My kids like to go to McDonald’s every once in awhile for a treat, just like a lot of other kids do. Whether it’s for an ice cream in the summer or a Happy Meal on the way home after a soccer tournament, it’s always a fun and easy treat that we know we can count on almost anywhere that we find ourselves in our busy schedules these days. For the next few weeks, McDonald’s is teaming up with HarperCollins to make their Happy Meals even more of a welcome break for busy families by including one of these mini Valentine’s Day story books in all of their Happy Meals.
I think this is such a fun and clever idea, and actually a really useful one too. It’s so great to be able to relax together as a family, grab a bite to eat, and then spend a few minutes reading something fun and new together afterwards. I actually try to make a point of having a small collection of kids books to go along with each season and holiday, so I love that these books fit right in with Valentines Day and I hope they’ll continue to use this idea in future seasons as well!
I really appreciate that McDonald’s decided to go with classic books that kids as well as parents will really enjoy. You’ll find titles like Pete the Cat: Valentine’s Day is Cool by Kimberly Dean, Paddington by Michael Bond, Happy Valentine’s Day, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff, and Clark the Shark Takes Heart by Bruce Hale.
We stopped in to our local restaurant earlier this week and picked up a couple of Happy Meals on a night when I wanted to cook something a little too adventurous for little taste buds and then Kennedy ended up reading Jack’s book to him. It’s great and so important when parents can read to their kids, but when an older sibling does it? That’s like literacy gold right there! What little kid doesn’t want to be just like their older sibling? The buy-in factor is huge, I tell ya!
Does anyone else remember the excitement of waiting in line for your Happy Meal at McDonald’s when you were a kid? I had a total flashback moment there waiting with Jack the other night. 🙂
We stopped and sat at a table for a little bit to have a few fries, but with a 2-year-old, it’s usually easier to bring everything home and let them roam freely as they eat, so that’s what we usually do.
After eating, we cracked open our Happy Valentine’s Day, Mouse! book from Jack’s Happy Meal and of course some adorable brother and sister reading moments ensued… And lots of squirmy two-year-old moments as well!
I really love how McDonald’s Canada is giving millions of kids access to really great kids books through their Happy Meal Books program so please make sure you stop in and pick up a Happy Meal before February 15th to let them know that you think it’s a great move too!
Make sure you check out the back few pages of your book too for some fun interactive activities using the free McPlay App to keep the fun times going. You’ll even find a few super cute Valentine’s Day cards tucked in there and maybe some stickers too!
The Valentine’s Day Happy Meal box has some cute punch outs as well that your kids will love. Or they can use it as a hat. Whatever works! 🙂
(I had to include this picture that I snapped quickly with my phone even though it’s a little blurry, because really, how could I leave this out?)
If you’d like to connect with McDonald’s and tell them how great this program is, you can like them on Facebook, follow them on Instagram, or chat with them on Twitter @McD_Canada. Plus, document your experience with the books using #HappyMealBooks.
I was compensated for my time writing this post but all thoughts, opinions, and ideas expressed in this post are mine as always!
