Build-A-Bear Workshop: ANY Event on Now!

I’ve long wanted to visit Build-A-Bear Workshop with my boys, but always had an excuse ready when we passed the brightly lit store exploding with stuffed animals.

“Ryder’s outgrowing teddy bears so quickly. I don’t think he’d really appreciate it.”
“Reid is too young to know what the heck is going on. Let’s wait a year or two.”

Truth is, I secretly knew that both boys would adore the workshop… I just had reservations about dropping $50+ on a teddy bear. (I mean seriously! Over $100 for two bears? That’s a little much.) And, I was a teeny bit concerned that after their first bear, they would recognize the store and want another… and I simply have no patience for tantrums over stuffed toys.

Hence, I normally picked up my pace as we passed Build-A-Bear. Like, every single time.

But then, it was like the heavens parted, as Build-A-Bear contacted me about their “ANY” Event. It’s really simple: make ANY bear, choose ANY outfit, and ANY pair of shoes for just $34.99. In some cases, you can save $20 or more per bear – yes please! Sweetening the deal in my case, Build-A-Bear Workshop generously provided a gift card so we could allow little Reid to make a bear of his very own. (We also purchased a bear for Ryder separately, but for the purpose of this post, I’ll just be documenting Reid’s adventure.)

We arrived at Build-A-Bear at Square One, Mississauga to find it hopping. The ANY Event is a popular one, with good reason! Tons of shoppers were taking advantage of the mad savings.

I was pleasantly surprised with the selection of animals to choose from. I’m used to stores placing heavy exceptions – even when they say “ANY” – so it was nice to see that children really do have a ton of choices.

Slight problem: when we first told Reid that he would be able to pick out his very own stuffed animal – and build it from scratch! – he was less than enthused. In fact, he responded with unparalleled grumpiness: “Go home.”

However, once we let him loose in the store, his mood changed immediately, and he spent about 5 minutes touching everything. After presenting a few options, he repeatedly pointed at the Camo Bear, which is just SO my style it proves that he is my son through and through. Good call, Reid!

We bypassed the sounds station because the last thing we want is another toy that makes noises (between the cars, flashing sirens, construction vehicles, robots, talking story books, etc… we simply could NOT fathom it).

So, on to the filling station. Ryder volunteered to put the pedal to the metal, filling Reid’s little bear with love and fluffy stuff. Reid even got to insert a sweet little heart before the bear was sewn together.

Choosing clothes for the bear was surprising simple, as Reid pointed to the Obi Wan Kenobi outfit, and my husband and I said – Okay! Gotta love another generation of Star Wars fans. To complement the outfit, we chose old-school flip flops that Ben Kenobi would certainly approve for traversing sandy desserts.

But my single favourite moment of the day – by far – was Reid’s reaction when we presented him with his new bear. Doesn’t his face just say it all?

Now’s a good time to discuss the incredible savings of Build-A-Bear’s ANY Event. Had we paid for the Camo Bear ($23), Obi Wan Kenobi Outfit ($19.50) and shoes ($9.50) separately, we would have spent $52. Instead, we got it all for just $34.99, a savings of $17.01! Woot!

We had just one thing left to do: create his new bear’s birth certificate. Of course, to do that, we had to give him a name. After asking Reid a few times, he settled on the very creative and distinctive… “Beary”.

And then, all of a sudden, we had a new addition to the family. Welcome Beary! May the force be with you. But not too much force – because Reid has been known to rip ears off teddy bears. #watchoutdude

Build-A-Bear Workshop’s ANY event runs until August 16th, 2012. Click here to find a location near you.