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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Happy meal toys..

174 replies

ArrabellaAM · 13/05/2021 16:46

Right.. I know this might be a bit divisive but...

Anyone else think the new cardboard happy meal toys are absolute crap.
Like dont even bother wasting the cardboard cause it probably won't even make its way to the recycling bin level crap.

I know they've always been a bit naff but at least they were played with.

I know they are reducing single use plastics and all the eco friendly rationale.
I also know I'll be sent straight to hell for letting my child ingest a happy meal.

OP posts:
newnortherner111 · 13/05/2021 18:02

Happy meals are an oxymoron. 'Fast food to help your child become addictive and send them to ill health prematurely' is a bit too long to write on the side of a box.

Sprogonthetyne · 13/05/2021 18:13

I liked the dinosaur modules. Mainly because I have a dinosaur obsessed 4yo, and it took him a good 15 minutes to work out how to put it together. There wasn't really much play value once assembled, but still 15 minutes more then most of the plastic tat got. I also thought the top trumps were good, though a little to advance for mine.

Do they still offer the book alternative? They were doing the book alongside the plastic toys for the last year or so which got some play, though mainly just the sticker pages. I would like to see a puzzle book or colouring book.

FoxyTheFox · 13/05/2021 18:22

There is nothing wrong with fast food in moderation as part of a balanced diet. No food is good or bad, it doesn't possess personality attributes, and banning specific foods or labelling them as forbidden/naughty/bad, etc tends to have the opposite effect on their consumption.

I agree that the current toys are shit and go straight in the bin, there are loads of things they could put in there instead that wouldn't use unnecessary plastics. They could put in seeds/planting kits, they've done this before and it was really good, the tray off the happy meal box becomes the seed tray. Along a similar gardening/nature theme they could do a mini bug hotel, fairy doors, bird feeders all out of wood. They could do character themed/shaped crayons and a matching puzzle or colouring book. Small craft kits. Metal toys like mini-slinky or a mix of wood and metal mini musical instruments.

SofaNinja · 13/05/2021 18:25

@ArrabellaAM

Yep the top trumps were a good one! I used to love those as a child.

We've got a plastic minion figure that regularly joins the family in the dolls house/emergency rescue reenactments.

Yes! Those top trumps came in handy recently during a drinks in the garden session. I half collected the minions too, loved them. We had a semi ok Bob Square Pants thingy last week?
another365togo · 13/05/2021 18:26

YANBU. Was saying this to my husband earlier in the week. We rarely go to MD as it's a bit of a trek, but DS has been really good at school and wanted a Spongebob toy. The cardboard didn't even get opened, let alone assembled. What a disappointment!

wildeverose · 13/05/2021 18:28

They're so crap aren't they, they used to be awesome

AliceMcK · 13/05/2021 18:31

YANBU at all. Ours just end up in the bin as the DCs struggle trying to put them together and they get ripped half the time. A few dinosaurs made their way to the book shelf but only because DH put them together as the DCs gave up.

I don’t think of McDonald’s toys as single use plastic at all, we have tubs of them being played with. I worked at McDonald’s as a teenager and my DNs still have some of the ones I use to give them, my DNs kids play them now. There use to be a whole cellar they used to store all the old toys, my dns got whole sets of everything that was going at the time.

I don’t mind the books but I never open all of them. They open 1 book to share and I put the other 2 away. My DCs school do shoe box appeals for bits to be sent to children in third world countries, the McDonald’s books are a perfect size to slip in the boxes. I’ve kept a few unopened top trumps to do the same with.

I think they could probably to a balance where they just reduce the amount of plastic toys rather than cut them completely out. There are so many that are great like the Peter rabbit mazes and grab toys, they were out in 2018 and my DCs still play with them. We keep them in the car to distract the DCs. I don’t consider those single use at all.

They could do a mix of books, cards like the trump cards with educational facts, trivia cards & games, soft toys and plastic toys that can actually be played with a lot.

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 13/05/2021 18:31

The paper straws are shit too. I've long kept a stash of metal straws in the car so we don't have to use plastic ones, but I'm always most grateful for them on a hot day when I nip into McDonald's for a cold drink!!

MaryShelley1818 · 13/05/2021 18:32

YANBU!
I took my 3yr old yesterday as a treat for being brave for his vaccinations and he half looked at crappy cardboard spongebob and asked where his toy was. He used to play for hours with previous toys.

