Out, About and Things to Do - Build a Bear Review

Product: Build a Bear

Price: Ranging from £10 a bear plus outfits

Available from: Build a Bear Stores Nationwide

Initial Reaction: We are always on the look out for rainy day activities and this was something I looked forward to experiencing with my children.

Pros:

We had a really great time choosing bears, we were helped by one of the staff who recommended a bear suitable for my 3 month old daughter, Sweet Velvet Teddy has sewn on eyes and is Asthma friendly. This means it is manufactured from materials that do not contain certain chemicals and allergens known to affect asthma and allergies.

We then filled it with fluff, which my son helped us with, placed a heart inside and it was sewn up, all the while the very helpful sales assistant explained why we were doing everything. She was very accommodating especially since our son was a bit reluctant to hand over his empty bear!

Once the bear is sewn up you get to choose an outfit, again there is a selection of clothing, in this case we chose an outfit with no bows or buttons that could fall off in the hands of my daughter.

We chose a Hello Kitty outfit which looks great, but there are loads to choose from, ranging in dresses, doctors outfits, and latest trends including High School Musical, Hannah Montana and my sons choice of bear, the rabbit from the new movie Hop.

Once you have chosen your bear and kitted them out you get to register them (in case they get lost) and create a birth certificate, these are great fun if you are making for your own child or as a gift as you can enter who it is for and who has made it.

These are great for all occasions; my niece had a doctor bear given to her when she went into hospital for an operation, so they are not just great as a trip out but as a gift too.

Once you have picked your bear, outfit and printed your birth certificate the bear is placed in a lovely box, which resembles a house, so is great for young children.

Cons:

Although there is a bear to suit all pockets once you have added a sound effect and outfit it can get a bit pricey, although they can be added too with pocket money.

We went early in the morning and it wasn’t that busy but we had to wait to use one of the 3 computers to register our bear, I can imagine this would get a bit hectic when the store is busy so expect a wait (not always great with a small impatient child).

Value for money? You don’t just get a bear out of this you get an experience as well, however it does get expensive so if you are looking for the overall package of an hours entertainment and something at the end of it then yes it is.

Overall Reaction: Build a Bear offers the perfect rainy day activity, you can buy vouchers so it also makes a great gift and allows a child to choose a bear and outfit of their choice as well as getting the pleasure of making it themselves and seeing what goes inside a bear and how it is made. Although it can get costly you are making something your child with hopefully treasure and have memories of forever

By Ellie