For my daughter's 7th birthday, we had a build-a-bear party with 10 of her friends. I booked online, which was an easy thing to do. Times get filled out easily so book early. Then i got a call back couple days before the event to confirm my reservations. On the day of, party leader was friendly enough and she organized the whole experience with the kids. Although I increased the budget for what each kid can have, she made sure that i was still within that range. I didn't have to mentally calculate everything. She only made the bears within my price range available and already picked out the clothing (it was a lot of choices) that the kids can chose from. So no need to worry about the kids, they are being guided. (It's the parents you want to watch out for, those ones who always want to be greedy. We never have shortage of them). She had all the kids roped up at the end of the store, "private party", during the entire process. So, nobody really wondered off by themselves. They enjoyed stuffing their bears, wishing on hearts, putting wish hearts on the birthday girl's bear and they even played some games. They encouraged all the parents to leave the kids in the store and go shopping or something. But I stayed around and I had all the chance in the world to take all my pictures. At the end they snap a picture of all the kids with their bears and they give you a copy. My party included goodie bags. I wished they could have made it better. There were only 2 items inside and a bottle of water that most of us did not get. If I had known I could have prepared for a better goodie bag for the kids. Over all it was a good party and I'm glad that we had it here. I partied at build-a-bear workshop! read more

I came here on Friday for a 6 year old's birthday party. I think for a birthday party- the energy of the party leader is super important. Or maybe cause I'm a teacher and I'm pickier about energy level especially for a kid's birthday. Anyways the two party leaders were good. They weren't great and the "entertainment" seemed really simple. They played Simon says while all the kids waited their turns to stuff their bear. They asked them if they went to Disneyland and their favorite ride. When the party was over.. I went over to read the pamphlet about booking a birthday party with them and it sounds so much more exciting then what you actually get. BUT- it seemed the kids really enjoyed it. The party includes them picking a bear and stuffing it.. and after the hour party, then the kids with their parents and new friends go and buy clothes for the bears.. I think they really enjoyed that part!! Oh but the cool thing about the party is that the birthday kid's bear has SOO many hearts from their friends. They each get 2 and then they make a wish for themselves and one for the birthday kid.. and the birthday kid gets the second heart from each of their friends.. I thought that was the sweetest part of the whole birthday party. Not sure how much the birthday mom spent, it seemed like a pretty penny. Overall, probably a great place for a party if the kids are young.. not sure if it'd be as entertaining for someone older than 6. read more

My 4 year old absolutely LoVes this place. Why? Because she doesn't have to pay for it. Yes, it's fun to 1) choose your bear 2) stuff the bear 3) dress up your bear 4) print out his/her birth certificate When I see my kid with a huge smile on her face, I just can't help myself but smile at her. But when I see my credit card statement, I don't smile any more. But I guess it's worth going here once a year or so just for special occasions. The best thing to do is just to avoid going near the shop when you go to the mall with your kids! read more

Damn you BaB for a wallet-draining business model making you irresistible to kids who in turn pull on their parents' heartstrings to visit again and again. First you have to pay a visit to get that special stuffed bear or other character (in the case of our then 5 year old, a Hello Kitty), then you have to pay another visit to get a new outfit, then another and then you have to go back to get a new stuffed animal to go with all the outfits previously bought (our now 6 year old has moved on to iCarly and its limited edition teddy bear). For her birthday party with friends, our daughter really, really, really wanted to have it held at BaB. How about a magician or a clown in the park? How about a gymnastics party? How about just going to BaB with just one or two of your BFFs? No, no and no. Long story short, we ended up holding her birthday party there with 10 friends. We're still reeling from the price tag, but I have to admit that they actually did a decent job of keeping 10 kids entertained for an hour plus as each of the kids picked out an animal, had it stuffed and picked out outfits. To make this outing more expensive, the only place to feed the kids lunch and serve birthday cake in the shopping mall is Nordstrom Cafe or California Pizza. read more

