The 6 Best Happy Meal Toys of All Time

Happy Meal toys are a critical part of childhood. At least they were in my childhood, which was full of many Happy Meals sourced by my single mom who was simply too busy to make us dinner. I’ll try not to let my personal nostalgia influence this article too much, but I can’t make promises. And I mean, who can blame me for including hits like Beanie Babies, Barbies, and toys designed to promote the 1999 live action Inspector Gadget movie starring Matthew Broderick?? Okay, that last one’s a deeper cut, but bear with me here. Here are some hot hits from Happy Meals past (and present).

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Teenie Beanies (1990s)

McDonald’s really capitalized on the Beanie Babies craze of the 1990s for this team up with Ty. Teenie Beanies, the miniaturized version of Beanie Babies that were only released at McDonald’s, became so popular that they continued to put these little stuffies in Happy Meals long after the trend died down. The latest Teenie Beanies drop was in 2021! Clearly everyone agrees this was one of the best Happy Meal toys of all time.

Changeables (1980s)

McDonald’s saw the popularity of Transformers and went and created their own little creatures that transform into McDonald’s menu items. The first line of these toys started pretty simple, with a lineup that included transforming robots based on the Big Mac, large fries, and a milkshake. Years later, they’d go on to expand the line to get a bit more diversity into the mix. Look at how freaking cute Cap Cap is! I need it.

Hot Wheels (1990s)

We used to be a proper country. Instead of the cheap plastic stuff we’re accustomed to now, McDonald’s was at one time giving away Hot Wheels toys that were made of real metal! Though the McDonald’s-Hot Wheels collab officially started in the 1980s, it wasn’t until the ’90s that McDonald’s would start to release their own exclusive versions to kids everywhere.

Barbies (1990s-2000s)

During a less progressive era, Hot Wheels were the “boy toys” and Barbies were the “girl toys” in Happy Meals. Things have improved on several fronts. When Barbies were first introduced in McDonald’s Happy Meals, they were more like little plastic statues; since then, they’ve been released with jointed limbs and the like so you can actually play with them (whether you’re a girl or a boy).

Pokemon (In Perpetuity)

McDonald’s let Burger King absolutely school them when Burger King released gold plated Pokemon cards that came in life-sized Pokeballs in the ’90s. They took that to heart and vowed to never let a mistake like that happen again. Though McDonald’s Pokemon Happy Meal toys have looked different over the years, they’ve been consistent. From real toys to collectible cards, these will be a mainstay for quite some time.

Inspector Gadget (1999)

The most unique part of this line of Happy Meal toys is that you had to get all eight pieces to make one full-fledged Inspector Gadget toy. Though you could play with each piece by itself, really you’d just be left flailing an arm around or twirling his helicopter hat by itself. It’s both maddening and absolutely ingenious from the McDonald’s marketing team and I respect the hustle.