McDonald’s: Why My Kids Are Lovin’ It!

If someone asked me what restaurant my boys liked best, I wouldn’t hesitate to answer. Every time we drive past a McDonald’s, my minivan fills with shouts of excitement as they see the golden arches and recognize instantly their favorite place to stop. It’s no surprise to me why they love McDonald’s, but let me show you a look at a McDonald’s visit from their perspective so you can see why it’s their favorite place to visit.

When we arrive, we start in a short line and I ask the boys what they would like to eat – naming all their favorite choices: hamburger, Chicken McNuggets, or cheeseburger… but I am already cut-off with my boys calling out their preference before I can finish. Next, they get to pick their drink from choices including fat free chocolate milk, low fat white milk, apple juice, or a small kid’s refillable soda cup. They love the freedom to make their own choices and get the meal they’ll happily eat. Their Happy Meal also comes with a kids sized fries and apple slices.

Now, it’s time to make our way into the PlayPlace where they often make a new friend and have a great time playing while waiting for lunch. The boys usually meander down from the slides about 10 minutes later ready for food to fill those grumbling bellies. They excitedly reaching into their Happy Meal and usually grab the toy first. This month’s toys featured Skylander’s and My Little Pony’s.

The Skylander’s were a bit hit, my 5 year old had seen Skylander’s on the poster a week before this visit when we had stopped through the drive-thru for breakfast and had been asking to go back ever since. The toys didn’t disappoint. Even though they weren’t made for the portal from the Skylander’s games, the toys were true to the characters and they loved lighting up the fire bomb fist and creating their own table top adventures.

Both boys dug into their meals; the apple slices always seem to be their favorite. After a while eating, it was back to the PlayPlace to play. I didn’t mind, I was happily connected to McDonald’s free Wi-Fi and was playing around on my tablet while the boys enjoyed the toys and their meal, heading back and forth between the two every couple of minutes.

When their meal was finished and the clock started to creep towards an hour of playtime, it was now time to finish up our visit. On special occasions and when my boys are here for a special treat, we will often get them a vanilla cone after their meal. When the miniature kiddie cones are available (the couple of bites and it is gone sized treat), they always get to have one but not all McDonald’s locations have these mini cones.

At the end of the visit, they have not only eaten lunch but got to play, exercise, make new friends, enjoy a new toy, and even get a treat! Best of all, when we are ready to head home they are now wiggle-free and we usually enjoy a nice, calm afternoon. Of course, they end the trip asking when we can come back!

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by McDonald’s via Mode Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of McDonald’s.