Been here a few times, but this review is for a recent party that was held here. I don't think the staff was prepared for the kids, at this age. Too much waiting around for the kids in my opinion. And for the amount of money my cousin spent for his son's birthday there should have been a LOT more/better customer service going on. For someone who has to work with kids, one of the sales associates should have a better disposition and act like she wants to work there, and maybe actually SMILE once in awhile. read more

I took my 2 year old here today and was not impressed by the customer service or their artistic the workers here. My 2 year old wasn't wearing a mask and she asked " how old is he?" I responded "2" and I responded well if he refused to wear a mask then per the CDC said it was safer to have them unmasked then having them pulling at a mask that has germs and bacteria/ then touching their face. She had the nerve to roll her eyes. I literally wanted to leave because there was no point of spending my hard earned money in a store where they couldn't understand that trying to mask a 2 year old is a hit or miss but unfortunately my little one found something he wanted. Every single employee in this store literally looked like they hates their lives and didn't want to be there. It made my sons first time being there really lame. The store was not stocked on bears or anything thing for that matter. How can you call yourself build a bear when you don't have anything to build. We ended up actually buying one of the display bears since they literally only had girly colorful/glittery bears in stock. A lot of the comments state that they try to up sell you which is true and today they met the queen of turning down everything . They tried to get us to buy a sound a heart beat sound a thing to make the best smell like cotton candy( why would I want that?) then after picking out 2 stuff bears you need clothes and boy are they expensive next time I'll just buy baby clothes from Marshall's to dress these bears. $80 for a paw patrol dog and a bear with 2 outfits no shoes. At the register she tried to upsell us with gift cards buy $30 gift card for $15 that's a hard pass since your store was empty. I won't be back here. If my son wants another build a bear I'll either purchase online or drive out to valley fair. read more

It's impossible to get out of here for less than $40 and they really gouge you on the additional accessories and of course, the clothings! Look, I'm not a cheap person and seeing the wonder and happiness on my niece's face is priceless but this doesn't justify the price they charge and how they manipulate the process to get more $ out of you. Also, one must have patience because it's nearly impossible for a little girl to decide with so many choices. So the process goes something like this: 1. pick a friend from the endless selection starting from $10; 2. then you can choose to add a sound (range from $3-8) - this ends up to be a must and just depends on what and how much; 3. then you are asked if you want to give your friend a heart before it's sewen - well, of course you do! 4. now you go pump the friend up (or is this before step 2 and 3?) and it gets sewn up. yes, the little one gets to help pump it up...they get them involved. Ok, your friend is now "alive" - now go spend the big bucks (I mean go get your friend some clothes already!). Outfits start from $10 and then there are shoes, purses, sunglasses, all kind of accessories...you name it, they got it. But one isn't enough - it needs a change of clothing! Well, of course it does. When your wallet empties out after $70+, it's time to give it a name and register your friend so they can send you more info. to spend more dollar (oh, I meant so they can give your friend a birth certificate!). Your friend gets tucked in nicely in a cardboard box ("the free home") - your niece (nephew, son, daughter, godchild...whatever) is beaming while you are wondering how on earth can a teddy bear (or whatever you chose) can run $70+?!? I'm so glad I don't have kids! read more

When I was younger, I played with barbies. Build A Bear Workshop is like the newer and improved. Cuter, cuddlier, and less freakier than those little skinny, blonde-haired plastics with the gigantic eyes. read more

See all

Today was pay your age at build a bear! Very poor planning on corporate. You cannot do a promotion like that and not assume there would be an over abundance of people. There are families with more than one child and the it can get pricing so of course they would go for a promotion like this! Very disappointing for the children that were excited to get a build a bear and then crying because they were turned down! And at Northridge Fashion Center they closed the doors completely due to safety concerns after2 hours of being open. We were told to come back after they close and restock false we came back and was told we could pay full price then closed the doors for the rest of the day. WRONG AND SHAME ON BUILD A BEAR CORPORATE!!! read more

