The Rise And Fall Of Fast Food Playgrounds - Cheddar Explains

Most millennials have fond memories of those playgrounds attached to many a McDonalds or Burger King. Well, hold on to that nostalgia because they’re slowly disappearing. As fun as these play areas were, their hidden dangers are causing their downfall.
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[@Neotenico]

McDonald's PlayPlace was where I got my first bee sting. It sucked, but it landed me a McFlurry from the nice girl working the register. Also, as far as I'm concerned with the bacteria on the playgrounds, I feel some responsibility needs to be levied on the parents to have their children wash their hands in between playing and eating. That was such a strict rule for me when I was growing up. I feel like America has developed a problem with placing blame instead of using common sense when it comes to a lot of health-related issues like this.

[@Frostfire40]

I agree. Teaching the kids when they touch a bunch of things in public with their hands not to touch their face or eat until the hands have been washed. And not to stick their faces and mouths on everything.

[@matthewpaul6904]

Yeah let's play on that all metal slide at the playground instead. On a summer day it would heat up to 1,000 degrees which was a wonder if you were wearing shorts.

[@nromk]

Ok but children are dirty and you can't control every parental unit and a child could barf or bleed or sneeze or otherwise break rules by bringing in food, someone still needs to upkeep the playground.

[@rohithkumarsp]

It probably improved kids immune tbh

[@cfhay]

> have their children wash their hands How does that solve the needle/sharp objects problem? That was the sole reason my mother didn't let me to the common playground in the 80s.

[@D.S.handle]

Public places are dirty, kids hurt themselves everywhere they cand. I think it’s totally fine understanding that kids can hurt themselves playing. These type of spaces are quite safe all things considered.

[@milliedragon4418]

Not to mention they were a great place for kids to exercise, to get their extra energy out. When I was a kid I would play in it before and after I ate my meal. I couldn't wait to go inside or outside if the playground was out there.

[@EricSundquistKC]

They said 400 injuries between the 70s and 90s? So less than 2 injuries a month? I get 2 injuries every time I take my kids to the playground!

[@WillShackAttack]

But considering that someone is responsible for owning the place that kids get hurt, it's their faults. Why? Because. Because what? Just Because.

[@jameshill5458]

My family drives 3 hours north through the center of California to see my mother pretty often. Doing that drive with a crying 2 year old is rough. We have two McDonald’s play places on our route and they are LIFE SAVERS. A place where we can have a quick bite and our son can expel some energy is amazing. It’s sad knowing these places are a dying breed. My son loves them. I love them too, since playing with him makes me feel like a kid again.

[@marihawley]

It cracked me up that about McDs not reporting the injuries, wouldn't they have to basically call every day! Kids hurt themselves on everything and anything. My brothers were super rowdy growing up, they could hurt themselves on or with the most benign things. And if they had found that dead iguana, they would have thought they hit the weird kid jackpot and not told my mom and snuggled it home.

[@SlackActionBumble]

I know you meant smuggled, but snuggled makes it so much better

[@marihawley]

@@SlackActionBumble🤣🤣🤣🤣 oops but knowing my brothers, probably a little bit of both

[@DavidCiani]

Let alone to the Consumer Product Safety Commission... I don't think that would have even occurred to your typical Fast Food franchisee.

[@sNintendoFan]

@@marihawley Awesome

[@themasstermwahahahah]

Exposure to germs is really important for children because it helps develop their immune system. It gets trained on actual germs and won't start attaching pollen or their own body.

[@MatuschkaRossija]

Wow, there where germs on objects? How could I survive my childhood playing outside on public playgrounds?

[@johnfoltz8183]

Or on rusty playgrounds equipment

[@Friendly_G]

It's almost like these parents never went outside themselves 😂

[@thenintendobros9918]

I miss play places, and just having fun stuff for kids in general. Everything is so boring and grey anymore and I'm sad that my kids will miss out on a lot of the joy and wonder i had growing up

[@josephharrison5639]

I’d rather have kids in the play place than just playing on their phones, so many great memories

[@CarloNassar]

As a big device user, I honestly agree.

[@thischannelisdeleted]

One of the greatest experiences of my early childhood

[@liamsepicyoutubechannel7654]

Yea I know it was m y childhood

[@babyperi6821]

I'm at one now

[@flightkidd123]

Legit, even if I never seen them again I made some friends as a little kid anytime I was lucky enough to stay and play inside the play place while my grandfather watched over while eating smh good times simple good times

[@peter_smyth]

Saying all the surveyed playgrounds had the dangerous bacteria doesn't mean they're especially dangerous. The same bacteria are probably present in many places many people are present, like an office.

