13 Best Stuffed Animals & Plush Toys

Bestselling Stuffed Animals & Plush Toys in 2023

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What to Expect When Going to Build-A-Bear

Build-A-Bear Workshops are full of bright colors, cute stuffed animals, and friendly staff...

Build-A-Bear Workshops are full of bright colors, cute stuffed animals, and friendly staff. As you enter, you will likely be asked by a staff member if you've been to BABW before. If you let them know this is your first time, they'll give you a description of the routine, and point you in the right direction. But if you'd like to know more about this unique shop before you make the decision to go, keep reading!

Not far from the entrance, along a wall usually, you'll see several bins filled with unstuffed, but cute, toy animals. There are bears, dogs, cats, monkeys, and more! Sometimes they'll have a limited edition supply of a special character, like Hello Kitty, Cookie Monster, or Big Bird. Above each bin, there is a shelf holding a fully stuffed version of the unstuffed specimens below it, along with a price tag. It's nice to know what you are committing to financially before you start building your bear (or whatever), and with that in mind, here's what to expect. Each animal is priced somewhere between about $10, all the way up to about $25. You choose (Ahem, I mean the child chooses...) the animal they like best, and stand in a line waiting for the "fluff" machine. The shortest we've ever waited in this line was about 10 minutes, the longest was about 35 minutes. Once at the "fluff" machine, a staff member will assist the child in filling the desired animal with "fluff" through the opening in the toy's back, officially transforming the toy into a soft, cuddly, stuffed animal. Then the staff member will let the child pick a little red, satiny heart out of a little plastic bin, ask them to give it a kiss, and then place it inside the stuffed animal. At that point, the staff member says a few more cute things to the child about their stuffed toy, and tightens the thread of the seam, securing the toy closed.

The next part is a cute touch, and the kids really seem to enjoy it quite a lot. Beyond the "fluff" machine, there is a little table with foot pedals underneath. There are chunky brushes sitting on the table, and when the child steps on one of the foot pedals, air blows down onto the table from an overhead valve. As the air blows on the stuffed animal, the child gets to brush out it's fur with one of the chunky brushes.

Then it's on to the clothing department of the workshop. Yes, I said clothing department. Build-A-Bear Workshops have a sizeable area devoted strictly to official Build-A-Bear apparel, shoes, and accessories. Even undergarments, like Underoo-style underwear for the "boy" bears, are available! There are Disney Princess costumes, Skechers shoes, national team sportswear, Girl and Boy Scout ensembles, and just about any other outfit you can imagine. All made in sizes perfect for each child's new friend, complete with openings for tails and ears. On our most recent trip there, my son's new bear came away donning a snazzy baseball cap and a very cool pair of sunglasses! This is where your visit to the workshop can get a bit costly though, depending on what your child is asking for. Most separates, like shorts and T-shirts, are $6 each. Tennis shoes are in the neighborhood of $8-$12, and full, one-piece outfits, like fairy costumes, are usually about $12 each. To give you an idea of how much an average visit costs for us, the last time we went there my son and daughter each picked a stuffed animal. My daughter chose a one-piece outfit for her bear, and my son chose a pair of shorts, T-shirt, baseball cap and sunglasses for his bear. Our bill came to $63. However, we've seen parents let their child pick out so many clothes and accessories at once the bill topped $100. On the other end of the spectrum, we've taken my daughter at a time when we told her that if she wanted to go to Build-A-Bear, she could pick an animal, but no clothes for it that day. It was no problem, she chose a Hello Kitty (who doesn't wear clothes anyway, does she?), and our bill came to about $21 including tax. So, it is possible to let your child have the experience of a Build-A-Bear visit, without having to take out a second mortgage.

Once the stuffed animal has been filled, sewn, and groomed, and all (or no) clothes and accessories have been chosen, you move on to the computers. Here, you or your child will input information such as their name, what the bear's name will be, the child's birthdate, and a few other things. Don't skip this step because all of this is printed out on the bear's birth certificate! Then you move along to checkout (finally!), where the birth certificate will be printed out and inserted, along with your child's new friend, into a really big, really cute box decorated to look like a house complete with windows! There is a handle at the top of the "house box" making it fairly easy for just about any child to carry. That is, if they don't rip the bear from the box before they've even made it out of the store, intent on snuggling with their fuzzy new friend immediately and indefinitely, as my daughter does!

Considering the expense, I let my daughter get as much use out of these toys as possible. I let her take them in the car, back into the mall on return visits, into restaurants, etc. We notice other little girls carrying them everywhere, too. Another great feature? Each Build-A-Bear animal has a small identity chip inside. Somehow, in this way, each toy is matched to it's owner. That way, if you ever lose one of these toys and it is turned in to a Build-A-Bear workshop, the staff there will be able to match it to your child and locate you via the contact information you provided at the computer when building your bear!

Build-A-Bear Workshops also host birthday parties. So check them out, you'll be glad you did. Happy building!