My son received a gift card on Christmas for BuildABear and we finally got to use it on 1/26/14. This place is amazing! Soo many bears and animals to choose from! Not to mention Hello Kitty and Limited Edition's too! This was our first experience to this store ever and we loved it! Okay, so my son picks out a Red Panda stuffed animal and decides to name him "Red". Ha ha! The store employee, Anna, assisted us in the process of stuffing Red! She was amazing!! She was soo sweet and kind to my son! She explained everything in great detail and was patient with my son's endless questions!! "Red" turned out to be soo cute! I kinda want one for myself! LOL! My son is asking when we can go back and get another stuffy! If you are going to the store...ask for Anna to help you! She is awesome with kids! read more

Ok. So my kid LOVES this place, and I only love it because she loves it. So that equals a three star review :). Ever since I brought my daughter to the mall when she was not even two, this place caught her eye as the "disneyland of Hillsdale mall," the best place that ever existed. She loves Lovies and this is why she loves this place. They have more than just bears of course, from dogs and cats to My Little Ponies to Paw Patrol to Star Wars characters. The people that work here are really nice, but they are really good at upselling stuff like scents or sounds, or a heartbeat, or whatever extra stuff you can add to the doll to make it awesome for a kid. Beware. It adds up. Be prepared to shell out a good amount of money, especially after you have picked out clothes and accessories for the doll you chose. In other words, be prepared to have an extra-extra budget when you come here, or no budget at all. Unless you are one of the rare parents who know how to say no to your child over and over again in this store, then yeah, you will shovel out a bunch of dough. The people that work here are very caring. That said, it does take a while to go through the whole process of building your bear. The whole process is an interactive performance, which is cute, from filling the doll to giving it a heart, to fluffing it at the end. My introverted child tolerates the performance because she wants the doll so bad, but she usually stands back from the employee who is helping to fill the doll and my daughter gives her a side eye. She has to be coaxed to do all the steps to build her doll. They usually know how to deal with a child like mine and they are still really sweet, so they get extra points for that. Overall, this place is ok because my kid loves it! I have to ration her to getting a new Build-A-Bear only once a year on her birthday. This place gets an A-OK from me. read more

I understand limiting the number of people. I don't understand allowing one group to spend a good 45 minutes in the store without even buying anything. Please limit people in the store to 20 minutes. read more

I went to this store today the first time, it was awful. My 6 year old and I waited for over 30 mins for the bear to be stuffed. When it came to our turn, my son wanted the noise thing, so she showed us the next booth to pick a noise. After a min getting the noise, she was stuffing a family with multiple bears in the line. What was that? Do I need to get back in the line? Ridiculous. To make the matter worse, the family told me he has other bears need to be stuffed so my turn will be after that. I told him I was in the line, I just went to get the noise like she told me too, I didn't know she would give my spot up. Then when I asked the employee to confirm my story, she was quiet. Unreal! There are so many other stuff animals, and the company is trying to make it special. Well, guess what, it's not! read more

BEST. IDEA. EVER. This place is great for any special occasion and for all ages! You can come here with your significant other, friends, or family. These furry animals make for a great gift: weddings, graduations, birthdays, etc, etc. I mean who doesn't love furry animals? Especially when you can personalize it however you want, and it's made with love! Makes me feel like a kid every time I step inside Build-A-Bear :) I came here this weekend to get a gift for my friend's bridal shower. Since she loves Hello Kitty, I got her the original white one, with a wedding dress! It's the most adorable thing ever! You can also build monkeys, pandas, bears, dogs, cats, etc etc. You get to stuff it, dress, it, and name it (with a birth certificate)! There are lots of outfits to choose from and the staff is always so nice and helpful! And it's not that expensive to build your own bear, it's probably the same price as you would pay at a regular store. Totally worth it just for the experience! :) read more

I never been here before but they have great system here. Guimar was our sales person and she was so tentative and caring for our kids! They do small stuff that makes the stuffed animal so special and personal to each child. Like saying this little wish when they put in the heart inside with the child. Certainly it was so special to our kids that they treat them so special. read more

Went there with my son on the day of his 6th birthday. I forgot the name of the staff, i think it's carmina? Anyway she was awesome! She made my son's birthday extra special. Excellent customer service! She also give my son some free birthday treats! read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Very nice staff!!! - Toy Stores Near Me - San Mateo, California

