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The Happy Meal toy is a staple of all of our childhoods. That may not be a great thing given the kind of food McDonald’s serves, but it’s a universal truth nonetheless. Happy Meals date back to 1979. Back then, the boxes that the meals came in were a lot more elaborate and were themed in accordance with what toys were inside. Some even donned fun facts, puzzles, and mazes. Nowadays, that’s not the case. But then again, at its inception, they were trying to win new consumers over. Boxes aside, Happy Meal toys were the major draw. Whether they were plush toys, pull-back cars, or movie character figures, kids just had to have them. They would probably forget about the toys in a week, but they were important either way. Did you ever wonder what the popular Happy Meal toy was the year you were born? Are you just curious about how the toys have evolved over the years? Check out this list of every year’s noteworthy Happy Meal toy from 1979 to 2003. 1. McWrist Wallet (1979) The McWrist wallet was among the first Happy Meal toys to ever be released. The fake wristwatch had a compartment instead of a clock, so a child could store all of their…baby teeth? Candy wrappers? Who knows. 2. 'Star Trek' Themed Toys (1980) With Star Trek: The Motion Picture’s release in 1979, McDonald’s had its first movie-related Happy Meal toys. This is supposed to be a video communicator, but they actually just had a couple of comic strips inside. 3. Rubber Band Motor Boat (1981) This toy is exactly what it sounds like: a toy boat that moves on its own in the water. That was one way to get your kids to actually want to take a bath. Well played, McDonald’s. 4. Playmobil Figures (1982) The Happy Meal helped promote Playmobil, a relatively new brand at the time. The toys were various small human figures that had changeable parts, which are still sold today. 5. Hot Wheels (1983) It goes without saying that everyone was extremely pumped about these Happy Meal toys. You can bet that kids were begging their parents to take them back to McDonald’s repeatedly so they could collect them all. 6. Popoids (1984) Popoids were a series of different stretchy and bendy pieces that you could arrange however you wanted. Not that there was much variation on what you could build, to begin with. 7. Fast Macs (1985) Toy cars were really in fashion in the 80s, so McDonald’s actually produced their own pull back cars called Fast Macs. They featured members of Ronald McDonald’s crew in different colored cars. They’re now collector’s items. 8. 'Berenstain Bears' Toys (1986) Long before the Berenstein/Berenstain debate, Berenstain Bear toys were featured in Happy Meals. They were surprisingly high quality, except all of their furry areas were felt, making them prone to getting dirty fast. 9. 'Muppets' Babies (1987) Surprise, surprise, another toy on wheels. These baby versions of Muppets characters came on wheeled vehicles, but they were removable. Later, McDonald’s would go on to make a second set of the toys in 1990. 10. 'DuckTales' Figures (1988) Happy Meal toys became a means for advertisement, so many new shows and movies utilized them. DuckTales was no exception. The show first aired in late 1987, and kids were ecstatic to have figures of their favorite duck characters. 11. Fry Kids (1989) I think these “kids” are supposed to be made of or covered in fries, but they look more furry than anything. Regardless, these were genuine McDonald’s toys like Fast Macs, and they came with cute little accessories like hats and headphones. 12. Camp McDonaldland (1990) For whatever reason, McDonald’s decided that the thing that children really needed at the time was genuine camping gear. Including things like a canteen and a collapsible cup, today’s kids could probably use that kind of motivation. 13. McDino Changeables (1991) Whoever thought to make Transformers-esque dinosaurs that turn into food items was a genius. I’m not sure why it’s so appealing, but it just is. McDonald’s was really killing it with the original toys. 14. Potato Head Kids (1992) The Mr. Potato Head craze was so real in the 80s and 90s, so naturally, a series of young potato heads came out. The Potato Head Kids were featured in the Happy Meal but were also sold separately in toy stores. 15. Barbie (1993) While McDonald’s featured Barbie toys more than once, the special thing about the 1993 Happy Meal version was that their hair was actual “hair” instead of plastic. Little kids all over probably wasted their mom’s good shampoo on them. 16. Happy Birthday Train (1994) For the Happy Meal’s 15th birthday, McDonald’s premiered the 15-piece Happy Birthday Train. The pieces could be connected, making a “train.” I can only imagine the stress of getting a different one to complete the set every time. 17. Amazing Wildlife (1995) Yup, McDonald’s actually gave out actual animal plush toys with their Happy Meals in 1995. That’s weird to imagine now, as it seems like such a high-quality item to give away. Seriously, the 80s and 90s kids had it made. 18. Disney Masterpiece Collection (1996) This one is truly a treat. These collectibles featured the popular Disney movies at the time. The figurines of the main characters of the films came in a little box that emulates VHS cases. Look how much effort must have gone into those! 19. Teenie Beanie Babies (1997) The mini versions of Beanie Babies made a huge splash when they were released. Apparently, because of their collectible nature, adults used to purchase Happy Meals and throw out the food just for the toys, and even get into fights. 20. Tamagotchi Keychains (1998) All 80s and 90s kids were absolutely obsessed with Tamagotchis. We swore we were responsible adults for taking care of a virtual pet. So, when Happy Meals came out with their Tamagotchi keychains, they were an instant hit. 21. Mini Furbies (1999) Mini Furbies were (thankfully) less terrifying than their full-sized counterparts. These toys had moving eyes, feet, beaks, and ears when you pushed the button. Yeah…even though they’re less terrifying, those moving parts still creep me out. 22. 'The Emperor's New Groove' Figures (2000) The Emperor’s New Groove toys were released as a promotion for the film that came out the same year. They were toys that came with a launching mechanism that pushes the various wheeled characters across a surface. 23. Hello Kitty (2001) Sanrio and McDonald’s released the Hello Kitty toys in both 2000 and 2001. The 2001 version had Hello Kitty in different outfits as a clip-on keychain, as well as some stickers and other Sanrio characters. 24. 'Treasure Planet' Figures (2002) The Treasure Planet Happy Meal toys were a must for children that were fans of the movie. The different figures had features such as glow-in-the-dark eyes on one of them and a working red light on another. 25. Betty Spaghetty (2003) Betty Spaghetty was all the rage in the early 2000s. The Happy Meal toys probably helped contribute to their popularity. The brightly-colored dolls are super flexible, and they were actually larger than you’re probably picturing. Credits: standardnews Share this story on Facebook with your friends.

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