McDonald’s has a kids’ menu called the Happy Meal. Right now there are three options for this menu comprised of:
Burger or 4-Piece McNuggets or 6-Piece McNuggets + Side + Drink + Kid’s toy
I’ll explain the details of the McDonald’s Happy Meal including Menu of McDonalds with prices in this post.
A Brief Background on the McDonald’s Kids Happy Meal
The Happy Meal was created in the 1970s by Bob Bernstein who ran marketing campaigns for McDonald’s in several cities in the US.
McDonald’s underwent a significant transformation in the 1970s – they shifted their signature red and white-tiled buildings to a brick design, which kids didn’t like at all. In short, they were becoming less attractive to kids and families.
To make matters worse, competitors like Burger Chef were attracting kids by giving out gifts to kids, and Burger King leveraged its “King” character to captivate the younger audience.
So McDonald’s asked Bernstein to develop a concept that will make the brand more popular to kids and families again. In response, Bernstein and his team conceptualized a children’s meal box for McDonald’s, which incorporated the iconic golden arches as handles and adorning the exterior with engaging puzzles, riddles, games, and comic strips. They enlisted illustrators to create visually appealing boxes.
The name of the meal was inspired by a 1960s McDonald’s jingle that celebrated the restaurant as the “happy place,” with lines like:
“It’s such a happy place”
“Hap, hap, hap, happy place.”
The Happy Meal was launched in 1977 but was initially introduced as a promotional item in McDonald’s franchise stores in Phoenix, Kansas City and Denver as MCD’s corporate headquarters was at first hesitant to launch the Happy Meal nationwide.
The meal included a regular-sized burger, fries, Keebler cookies, a soda, and a Cracker Jack surprise toy.
But after a year of successful trials, the Happy Meal was finally rolled out nationwide in 1979.
The Happy Meal cost $1.10 back then and it had a circus wagon theme. The very first Happy Meal toys were a McDoodle stencil, erasers, and spinning top.
The McDonald’s Kids Menu with Prices
The Happy Meal and McDonald’s ads for kids have been criticized since the beginning for contributing to the prevalence of childhood obesity. People pushed McDonald’s to make the meal healthier and stop using toys to attract kids.
In 2011, San Francisco passed a law that banned McDonald’s and other fast-food places from giving free toys with kids’ meals that didn’t meet basic nutrition standards. (Customers can still buy a toy for 10 cents, and McDonald’s donates the money to charity.) More cities and states started to set nutrition rules for kids’ meals.
You can also explore military discounts at McDonald’s on various franchises.
Because of this, McDonald’s decided to make changes to the Happy Meal. They cut the French fries portion by more than half, added apples, and offered low-fat chocolate milk with less sugar. They removed soda in 2013 too.
These changes have reduced the meal’s calories. Today, a Happy Meal has 475 calories, about 20% less than five years ago.
Here are the options in the Happy Meal menu with prices at McDonald’s:
Hamburger Happy Meal $5.22
This meal comes with the Classic McDonald’s Burger, World Famous Fries (Kids), Apple Slices and choose between: 1% Low Fat Milk Jug, Reduced Sugar Low Fat Chocolate Milk, DASANI Water, or Honest Kids Appley Ever After Organic Juice Drink. Plus, a McDonald’s Happy Meal toy that completes every McDonald’s Kids meal. This meal has 475 calories.
4 Piece Chicken McNuggets Happy Meal $6.32
This meal comes with Chicken McNuggets (4 piece), World Famous Fries (Kids), Apple Slices and choice of drink: 1% Low Fat Milk Jug, Reduced Sugar Low Fat Chocolate Milk Jug, DASANI Water or Honest Kids Appley Ever After Organic Juice Drink. Plus, a fun toy. This meal contains 395 calories.
6 Piece Chicken McNuggets Happy Meal $7.11
This meal comes with Chicken McNuggets (4 piece), World Famous Fries (Kids), Apple Slices and choice of drink: 1% Low Fat Milk Jug, Reduced Sugar Low Fat Chocolate Milk Jug, DASANI Water or Honest Kids Appley Ever After Organic Juice Drink. Plus, a fun toy. This meal contains 475 calories.
How much is a children’s Happy Meal at McDonald’s?
The price for a Happy Meal at McDonald’s varies by location and the specific kid’s meal you’re ordering. Around here, a Hamburger Happy Meal costs $5.22 but in other areas it may cost around $4 to $5 or even less. A 4-Piece Chicken McNuggets Happy Meal costs $6.32 in our area while a 6 Piece Chicken McNuggets Happy Meal is priced at $7.11.
Can I Buy a Kid’s Toy Separately at McDonald’s?
This depends on the franchise owner. Some locations may sell the Happy Meal toys for $1 to $2 each, while others solely offer them as part of a Happy Meal order.
What Happy Meal Toys are Available Now?
From what I’ve seen in some McDonald’s locations, there are Hello Kitty and Yu-Gi-Oh toys available for the Happy Meals. There are also reports that the Inside Out 2 Squishmallow Happy Meal Toys have already been released as well.
McDonald’s Kid’s Menu and Prices in a Nutshell
The McDonald’s kid’s menu is called the Happy Meal and you have a choice between a hamburger, 4-piece chicken McNuggets and 6-piece chicken McNuggets. These come with a small serving of fries, apple slices, a kid’s drink and a free toy. The price of the McDonald’s kids menu ranges from $4.00 to $7.50.
You can other deal including Big Mac at McDonald’s