[@jc3drums916]

Or better yet, a classroom.

[@CrimsonKage]

Most of that bacteria was probably so common the kids picked it up at home before coming in. Everything has bacteria on it, and at a restaurant with a bathroom, what are the chances some Karen with a cotton swab isn't gonna find something fecal on a plastic tunnel?

[@jagfan101]

​@@CrimsonKageYep, shoulda swabbed the burger she shoved in her fat mouth that the fastfood worker just prepared for her after using the restroom and forgetting to wash his hands.

[@johnchristopherkessel1681]

Me and my cousins used to play at our local Mcdonald's PlayPlace right after our sports practice on Saturdays. There were no parks nor any playgrounds near our home then and the only place where we can play with other kids was that PlayPlace. Awesome time.

[@commentor3485]

Mcdonald's playgrounds toughen our immune system.

[@sNintendoFan]

Exactly

[@flightkidd123]

Now that you mention it it probably did in some way.. kids nowadays all socialize online 😂 like discord you ain’t cool if you don’t use it, with all the danger still back in the day it was better in a way because you had actual real and honest where both of the people left most likely curious about the person they just talked to anticipating the next meeting………I feel like tablets and smartphones and social media specifically those three have ruined that badly. And now we have a completely different interaction experience in public….for the worse

[@residentevil4life]

honestly the last part of the video really hit hard. I know we as adults are glued to our phones but children absolutely need to have social interactions to grow into healthy adults. Instead I can't go anywhere without seeing a 2 year old on a stroller with a tablet in their hand, will definitely be interesting to see the consequences in the long run since I personally didn't start carrying my own "tablet" (game boy) until around the age of 9.

[@CrimsonKage]

Ah the Game Boy, had the original model myself, big grey battery pack, had to lift the whole thing up above my head to try and play it in the headlights of the following car (sitting in the back seat of our car) because the thing wasn't backlit yet.

[@stevecrandall]

Yup. Parents just pacify the heck out of their kids with these distracting technologies.

[@eviedaniela]

Anything to avoid actually parenting. It's so sad. Especially at an age when those children need human interaction for their brain development. What a dangerous trade-off, Yikes

[@Brando56894]

Yep, I'm 37 and never had a cellphone until I was like 13 and it was a big chonky Sony that was reminiscent of the cell phones from the early 90s (it didn't fold). We never even had a computer until I was 10.

[@planefan082]

Nothing wrong with giving your child an iPod when they turn six or seven (and before that, letting them occasionally borrow other things to learn some tech literacy or look things up properly), but it's not a replacement for parenting. Handing it to them with some garbage like Cocomelon and leaving them to it is a recipe for disaster. Going the other way with parental controls is too. You need to teach your child how to properly self-regulate and use it in moderation, and how to deal with things like privacy and cyberbullying as well.

[@milliedragon4418]

I remember as a kid, I seen a kid literally pee all over the playground and I was like this is it I'm never going in these playgrounds again. The fast food workers were quick to clean it up though. That being said I am kind of sad for kids not to enjoy these kind of playgrounds it's an easy entertainment and it's cheap. But I also understand why they probably won't last much longer they're a huge waste of space that could be used for more tables and more parking. For some they're closer than even going to a public park. I even noticed that a lot of casual restaurants don't even do what they used to do when I was little, for instance that you used to be able to get activity books, crayons they would even have like some small games at the restaurant table. Entertain you while you are waiting for your meal. Some even used to have arcade machines and the back. Nothing too special.

[@CrimsonKage]

As a former employee, we kept a bag or two of extra balls downstairs (we had a basement back then) for just such an occasion. I think we were required (ostensibly) to switch out the balls on a regular basis too. Can't say taking out the Play Place saved much space though, as they took it out and left the adjacent seating in place, letting the area go to waste until the store was bulldozed and rebuilt.

[@ARUSApacecarHAMPTON]

We are now two generations into kids being so protected that most can’t handle the smallest of problems.

[@bhavjotkang8004]

I blame boomers

[@dunder5563]

one died from a needle overdose

[@jahajesper]

@@dunder5563 did you not listen that story was fake

[@ARUSApacecarHAMPTON]

I love a good urban myth. People will believe anything that sounds scary.

