<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0609</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2026-06-11</periodOfReport>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001113809</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>BBW</issuerTradingSymbol>
        <issuerForeignTradingSymbol></issuerForeignTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001601366</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Leavitt Craig</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerNonUSAddressFlag>false</rptOwnerNonUSAddressFlag>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>415 SOUTH 18TH STREET</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>ST. LOUIS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MO</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>63103</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <aff10b5One>0</aff10b5One>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2026-06-11</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>3698</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>67840</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Grant to Reporting Person of 3,698 shares of restricted stock. The shares vest on June 11, 2027.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Price is not applicable to grants of restricted stock.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">After giving effect to the transaction reported in this Form 4, Mr. Leavitt directly beneficially owns 64,142 shares of common stock and 3,698 shares of restricted stock of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. 2,475 restricted shares vested on June 12, 2026, a day after the above reported transaction. For purposes of this footnote, we have included these 2,475 shares as common stock instead of restricted, making this footnote accurate as of the date of filing.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Yevgeny Fundler, as Attorney-in-Fact for Craig Leavitt</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2026-06-12</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
