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Original poster

McDonalds Happy Meal Crocs - Someone explain it to me.

42 replies

Runrum · 21/09/2026 10:01

Someone on Facebook had a bunch of McDonalds Happy Meal Crocs they were giving away and there was quite a lot of responses asking for them, or saying they needed a specific one from the set, or being tagged by a friend to check if they needed any.

I don't get it. Why do people want these?

And yes, I do understand people like all sorts of different things and that's perfectly fine. I just genuinely don't understand this one.

What do you do with a load of mini Crocs? They're all right (or left) feet so you can't use them for dolls, etc. I know they have a keyring thing, but they're pretty chunky so can't imagine wanting to carry one around. We had a couple and other than covering everything in the house with those pain in the arse, highly adhesive, tiny stickers - my 4 year old could not work out a way to play with them, before I eventually chucked them.

And from what I've seen, I'm fairly sure it's adults that want them, not really kids. I'm baffled.

OP posts:
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PopcornKitten · 21/09/2026 17:25

The kids all have them on their school bags where I live.

HedgerowD · 21/09/2026 13:04

They are a shite toy. Our toddler got a happy meal a few weeks when we were travelling to visit family. He was pretty disappointed and it went in the bin pretty quickly.

HedgerowD · 21/09/2026 13:03

thesungodra · 21/09/2026 10:06

The same reason people collect Jellycats or Pokemon cards or any other pointless item, I suppose. Marketing departments know how to tap into people’s deep-rooted psychology, and the average human mind likes collecting stuff!

Pokemon cards are a card game! So a bit different.

FlatCatYellowMat · 21/09/2026 12:49

I got one in a happy meal because I thought it looked cute and I'd use it as a keyring - only to discover it was hard plastic, not crocs material, which misses the point of the whole exercise in my mind.

Not least because I wanted the croc to be a floaty keyring in case I drop them in the water (I have a bit of foam on another set that has saved my bacon before)

modgepodge · 21/09/2026 12:48

UnwillingAdvocate · 21/09/2026 12:11

No. I think that you think they are miniature crocks and they aren’t. They are the accessories you clip on them.

Show quote history

No, they’re key rings. Not the things you attach to the shoes. Those would have made a lot more sense and had a purpose.

Im with you OP, my kids were excited for about 5 minutes then they littered my house for a while. Same with all happy meal toys, cardboard or otherwise. The cardboard ones at least entertained them while they built them and were recyclable. Im not at all happy they’ve gone back to plastic shit. Always try and persuade mine to get the book but no
chance.

OttersOnAPlane · 21/09/2026 12:46

Clipping charms or small toys onto your school bag is A Big Deal around here, so I imagine that's what they are for. In as much as they are 'for' anything.

MeowDoku · 21/09/2026 12:37

UnwillingAdvocate · 21/09/2026 10:06

You do know it’s not actually crocks but the little toys you clip on them?

This is what I thought before some colleagues went to McD for lunch, that would actually make sense to me, you would collect the ones you want to decorate your shoes with, these are just mini actual crocs, bizarre

SugarMuffins · 21/09/2026 12:34

houseofchaosandclothes · 21/09/2026 12:16

Oh gosh I would have thought most kids 6+ would really like the chance to build things, no? That kind of thing is a big hit with mine.

I do find the happy meal toys confusing- some do the tiny squishmallow things have been enthusiastically received and played with still a bit when they want to play with tiny things. We got one of the ‘little people big dreams’ book, and a tie in to the ‘you choose’ books that were excellent. But I too wondered about these- initially thought they were the croc charms which my kids would love but actually no idea who the market for what they have is. I do feel there should be a higher bar for them justifying anything made of plastic though.

Show quote history

lego? Yes cardboard no, thats why they changed them back because they weren’t popular so no, not “most kids”

almondflake · 21/09/2026 12:23

My grandad loves them to put on her backpack for school (she is 8 though) but she was besotted with labu boos which now live abandoned in the her toy box .
They just appeal to kids who they’re aimed at .

runnerducky · 21/09/2026 12:20

Here’s another pic showing it clipped onto a bag for scale

McDonalds Happy Meal Crocs - Someone explain it to me.
runnerducky · 21/09/2026 12:19

These are croc charms.

McDonalds Happy Meal Crocs - Someone explain it to me.
runnerducky · 21/09/2026 12:18

And no way you would put them on a shoe, they are way too big! That image has amused me though.

runnerducky · 21/09/2026 12:17

UnwillingAdvocate · 21/09/2026 12:11

No. I think that you think they are miniature crocks and they aren’t. They are the accessories you clip on them.

Show quote history

But they are miniature crocs? They don’t clip onto the shoes. The shoe charms are jibbitz and totally different.

McDonalds Happy Meal Crocs - Someone explain it to me.
houseofchaosandclothes · 21/09/2026 12:16

SugarMuffins · 21/09/2026 11:52

Of course it’s better, what kid wants a cardboard toy that you have to build? Bet you’re fun at parties!

