Summer Series: Build-A-Bear (ColorPopz)!

On our summer bucket list I included Build-A-Bear.  I knew the kids would go crazy for this idea and I was right!  If you follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram you already saw what a good time we had!

I follow Build-A-Bear on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram so I knew there was a new line out called ColorPopz.  I thought these would be perfect for summer with the bring colors and fun choices.  I thought each kid would pick one of the three ColorPopz choices but I was wrong.  Baby G wanted the same one big brother K picked.  Duh, Mom.  That really shouldn't have been a surprise at all!

I planned to go right when the store opened to avoid chaos and a crowd.  It turns out there was a birthday party scheduled at opening on the day we were there!  I was pleasantly surprised that the staff was still attentive and helpful to us even while a birthday party was scheduled. 

The ColorPopz are so cute!  There's Razzy Berry Kitty, Pizazzy Bear and Jazzy Frog.  Both my boys went with the bright pink and big eyed Razzy Berry Kitty and Jelly Bean opted for the pretty orange Pizazzy Bear.  Did you know Build-A-Bear has sound options?!  I had no idea.  What a cool concept especially for a special occasion or gift.  We didn't add the sound for these but the kids sure had fun testing the sounds out!  We moved on to the stuffing part and the staff was wonderful espcecially with Baby G (this was his first time and K has only done it once at a birthday party).  They washed their animals in the 'bath tub' which K informed me was 'just pretend, Mom, but it's fun!'.

 

The ColorPopz are larger than I imagined but the regular clothing fits- which is awesome!  There are even outfits made specifically to match these fun new animals.  Of course my younger two cared nothing about matching or outfits that made any sense.  Baby G saw a Woody outfit and although he walked around and looked at the many many choices...he went right back to the Woody costume and the staff helped him find cowboy boots, too.  Jelly Bean tried on a couple outfits for hers, the first she dubbed to formal so she went on the hunt for something 'more casual'.  The staff helped her find the perfect outfit and flip flops for her bear (which she named Dani).

K was dead set on getting the cat.  He's been watching Puss and Boots any chance he gets and I'm certain helped sway him.  He picked a karate outfit, a cowboy hat and cowboy boots.  I love that he didn't care at all about the fact that the cat was pink- he decided the cat was a boy and named him.....Puss in Boots.

After their animals we dress and ready we moved on to the computers to create the birth certificates.  The birth certificates are great for a few reasons.  If you lose your animal and someone takes it back to a Build-A-Bear they can scan the animal, find you (the owner) and they will send it back to the address on file!  Also, the certificate allows the kids to log in online for some special Build-A-Bear games with your animal.  The computers got stressful with two too young ones wanting to 'type' (ie press buttons!).  But, again, the staff came to our rescue. 

The kids all played with the animals all day and Jelly Bean started playing the online games right away, too.  My favorite is that the little ones have slept with 'Puss in Boots' and 'Woody Cat' each night since we brought them home.  What a fun memory making morning!

Certainly things can add up taking the kids to Build-A-Bear, but I wanted to point out that they have bear options as low as $10 and you can certainly use a budget for 'extras' as a learning tool for older kids.  There's a clearance section for accessories and clothing and kids can use the budget to determine what exactly they want for their new animal. 

Also, I think we'll implement a new system in our home where kids can earn 'bear bucks' as rewards to use to purchase new accessories and such for their collection of Build-A-Bear animals.

Do you use a system for rewarding the kiddos? Would your kids like a system were they could earn Build-A-Bear 'bucks' at home?

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