Build a Bears are great toys for kids. They provide hours of imaginative play and are relatively inexpensive. Kids of every age love them, so what better party to throw than one with their favorite stuffed animal together with their best friends, family, and neighbors.
You don't need to pay hundreds of dollars to attend the Build a Bear workshop's party at the mall. You can do it yourself, on a budget, from home. A few simple and easy ideas will get you on your way to throwing your child a great party from the comforts of your own home. You won't even have to worry about how many people you can invite! Some simple suggestions can get you on your way to a great party in no time.
First, the invitations. You can find Build a Bear clip art online and can make an invitation to the party that way. If you are in to card making or scrap-booking, you can make your own invitations and hand them out to friends and family who will be attending our Build a Bear party. On the invitation, you can request that each child brings her own Build a Bear or other stuffed animal dressed in her favorite costume. If budget allows, you can include a Build a Bear for them to bring with an outfit or include just an outfit for them to bring their own bear dressed in.
Second, the decorations. Build a Bear is all about being colorful. You can get balloons and streamers in the primary colors to decorate your house with. You can also use the clip art from the invitations on the decorations as well.
Third, what to eat? You can easily make a bear shaped cake with one cake for the head and 2 small round cakes for the ears. To make it easy, do cupcakes or decorate your own cookie. If you want to serve lunch, you could find a bear cookie cutter (or even a mickey mouse one would do) to cut out PB&J sandwiches with. Served along with yellow lemonade or "berry" smoothies.
For little girls, you could have a "beary" special tea party where the bear and the girl come dresses up as princesses and have a tea party together. Princess parties are very popular for little girls right now, so this may be a fun variation for them to try out with their friends.
When the guests arrive you can do free coloring pages printed from the Internet, or free games found on Build a Bear's website. You could do a scavenger hunt where party goers search for clues to find Build a Bear items hidden throughout the house or yard. It would be nice to make a craft as well.
After the child opens gifts, and it is time to leave, it is customary to send a goody bag or parting gift with each child who came. Consider sending a bear costume home with each child. Little Adventures has a great line of affordable washable Build a Bear costumes that also have matching girl costumes. You may be able to find discounts from online retailers for buying in bulk.
Most of all, have fun at your party and spend time with your child enjoying the simple joys in life, like becoming a year older!