Nickynackynooo · 13/05/2021 18:32

@ArrabellaAM

True *@mogsrus* But the toy should win me at least 5 minutes peace later that day to have a coffee shouldn't it. Am I expecting too much Sad
Yabu You are expecting too much The food should be enough Hmm take a toy from home/colouring etc The plastic shit you want is ruining the world for YOUR child HTH dear
QuestionableMouse · 13/05/2021 18:37

Anything like seeds isn't allowed - storage is an issue and they can't include anything that could potentially contaminate the meals.

The non plastic toys are also a new thing - it's been less than a year and Covid hasn't helped as it changed a lot of things.

You need to feedback to the company too!

AliceMcK · 13/05/2021 18:42

@TrickorTreacle

Totally misses point of this thread, but I went to McD many times as a kid and never had a happy meal. It was all about the food like *@mogsrus* already said.

Free gifts can also be found in:

Cereal boxes
Kinder Surprise Eggs
Magazine cover gifts
Crackers

I’ve not seen free gifts in cereal boxes for years.

Kinder toys are a far bigger waste of plastic than McDonald’s toys, most are just tiny bits of plastic that are of no use.

A happy meal costs £2.79 and included 2 food items, a drink and a toy which is usually good quality and playable.

A magazine costs, £4/5/6 the plastic toy usually breaks, the stickers never stick and the magazine never gets read, plus there is no food for the child.

Crackers? Are you referring to Christmas ones?

Imreaaaaady · 13/05/2021 18:46

Agree completely. Surely it's more wasteful to give out cardboard shite that ends up being recycled after 5 mins of play than a long-lasting plastic toy?

This obsession with reducing plastic has led to a reduction in common sense, imo.

Imreaaaaady · 13/05/2021 18:48

Bollocks. The cardboard shit is more wasteful than the "plastic shit you want that's ruining the world"

Imreaaaaady · 13/05/2021 18:48

That was aimed at @Nickynackynooo's hyperbole.

listentotherainonthewindowpane · 13/05/2021 18:49

mcdonald's is just all shit. shit food, shit toys shit restaurant, shitty litter. utter shit.

MrsMiddleMother · 13/05/2021 19:00

The cardboard toys are crap and go straight in the recycling bin. They should replace it entirely with a fruit bag or mini mcflurry like someone else mentioned. The minion figures from last year are still played with now so the plastic ones weren't all bad.

Ilovemaisie · 13/05/2021 19:05

listentotherain when was the last time you went to one? Out of curiosity.
The food is fine (in moderation), the restaurants are always kept clean - they even do table service now. I always round up my bill to give money to their charity (Ronald McDonald House)

RaisinFlapjack · 13/05/2021 19:11

The whole thing is a bit of a virtue-signalling distraction technique from the fact the mainstay of their business is one of the most environmentally high-impact food products going.

Obviously reducing plastic use is generally a good thing but I think we get overly focused on small stuff and ignore the big stuff.

Personally I’d rather see McDs as a rare treat, plastic toy included, because overall it’s a bit of a health and environmental nightmare.

But obviously McDs don’t want you to see them as a rare treat so they do small stuff like tinker with happy meals and hope we’ll keep obliviously munching Big Macs.

CatCup · 13/05/2021 19:18

I like it when they did a book.

listentotherainonthewindowpane · 13/05/2021 19:20

@Ilovemaisie

listentotherain when was the last time you went to one? Out of curiosity. The food is fine (in moderation), the restaurants are always kept clean - they even do table service now. I always round up my bill to give money to their charity (Ronald McDonald House)
honestly about 5 years ago (ish) one of DD's best friends had a birthday meal there (and they are vegetarian )...I had to bite my tongue ..it was painful.here children have a treat meal of absolute shite.
luciles · 13/05/2021 19:20

@Ilovemaisie

I will be annoyed if they stop doing the mini beanie boo toys. I have a vast collection of those. I also wish they would hurry up bringing the fish finger happy meals back. Yes that's right.... I like Beanie Boos, fish fingers and maccyds in general. If there was a Mumsnet snooty test I will have just failed it Grin
Me and DP ordered a fish finger happy meal today to share!
luciles · 13/05/2021 19:23

Along with a full meal for both of us. Blush

SilkyMoonfaceandTheSaucepanMan · 13/05/2021 19:24

Where is the cereal with toys in still?
Why is no one answering those who have asked?
I need to know!

listentotherainonthewindowpane · 13/05/2021 19:24

Do you want a shit plastic toy or a shit cardboard one? It's all virtual signalling bollocks.

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