You Can Grab A Bear For Just $6.50 At Build-A-Bear & Walmart's Nat'l Teddy Bear Day

Grab your favorite bear and give them a squeeze, because National Teddy Bear Day, a special day honoring one of the most iconic childhood toys of all time, is on Sept. 9. And one of the most popular and loved teddy bear companies ever — Build-A-Bear — is doing something pretty special this year in partnership with Walmart. Starting on Sept. 7, you can find Build-A-Bear at Walmart through the holiday, which includes the launch of a special limited edition “National Teddy Bear Day furry friend” available in Walmart stores for just $6.50. That’s quite a steal, especially for a Build-A-Bear, and this will be the very first time you’ll be able to get an official Build-A-Bear outside of the workshop.

National Teddy Bear Day honors the history of the teddy, which was inspired by President Theodore Roosevelt who refused to shoot a bear cub while hunting back in 1902. The incident made national news, and a cartoon was published about the event in the Washington Post by Clifford Berryman. The cartoon inspired New York store owner Morris Michtom to create a new toy called a “Teddy Bear,” according to nationaldaycalendar.com. And the rest, as you know, is history.

So how can you celebrate this holiday that was inspired by love and compassion? By checking out and participating in Build-A-Bear and Walmarts “celeBEARtion,” of course. This “celeBEARtion” will not only feature that special Teddy Bear Day friend mentioned above, but there will be in-store “experiential” activities and community events from Sept. 7 to Sept. 9 at 2,000 U.S.-based Walmart stores. This will be the largest Teddy Bear Day celebration in history, y’all.

At the Build-A-Bear workshop on Sept. 7, you can even meet Build-A-Bear’s mascot, Bearemy. And not only do you get to give Bearemy a hug, but the best part is if you post a picture of you and Bearemy sharing a bear hug on social media with the hashtag #nationalteddybearday, the Build-A-Bear Foundation will donate a teddy bear to a child in need — “up to 50,000 bears globally,” the press release noted. If you miss seeing Bearemy at a Build-A-Bear workshop, he will be located at other special locations around the U.S. on Sept. 8. This year’s donation is expected to be the largest single-day donation in the organization’s history. Pretty cool, huh?

I’m totally going to show my age here, but I remember when the Build-A-Bear workshops first opened. It was an incredible experience that none of my friends or family had ever seen before. The fact that you could make your own bear, kiss the heart and put it inside of them, and even give them a heartbeat and a voice if you wanted was just too much. Now you can buy them special clothes, and even personalize scents for them. Such a cool concept for clearly an amazing company giving back to the community. So it only makes sense for them to be an unofficial ambassador of National Teddy Bear Day, right?

So on Sept. 7 through Sept. 9 be sure to head over to Walmart to grab your own limited edition National Teddy Bear Day bear for just $6.50, and enjoy in-store and community activities. And while you’re at it, stop by official Build-A-Bear workshops and other special locations depending on your city to meet Bearemy and give him a bear hug. Your hug will provide love and companionship in the form of a teddy for a child in need, as long as you post the picture to social media with the hashtag #nationalteddybearday. Happy National Teddy Bear Day and enjoy spreading the love.