FTC disclosure: This post is sponsored by McDonald’s of Central Arkansas. I am one of their brand ambassadors, but all opinions here are my own.
Birthday parties are so much fun for kids. They really lose their minds over bounce houses, presents and cupcakes. But it’s a whole different kind of crazy for mommas…especially now in the world of Pinterest-inspired birthday parties. My good friend Carol creates the most enviable birthday parties ever. I would love to throw my daughters beautifully-themed princess parties complete with homemade tiaras and a horse drawn carriage ride around the neighborhood, but I honestly do not have the time, the money, nor the inclination.
For Quinn’s 2nd birthday party this year, I outsourced it all to my friends at McDonald’s in North Little Rock. The Indian Hills McDonald’s has a separate playroom for the kids, and we reserved the whole thing for a couple of hours. The wonderful McDonald’s staff decorated the room for us and provided the cake and goodie bags. All I had to do was invite a few friends and family, show up with my brood and order lunch for everyone (because McDonald’s fries and nuggets are so incredibly yummy AND is was lunchtime).
But the pièce de résistance was Ronald McDonald himself there for the entire party! Quinn met Ronald at the grand opening of the new McDonald’s location on McCain Boulevard back in July, and she was completely enamored. At her party, Ronald greeted the kids as they entered the playroom and interacted with them all. Then he put on a 30 minute magic show that even boggled the mind of my 17-year-old who is a wanna-be magician herself. I have to hand it to Ronald McDonald; the clown knows how to keep the attention of kids of all ages. His show was fantastic — even the adults enjoyed it.
I couldn’t have asked for an easier birthday party set up. Life has been super busy lately, so this really did take a huge burden off my shoulders, and I am so appreciative of the McDonald’s crew. Quinn and the other children laughed and played and ate cake. I mean, what more could you want? Plus I didn’t have to clean up my house afterwards!
McDonald’s has their parties down to a science. If you want to have a stress-free birthday party for your child, just talk to the manager of your neighborhood McDonald’s. You can use this handy-dandy Restaurant Locator to find one near you with a PlayPlace.