Visited this location for my daughter's birthday. Lindsey and Brenda delivered great customer service. They gave my daughter a birthday sticker and crown. It was sweet when they asked us (mom, dad, big bro, and grandma) to kiss the heart which would be put into the pink glittery kitty birthday girl picked. Damage done at Build-A-Bear $51 Add-ons included cotton candy disc/smell, birthday song, dress, shoes, and crown. Thankfully birthday girl didn't see the car or couch for her new friend. read more

Great costumer service! The staff members are so patient. I went there once and was hooked! The whole preparation and celebration of the creation of the teddy is so special for both children and adults that you feel the conection with your stuffed animal right away! Years have gone by and I continue to take my children to this store to buy accessories for their beloved animal. Once, I thought I had lost all my coupons for not using them and a staff member helped me get every code off my e-mail and use my bear rewards ;) Very helpful÷ read more

This is the 4th build-a-bear workshop we have been in US. No we are touring all the stores but we like to see if different stores carry more bear than others. Generally, the service is consistent and we received a $12 off coupons by email so we decided to use it with the $10 gift card we had. I am always happy that we are in and out within 20 minutes so less damage to the wallet. read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Toy Stores Near Me - San Mateo, California

See all

The experience was a little underwhelming for me, but my 3 year old loved it. For some reason, I thought it would be more of an "event." It was really just shopping for a new stuffed animal and clothes. read more

Princess bear for my Angelbear!

At Build-A-Bear, you can do exactly that: build your own bear. Actually, you can choose from more than 20 different stuffed animals, stuff it, wish on its heart, add a sound to it perhaps, and have it sewn together. I think the perk of Build-A-Bear is that they have so many clothing options. They have a line of clothing that is an extension of Limited Too, a clothing store for girls around 6-16, so a little girl and her stuffed animal could potentially have matching clothes. They also have Hello Kitty clothes and accessories, sports team outfits, Disney Princess outfits and more. Build-A-Bear is a fun place to stop by, even just to look. The more you accessorize, the more expensive. Outfits start from $10, and I think the stuffed animals start at around $15. read more

Though I don't have any kids, I am blessed with many nieces, nephews and god children who I truly adore. Sometimes giving them any toy or clothes they'll out grow in a week won't suffice. So, I come to Build-A-Bear to create a stuffed animal for them. Lots of choices from your basic brown bear to Elmo. Love that you can add sounds and dress them up. You can even name the stuffed toy and create a story which is so cool! The prices are reasonable and it's priceless to see a kid so happy when the toy is created. read more

Great place for kids..I've taken my son here to get a bday bear for the last 2-3 yrs and got him a Spider-Man print build a bear when I was still pregnant..it's expensive but it's great for kids read more

Went there with the $15 voucher they were giving out to all members. There wasn't much stuffed animals that's priced in that area. My son end up picking up a monkey for $20ish. I thought it was decent quality. But the experience is what caused the - 1 star. The woman who helped us that day stuff the monkey kept yawning. read more

Wow, my family just had the sweetest customer experience here. ALICIA represents what customer service should be. Friendly, patient and such a great attitude. i don't review much-only when i've experienced service that stands out. Hope your corporate office sees this because you deserve to go far. read more

