherever we go we have a baby doll. And if DD had her way, we'd have extra clothes, bottles, blankets, a hat and a coat for the baby doll.

But it's good to know that the animals themselves are affordable. :D

Sarah :)

What does the station that blows air on the animals mean? Like I said, I've never been there. The only thing I know about it is that you pick out the "shell" of an animal and (this is where it gets fuzzy) watch it get stuffed. Right? And I think that you're supposed to name it at the end and get some sort of birth certificate sort of like Cabbage Patch Kids.

I think we'll try to go when it's less busy - if I can figure out when that is - so she has more time & help to pick something out.

Thanks!
Sarah :)

Thanks for the age information. I think we'll try it out, and if she likes it and plays with the animal enough we'll probably go again when she's older.

Sarah :)

I shouldn't know this, but I've made some bears for me!

Yes, you pick out which animal you'd like to make, they usually range from about $10 to $20. You next go to the "stuffing machine" where a worker adds stuffing and you add a puffed fabric heart to it which you pick from a basket (you can also add sounds to it for extra $$, but I've never done that part), and then one of the workers sews up the bear.

The blowing machine is a fake bathtub where the animal gets "washed" and air blown on it to fluff it up and the kids can brush the hair.

Then you can choose accessories for the animal, clothes, shoes, bottles, hats, etc. Those usually range from a couple of dollars to about $20 as well.

Then you go to a computer naming station where you name the animal and its parent. At the register you usually pick the the birth certificate and they put the animal (and accessories) in a cute box shaped like a little house.

Debbie
http://b2.lilypie.com/BI7Tm5.png

Yep, what she said!

We went to a different animal building franchise so they did things a little differently.

First, you pick out the stuffed animal that you like the best, then take it over to someone at the stuffing machine. I think that the kids *could* help stuff the critter, but DD was definitely not interested in that. At the stuffing station, she got to pick out a heart (little plastic heart in different colors - or something like that) and then the heart went inside her cat. She was asked for Ginger's name at the beginning of our stuffing station time. The guy zipped Ginger up and then we went to the blowing machine. Ours didn't look like a bathtub, but the idea was the same. (Maybe we had the shower version? LOL) You blew air on the stuffed animal to clean them up, etc. Then it was time for the accessories.

Ginger wasn't boxed up and the birthday girl got to hand out the birth certificates, so I don't know how that normally goes.

I hope you and DD have fun!

I generally think that 2.25 is young for Build a Bear, but considering how she loves and plays with her other stuffed animals, it seems like it may be a nice thing for her.

I'm not taking Alek until he is older. I want to go for *me*, but I don't think he'll appreciate the whole experience as he would at 3 or 4.