Today was a cold and windy day in Dubai. One of these few days that you can’t really spend outside. “Let’s go to a mall”, my husband suggested this morning. “But that’s so boring for Luca…”, I replied. And nerve-racking for mummy, I meant. Cause let’s face it: a trip to the mall with a toddler (and a baby) in tow is not my idea of a relaxed weekend activity. Except if… the trip includes a nice little surprise for Luca. Something special that we can enjoy together. As a family.

And this is what we did. We went to a mall. And we created something special.

A plush bear. A very special one. Because it has daddy’s voice. And a beating heart. Because Luca made it. Because he saw it come to life.

His name is Doudou.

To create Doudou, we went to Build-A-Bear Workshop in Mercato Mall. It’s a relatively new store, located right next to Toy Store on the 1st floor. Luca had such a good time there that I thought it would be nice to share our experience. I have to admit that I love the concept myself. The concept of making your own stuffed animal. Of personalising it.

The idea is simple: to create your own stuffed toy, you (or rather your little ones) are guided through different stations.

1. CHOOSE ME
At this first station, Luca was invited to choose an animal that he wants to personalise later. He immediately went towards the bears. I was lucky that he didn’t see the plush Mickey Mouse though as we already have two at home 😉 Prices for the animals start at AED 65, which is rather affordable.

2. STUFF ME
I think this was our favourite station. Abigail, the nice lady who helped us bring Doudou to life, showed Luca how to stuff his bear. She asked if we wanted to let Doudou say some words. And, of course, we did 😉 You can choose from a selection of sounds. But to make Doudou really unique, we decided to record daddy’s voice (be careful though as it can rapidly get annoying to hear your husband telling the same sentence over and over again. Just saying…). You can also add a heartbeat and scent to your animal if you want to.

Then, Abigail gave Luca a little heart and told him to make a wish before placing the wishing heart inside the bear. Little L was still a bit too young to understand the meaning of this but I personally loved the idea.

Last but not least, a tag was placed inside the stuffed toy, which is supposed to make it possible to reunite Luca with his plush friend in case the latter is lost and somebody is kind enough to bring it to a Build-A-Bear Workshop.

3. DRESS ME
Luca loved this part and got really excited. The store sells loads of different clothes and accessories in miniature sizes to give your stuffed toy a personality. Doudou ended up with a cowboy hat and cowboy boots. Oh and a ‘ I Love UAE’ shirt.

4. NAME ME
Here, Doudou got his name and birth certificate. Once again, Luca was maybe a bit young to understand this but he was super proud to hold the certificate in his hands 😉 I can imagine how slightly older kids get really excited about choosing a name for their animal and celebrating their birthday.

5. SMILE FOR ME
This is one for the mummies! The store has a wall where you can take a picture of your little one with their new best friend. Not easy to get Luca to sit still for more than 1 second though… So, here’s what I got:

6. TAKE ME HOME
At the end, Doudou received a nice little box (that you can colour by the way) to bring him safely to his new home. Luca held it carefully in his hands during the whole journey back home to our apartment 😉

Overall, we had a really good time at Build-A-Bear Workshop. It was the perfect activity for us as it didn’t take too much time (we stayed there for about 30 – 45min) and made a nice interruption from the shopping for little L. Plus, little L couldn’t have been in a better mood after the visit. Prices for the stuffed animals start at AED 65 (ours was one of the most affordable ones). Clothes and accessories are added to this price.

There’s also the possibility to privatise the store for birthday parties, by the way. They have different packages including party games, refreshments and meals.

If you want to know more, you can give Stacey, the store manager, a call (04 385 6431) or send her an email ([email protected]).

Keep this in mind for your next shopping trip to Mercato, mamas!

xxx