While some of us can remember the iconic McDonald’s Happy Meals toys of the past, like TY Teenie Beanies or Hot Wheels, others have been relegated to the dustbin of fast food history.
In no particular order:
Camp McDonaldland Camp Gear
In the 1990s, McDonald’s released its Camp McDonaldland Camp Gear. The camp is a fictional retreat for Ronald McDonald and his friends.
The collection, which had plastic utensils, a small canteen that couldn’t hold much water and a plastic frying pan, was supposed to represent what kids would need if they ever camped at the make-believe land, The Recipe reported.
However, reports claim that McDonald’s failed to realize that a plastic miniature collection of camping gear was poorly designed and not appealing to children.
Toothbrush and Toothpaste
While dental hygiene is essential, kids don’t want to think about brushing their teeth while eating Chicken McNuggets or a burger.
However, McDonald’s wanted to ensure that children were brushing their teeth at least twice a day, as dentists recommend, so they included a toothbrush and toothpaste with Happy Meals in 1983, The Recipe reported.
Kids didn’t receive this well, but at least a few had shiny pearly whites.
Step-It Happy Meal toys
The fast-food company tried to promote healthy lifestyles by giving out fitness trackers with Happy Meals in 2016.
While the toy looked appealing to children, with its neon wristband colors and easy-to-navigate controls, some nutritionists saw it as a way to divert customers from paying attention to the company’s junk food options.
McDonald’s recalled the fitness trackers after reports that they caused skin irritation, USA Today reported. The toy was available at all locations in the U.S. and Canada for a short time.
Idol Mp3 Player
In 2007, during the heyday of “American Idol,” McDonald’s released the Idol Mp3 player.
While kids expected the device to play their favorite songs, it just repeatedly played the “American Idol” theme song, The Recipe reported.
Minions Figurines
In 2015, the company released Minion toys to go along with the release of the “Minions” film. While kids were fans of the figurines, parents claimed they heard the caveman Minion toy say curse words.
The company refuted the claims saying that the toy wasn’t saying anything profane but instead was making sounds like “para la bukay,” “hahaha” and “eh eh,” Business Insider reported.
Regardless of what the toy was saying, they were removed from the Happy Meal toy selection.