Our Trip to Build-A-Bear Workshop #MLP

To celebrate the season 4 finale of My Little Pony with Hub Network (which airs next Saturday at 10am Eastern), I and TV Boy were offered a trip to Build-A-Bear Workshop to make our very own pony friend!*

Our closest location is Easton Town Center in Columbus, OH. We were greeted by our Bear Specialist Amy and began our journey to making TV Boy a stuffed version of his favorite pony, Rainbow Dash.

This kid isn't happy or anything.

After we picked out our friend, we headed over to the heart station. All Build-A-Bear animals have a special heart inside that kids can choose attributes they want their new friend to have.

Making our heart

After that, you are offered the opportunity to add sounds and scents to your friend. We decided against a scent (TV Boy's room is smelly enough as it is! Ha!) but we did choose a sound: Rainbow Dash phrases. It includes "This needs to be about 20% cooler", which made me super happy. For the My Little Pony animals (or really any animal, I guess!) there is also an option to add the theme song.

Adding sounds.

After the sounds and smells, it's time to STUFF! We headed over to the big stuffing station!

Rainbow Dash takes shape!

Before the friend is stitched shut, you have to add the heart. If you haven't been to Build-A-Bear and plan to go, wear something comfy... adding the heart is a workout! You have to jump, spin, warm the heart, tap into a heartbeat, touch it to your nose, your heart, your head...

Making ponies is hard work!

And then you make a wish! For the first time ever, TV Boy made his wish silently, so I don't know what he wished for. Then you give it a kiss, and in the heart goes!

Now she has heart!

Once your pal is stuffed just the way you like it (kids can choose how soft their animal is or isn't), you head over to the bath station, where your animal gets a brush and blowout.

Taking a bath!

Then it's time to accessorize! The My Little Pony line has all the pony dresses from the show that are made for each specific character, along with some MLP themed outfits that any animal can sport. TV Boy went with the Rainbow Dash dress from the series and some sparkly pink sneakers.

All cool ponies need accessories!

Finally, you head to the birth certificate station, where you can name your new friend (we stuck with Rainbow Dash, of course) and fill out some information about yourself. Every pet has an individual identification tag that is stuffed into the animal so in case it is lost, it can be returned to any Build-A-Bear Workshop where they can get the tag out, scan it, and return the pal to its rightful owner. (I wish our loyal thrift store best buddy Doggie had the same feature!)

Filling out our information

Then it's time to head home in your awesome Build-A-Bear carrier, complete with personalized birth certificate, suitable for framing!

Going home with Rainbow!

The My Little Pony line currently in stores only features some of the characters: Rainbow Dash, Twilight (in Alicorn form!), Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity. Each pony is $25 and clothing and accessories are sold separately. Scents and sound options are also an additional fee.

Build-A-Bear at Easton

Right now, there are also mini friends to go with the ponies, featuring Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Spike the dragon. We ended up buying a Scootaloo to join Rainbow Dash, because of course you need a friend!

Pony friends!

I want to extend a special THANK YOU to our new friend Amy at the Easton Columbus Build-A-Bear location. If you're local, be sure to stop in and tell them The TV Mom sent you!

Thanks Amy!

Be sure to tune in to My Little Pony on Hub Network Saturdays at 10am Eastern, especially next week for the season finale!

*Disclosure: We were given a free trip to Build-A-Bear with a free friend in exchange for promotion for Hub Network. Please see the Disclosure tab for more information.