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Build A Bear Birthday Party!

Every year when Em’s birthday rolls around there is big talk in the house about where to have the party.

This year with her new love for Build A Bear Workshop it seemed like a no brainer. The minute I asked her where she would like to have her birthday there was a huge shout, “Build A Bear”! Our entire family laughed because we all knew that would be the answer. Although she wanted her party at the Build A Bear Workshop in NYC, we opted for the Paramus Park location in NJ.

Since my oldest son is twenty-two, I am not a newcomer to party planning and have hosted many birthdays throughout the years. This was our very first Build A Bear birthday party so no one really knew what to expect. I was just banking on the fact that our family loves the brand and it would all work out.

Along the way I found out many things and tips for you if you are planning a party there.

Build A Bear hosts both birthday parties and just celebrations. So, you don’t have to wait for a birthday to roll around. You can use the celebration as part of a slumber party, team party, girl scouts, friends night out or anything else you can think of that needs celebrating. I love that idea. 

There is only a six person minimum so you don’t have to worry about filling the house with kids. You can choose how many children attend and how much money you would like to spend. Leave the rest to Build A Bear! Parties start at just $10 a child for a bear and up. You choose what you would like to do.

We opted for the $25-$30 range so that the children had a wider variety to choose from and could dress their new friend. You can get a nice package at any price and the children will be thrilled!

The party is very easy to set up. I used the website  buildabear.com which quickly guides you through the party planning stages and comes complete with printable invitations and thank you notes! There is even a FAQ section for all of your questions. If booking online is not your thing you can also call the 1-877-789-2327 or go to a local Build A Bear store. As a tip: Book early for the date and time that you would like. I did not realize just how busy the BABW parties were when I was booking. The party only take minutes to book and  then the rest is in Build A Bear’s hands! It is literally a party you just show up to with you family and just enjoy!

Em’s 7th Birthday celebration was amazing. Build A Bear went over the top with fun for the kids.

One of the questions and worries I had was that the children would want a different bear or different clothes than what was being offered at the party. I did not have to worry at all. The Build A Bear party host let me know that she would only allow the children to choose what was previously arranged. 

Since my daughter was the birthday girl she was able to choose whatever friend she wanted.

No one was surprised that she chose My Little Pony Rainbow Dash!

So, let’s get to the party. Our party was scheduled for 5pm. I did write 4:45 on the invites so that everyone would arrive a little early and we could get the party started on time. We had eleven kids on board and that made for A LOT of smiles and fun. The kids were immediately arranged into a circle on the floor and given some party rules that would make the day more enjoyable. They were given a code word: Popcorn, that would help to make all those excited little people quiet down so they could hear what was going on.

When everyone arrived, the party was lined up and chanted, “Build Our Bears! Build Our Bears!”. 

It was simply adorable! With the party girl leading the line I did have a little tear in my eye when I saw just how happy she was at that moment. It’s what Mommy’s live for!

Next up was choosing the bear. The party host showed all of the friends that were available to choose from.

Our party had about ten choices including Sponge Bob, a Girl Scout cookie bear, The Smurfs,  a Halloween kitty and more. There were plenty to choose from. Honestly, I don’t know how the kids narrowed it down!

After all the choosing was done it was back to the circle. I absolutely LOVED the next part of the party. If you have ever been to BABW you know that each bear has a heart inside with a special wish. At the party, each child was given TWO hearts, one for their bear and one to put into Emily’s bear! So Em’s bear ended up with eleven hearts and birthday wishes! While the bears were stuffed one by one, there was an additional autograph bear that made it around the circle for each child to sign. How special! What a memory to keep forever. The party included stuffing and dressing the bears, naming them, playing games, singing the birthday song more than once and making each and every child at the party feel special.

Disclosure: Special thanks to Build A Bear Workshop and BABW at Paramus Park Mall.

All opinions are that of  Diane Sullivan. Contact me at ELGerogia@aol.com.

 Pictures/video were approved verbally. 

   Check out Em’s other Build A Bear videos:

Build A Bear Making My Little Pony Twilight Sparkle in NYC.