Build A Bear

Build a bear is located in the Trafford Centre (lower tier) and enables you to create your own soft toy. You choose your bear or other animal, and then personalise it. It is stuffed and a heart is put inside. You can choose if you want a firm or cuddly bear. The staff were quite good, as they asked my daughter to kiss the heart and make a wish before they put it inside.
If you wanted to you can also add a voice and record your message; the device is then put inside. The toy is then sewed up quickly and you can choose clothes for your toys. These range from shoes to pretty dresses and even a Manchester United kit. Although I think the bears are quite good value — you can get one around the £10 mark, the accessories are quite expensive. An outfit including shoes can quite easily come to £15.
You can even give you bear a birth certificate, adding a name at this stage. The bear is presented in a lovely carry home box. The staff were really helpful, but I believe it can get really busy at Christmas and week-​ends. We went one evening as they are open untl 10pm, although they accept the last bear 15 minutes before closing. Going at this time meant we didn’t have to wait at all.