The wife and I have dreaded going to Build-a-Bear ever since my youngest daughter heard about if from her friends a year ago and started asking us (nay, hounding us) about it. We understood the concept all too well: take a everyday toy (normally $15) and turn it into an "experience" with lots of "extras" and multiply the price by 2 or 3 times. Oh joy. But when said daughter specifically asked us to have a party at Build-A -Bear for her 6th birthday, we couldn't say "someday, honey" any longer. We called them up, and much to our surprise we found the staff was happy to plan a party event here with cost management in mind. Namely, they could limit the number of bears (OK, animals - anything from turtles to bunnies) and outfits /options so that prices wouldn't spiral out of control. As it turns out, they do this a lot. The main hiccup was when the eight girls arrived and saw the enormous choice of animals (way too many for kids to decide, if you ask me) but were told they could only pick from the 10 animals on the right. Let's just say there was lots of consternation, grumbling, and drifting over to the left to check out the super-duper, extra fuzzy, larger models with bonus options like sound, etc. Once that uncomfortable moment was over and the actual animals were selected, however, the rest of the party went like clockwork. The staff was excellent and engaged everyone, adding songs, silliness and a sense of ceremony to a pretty simple process (pick it, stuff it, seal it, dress it up). By the end, all the girls got to choose from a pre-selection of about 25 outfits and bows, meaning the they had plenty of choice, and didn't get to wander the aisles, finding the glitziest $15 outfits and accessories. As for getting their animal a birth certificate and registering it on the internet, NFW to that !! - We made sure beforehand that was not part of the package. After all was said and done, the total cost was $25 per girl, quite reasonable, and much better than I expected. Most importantly, my 6 year old daughter was absolutely overjoyed with the event and with her stuffed animal (a fuzzy bunny she named "Mint"). That night she slept with it, clutching it tightly to her chest (insert "aaawww" sound here). A three star place from my perspective, but I'll add an extra star for my daughter. read more

We just had my daughter's second birthday party here at Build-A-Bear and it was a very fun experience. Joanne was the one who lead the way for the birthday girl and her cousins and all the kids had a blast! My daughter had her moments.. But then again what toddler doesn't? I would definitely recommend having a Build-A-Bear party at this location! read more

I wish they still had one here--closer to home...but I came here and it just makes you want to be a kid again. I was so tempted to build a bear but I didn't. There are so many to choose from--I would of personally picked the hello kitty and the bunny...sooo cute. I love that you put a heart in it....the process is just so cute and heartfelt. Not sure if I want to dress them but I guess you don't want them to be naked...they have an assortment of outfits to choose from. I hope these are around when I have kids! read more

I ordered a bear three weeks ago and I have yet to get a tracking number or to be told why it is taking so long. I was told that it would be shipped and should arrive to me within two days. I have gotten multiple emails conferming that I have placed an order but I have not gotten and email that the bear has shipped or has a tracking number. When I called to talk to a representitive I was immediately shut down and told that I was wrong and that they would send me an email within two days with the tracking number. It has been two days and I still do not have the tracking number. I would not recomend ordering online from there site and get a bear from somewhere that actually sends their products when they say they will. read more

I brought my daughter and her friends here and they were very excited. The employees were really nice, and the prices for the bears and clothes were actually cheaper then stated online. read more

My boyfriend and I popped in the other night to grab some extra goodies for our daughter's Christmas gift. The staff was extremely helpful in helping us choosing the right My Little Pony for her. One of the associations, I feel bad that I didn't catch her name, offered to replace one of the items that we were getting because the stitching looked a bit off. She stuffed a brand new pony! The store was pretty packed so we really appreciate that she took time to ensure that we were leaving completely satisfied! Thank you Hillsdale staff! read more

Today was my very first time visiting any Build A Bear Workshop and I've always wanted to bring my son here at least once to experience in making your very own bear the way you want it. And, I've heard really good reviews in regards to Building your own bear in general so today, I wanted to experience this with my son when he is still young. We've never been to San Mateo before let alone been to Hillsdale Mall so we were opened minded and just wanted to have fun. It's very important for my son to have a blast at the same time have fun and I want him to see, learn and do something new. Overnight, I looked up on the internet to find out exactly where Build a Bear Workshop was at the Hillsdale Mall, which was on the lower level in building B and parking in the garage in front of Macy's was just perfect. When we walked into the store, there was a mother and her daughter working on their birth certificate along with a grandmother browsing around so the store wasn't crowded at all when my son and I walked in. I actually didn't know how things worked so I asked the 2 sales woman, which both were so helpful. The older woman, she explained the steps while the younger girl, she helped us stuff cotton into the Panda bear, which I picked out for my son. He loves Kung Fu Panda so going for a Panda bear was just perfect. hehe As for clothes for the stuffed animal, I was hoping to get the Safari as I seen it on their online store, but I realized .. I don't think my son will care if his panda bear had clothes or not so we decided to go without an outfit hearing my husband's voice of disprove. lol If I had a daughter, I would had let her pick an outfit because boys and girls are different, but with our experience today, I will definitely return if we are in the area again. And, the two employees who worked today's PM shift was absolutely amazing and energetic. read more

