Create your own playmate at this do-it-yourself stuffed-animal lab.

by Gina Goff

In Short
A sensation in the under-10 set's party scene, this assembly line-style store lets kids create their own furry friends. Cheery workers help tykes select an animal "skin," stuff it with cotton, lace it up and choose its wardrobe. Separate stations allow kids to give their bears showers (using an air hose to blow off excess cotton), medical attention (to sew up any wear-and-tear wounds) and names (complete with birth certificates).