Show quote history

Oh gosh I would have thought most kids 6+ would really like the chance to build things, no? That kind of thing is a big hit with mine.

I do find the happy meal toys confusing- some do the tiny squishmallow things have been enthusiastically received and played with still a bit when they want to play with tiny things. We got one of the ‘little people big dreams’ book, and a tie in to the ‘you choose’ books that were excellent. But I too wondered about these- initially thought they were the croc charms which my kids would love but actually no idea who the market for what they have is. I do feel there should be a higher bar for them justifying anything made of plastic though.

Original poster
Runrum · 21/09/2026 12:15

UnwillingAdvocate · 21/09/2026 12:11

No. I think that you think they are miniature crocks and they aren’t. They are the accessories you clip on them.

Show quote history

Well, they are miniature Crocs. But you're telling me you're supposed to attach one of them to an actual piece of footwear and have that flapping around while you're walking? Have you actually seen how big these are? And more than one? It's actually comical picturing this.

I know I don't understand the purpose of them but I don't think you do either.

OP posts:
UnwillingAdvocate · 21/09/2026 12:11

Runrum · 21/09/2026 10:43

Do you think that I think that these are real Crocs that people wear?

Show quote history

No. I think that you think they are miniature crocks and they aren’t. They are the accessories you clip on them.

Original poster
Runrum · 21/09/2026 11:56

SugarMuffins · 21/09/2026 11:52

Of course it’s better, what kid wants a cardboard toy that you have to build? Bet you’re fun at parties!

Show quote history

😂😂😂

If enjoying looking at pointless tiny plastic shoes is the prerequisite to being a good time girl, I'm ok with being a bore.

Let me know which crappy Croc toy you're missing from your fascinating collection and I'll see if the Facebook post has it so your life can be complete and joyful.

OP posts:
Pinkflamingo10 · 21/09/2026 11:54

More plastic tat for landfill. Shame on McDonalds

Original poster
Runrum · 21/09/2026 11:53

Sartre · 21/09/2026 11:15

I was pretty baffled at these being given as a toy too. McDonald’s toys were pretty good in the 00s when I was growing up at points, not all of them obviously. Then they understandably bowed to environmental pressure and started handing out little books or cardboard construction things. Now I’ve noticed they’ve returned to plush toys mostly or weird things like the crocs and Mr Men cars?? I don’t remember the last time anyone thought about Mr Men.

A couple of the books were good and there was one that had a little figure you could make skate across the page or something like that. My DC had never seen Mr Men before and he loved the little book he got. We've read it ad nauseam. But you're right about the toys back in the day. I remember a Barbie in a wedding dress I adored.

OP posts:
SugarMuffins · 21/09/2026 11:52

Runrum · 21/09/2026 11:48

What makes mass produced plastic that serves no purpose better than a cardboard (recyclable) toy that also has some sort of activity to it?

I mean, it's ALL a waste of time that will end up in landfill but I'm not sure why this is "better".

Show quote history

Of course it’s better, what kid wants a cardboard toy that you have to build? Bet you’re fun at parties!

Original poster
Runrum · 21/09/2026 11:50

runnerducky · 21/09/2026 11:13

My kids were pretty unimpressed with them. They don’t seem like a very exciting toy for kids, given they come in Happy Meals! We’ve had some decent stuff before, DD1 still plays with a bunch of Pokemon plastic figures we got from a friend who had collected them years ago from McDonalds. But this was a bit of a miss. The cardboard games were shit too, except the Dobble.

Quite. They come in Happy Meals which are predominantly aimed at children (need not discuss the health aspect on this thread). My child got excited for about 3 seconds because there was a box to unwrap, played with the stickers and that was that. Done with.

OP posts:
Original poster
Runrum · 21/09/2026 11:48

SugarMuffins · 21/09/2026 11:02

Well better than the cardboard toys they use to put in there that you had to build. Always going to be someone complaining though.

Edited

What makes mass produced plastic that serves no purpose better than a cardboard (recyclable) toy that also has some sort of activity to it?

I mean, it's ALL a waste of time that will end up in landfill but I'm not sure why this is "better".

OP posts:
Strawberryfruitstarburst · 21/09/2026 11:39

bookishshyish · 21/09/2026 10:44

Rampant consumerism and end stage capitalism

Yep!

McDonald’s are responsible for a lot of landfill!! I thought they were stopping plastic toys but seems they have come back with a vengeance.

VividDeer · 21/09/2026 11:21

Yanbu. I binned one this week that my daughter really wanted, and will never look at again. Thankfully at the end of happy meal ages

Sartre · 21/09/2026 11:15

I was pretty baffled at these being given as a toy too. McDonald’s toys were pretty good in the 00s when I was growing up at points, not all of them obviously. Then they understandably bowed to environmental pressure and started handing out little books or cardboard construction things. Now I’ve noticed they’ve returned to plush toys mostly or weird things like the crocs and Mr Men cars?? I don’t remember the last time anyone thought about Mr Men.