Ann Mennel’s daughter Caroline knows what she likes: stuffed Teddy bears! So when it comes to birthday-party planning, the Dallas mom has it easy. For Caroline’s third birthday, the craft-loving girl requested a party at NorthPark Center’s Build-A-Bear Workshop.
// Click on image at left to view more images from this party.
The party was such a hit that Mennel says she couldn’t convince her daughter to host a different party when her next birthday rolled around. The 4-year-old’s request for another Build-A-Bear Workshop party was met (again) with cheers from mom. “I can’t complain when it’s just so easy to plan a party at the store; you just go online (buildabear.com) and book your dates and set a budget,” Mennel explains. “The store takes care of the rest of the planning!”
What does a party include? Lots of crafts and games, including, of course, the creation of a take-home stuffed animal. Parents set a predetermined budget for how much each partygoer can spend (from $10-$30 per guest), and a store host leads the children through the bear-building process. Mennel chose to keep her budget open-ended, but the party came out to cost about $25 per child.
“We had about 17 kids at the party, which meant that the kids had to wait their turn to pick an animal, to stuff the animal and choose clothing,” Mennel says. “But there was never a point in the party when the kids weren’t entertained. The host did a fantastic job with playing games with the kids and keeping their attention.”
After the kids stuffed their animals, bathed their animals (in an imaginary bathtub) and dressed their creations, the party attendees lined up and strolled through the store singing a “Take Me Home” song. “It’s something that only a mom would appreciate,” laughs Mennel. After the party, the group relocated to nearby Paciugo for cake and refreshments.
The busy mom says that the party was so easy and worthwhile – for a second consecutive year – that she’d host parties at the store in the future. She adds, “My daughter had such a great time and the kids loved to have a gift to take home.”
Updated 7/27/12