This place attracted a few bronies when I went there last time, and I bought a spike miniature plush just for the check of it. Can't complain, it's quite nice. read more

let me start by saying that i LOVE the concept of build-a-bear. who doesn't like to make their own stuffed animal? ok i'm 19 and i love making these things. haha it's so much fun! anyhow. on to the serious stuff. i was teetering between giving them 3 stars or 4 stars. i guess you'll see why (or hopefully see why) in the following review. the store itself is very neat, spacious, and has a sensible layout. i've been in there a handful of times and they've never been out of stock of any animal, article of clothing, or accessory. the service is where i hesitate with my star rating. now i've also been to the workshop at valley fair. the service there is consistent...greeting at the door, offer help, and they do the whole routine when it comes to stuffing the animal (yeah yeah it's corny but that's what they're supposed to do). at the hillsdale location, i was waiting to get my bear stuffed for probably 5 minutes. there were 3 ladies in the store and none of them bothered to come over to help me. mind you, there were 2 people in line behind me. i actually had to go over to them to ask them to help us out. and even when i approached them they ignored me. sooooo basically, that's why they didn't get 5 stars. i mean, cmon. a place where the consumer does all the work? it shouldn't be too hard for the store to get 5 stars. read more

Came here on Friday because my son saw a spiderman stuffed animal. (he's obsessed with spiderman) Both of the workers were friendly, most def knew how to interact with kids. Paid around $44 for the spiderman bear and his outfit. read more

I took my niece here the other day, and this place is fun! I enjoyed helping her make her own bear, and picking out the clothing. This place definitely brought out the kid in me. read more

Not for birthday party for large group! Can you believe that there is no 'Happy birthday song' in birthday party? No way! But it really happened. I thought I missed it during I paid for 11 bears... But when I asked, asked and asked to my girl and her friends - because I couldn't believe it - they all said no. I booked Fri 4pm (Dec. 6) and I heard no party booking but us until 6pm that day. But when my group were kicked out store for line up and deliver for birth certificate - they told me because we're large group - and only I among our group was inside the store for payment, I saw a small group sang a happy-birthday song guided by another buildabear worker ... What the H *****!! Yes, that time was just 5:10pm. And we're almost Asian and the other small group were white. I don't want to believe... Our party leader was young, unfriendly, unkind and irritable. She did screaming always to my kids! No entertainment. She did Nothing but making bear and deliver the birth certificate. She made every kids did heart warming and wishes for their own bear at the SAME time. Of course she made all birth certificates instead of them and just delivered.Eventhough, all children are already so big kid to make their own (age9-10). So, don't plan build a bear birthday party if your group are around 10. Here is just good for personal bear shopping .If you plan birthday party for small group, no need to book, I think! You can benefit though you book or not. Or before booking, you should check their party procedure very finely. My girl? Of course she loved Buildabear. She had a lot from this store. Bears, small frys, cloths, beds, accessories, wardrobe.... For me? It worth less than 50% money I spend in this time. Very disappointing! read more

Wow. Yeah! Those Darn BABW. I went there yesterday and then when I picked a bunny there was NOBODY in line and that lady was just like sitting there and then when the lady was stuffing it , she just said, "put in the heart" and just gave it to me and then she said, "go to the register after that" and then she gave it to me like nothing and when we got some clothes for it we went to the register lady, JESSICA, and she didin't even give me the birth certificate for it so we couldn't get it online on BABV so BABW. Wow. $50 dollars for THAT kind of service? I give BABW a 1 star kids Workshop. read more

Great experience making the perfect brown bunny! Thea was happy to help me and provided excellent service. The store was super busy but she was attentive and helpful nonetheless. read more