[@zqpcydbfoqbdiehdj]

Lol tru

[@shaunharn1998]

Fastfood restaurants were unique and an experience individually, the early 2000's were the peak of McDonald's, KFC, Burger King, back then it wasn't just a place to eat, it was an experience and exciting place for kids to go to more so than for the food, now everywhere is the same just a boring plain restaurant that looks the same with no originality

[@DrVictorVasconcelos]

Restaurants have an incentive to kick you out. Whether you stay for 15 minutes or for 1 hour, you're likely to spend the same amount of money.

[@shaunharn1998]

@@DrVictorVasconcelos Back then every fast food restaurant had its own theme and was unique, now the whole restaurant is like a plain boring Starbucks with uncomfortable chairs, there's no character or unique theme like before where even collecting happy meal toys was an exciting experience

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

@@shaunharn1998 Blaine car dependent infrastructure for that (not just bikes has good videos on this subject)

[@hgbugalou]

Going to the playground was the best. It's sad they are going away. The whole argument about "not being safe" is such garbage. Life isn't safe and all kids had their falls, cuts, bumps, and bruises with an occasional broken bone from playgrounds. Its all part of growing up to learn this. As far as germs and cleaning, that seems like an issue that can be solved, but at the same time its expensive and I can see it being out of the budget of a small fast food joint. Or they could just bring back the metal stuff which bacteria has a hard time growing on.

[@jefferypardue7509]

I have never seen anyone sanitized the playground equipment at a local park. I'm more likely to see graffiti on slides and bird pooped water fountains. Playgrounds with wood chips sometimes gives kids splinters.

[@shayemoore]

Right. These kids are some punks 😆.

[@noahpartic7586]

Good ole indestructible iron, especially baking in the sun & good for frying that scary 😨 bacteria away.

[@devinreis5811]

One of my girlfriends is an assistant manager at my local Chuck E Cheese's, and she told me that the standards of cleanliness went WAY up after COVID. The standards of cleanliness are high, but face it, kids are petri dishes. And they really keep it in mind; at least my local one does. A lot of these fast food play places failed to keep that in mind and still do. I honestly think that low standards for keeping them clean helped make them a thing of the past.

[@KB9TKB]

I remember those McDonald's playgrounds @1:23. The hamburger you climb up inside, is Mayor McCheese. I was born in '71 and aside from the hot slide in the summer (we lived in Tucson Az. for about 5 years back then, fun times as a kid, I miss it and my childhood friends there.), I survived playing on old school playground equipment whether at McDonald's or the parks as did many Generation X and Millennials, we're still here. Being that you could sit at the outside tables and eat, there were always parents present in the playground area keeping an eye on and making sure that the kids were safe. These are some of the fun times and memories our generations will always remember.

[@Jaysin999]

As an 03 baby, im not a millennial but the mcd play areas were alwaysss something id have to do whenever i could stay at mcd. I never got hurt in an indoor one except for some floor burns in the tubes and bumping around, but nonetheless i figured out itd be a pretty germ filled area as a kid. And ur right, i would still take the chances of playing in the play area than a screen all day, altho id like a mix of both 🤣

[@vashsunglasses]

I broke my arm at McDonald's when I was 8. This was in 1990, so before the "PlayPlace" was created. They had a room with playground equipment (a slide, teeter totter, jungle gym, merry-go-round, etc) that was McDonald's mascot themed. The sign on the room said that the room was supervised, but it wasn't, so when I jumped off the Grimace Teeter Totter and broke my arm (while my Dad was ordering food) it was their responsibility and they paid for everything immediately.

[@EmazingGuitar]

The mcd play ground I grew up at had a sketchy space ship type cockpit hanging out the side of the playground and it was on bungee cords so I felt like you were on a ride. Felt like it was going to fall off every time

[@cameronball3998]

I’ll never forget when my brother and I slid through raw poop in the slide. Not in a diaper or anything, just bare human feces dead in the middle of the slide. Him and I walked out of the store in our underwear, as our clothes were unwearable for the time being. They offered us free McDonald’s for a year, but we didn’t return lol. I’ll never forget that 😂

[@KenKen-ui4ny]

Public swimming pools and water parks are always battling this issue with human feces as well. The problem is actually not diaper age children, it more of kids who are just finishing up potty training, where accidents are still expected. This could have been how the feces you slid through, ended up there.

[@officialbrandonlampkin]

Why is the playground creepy??? Regulation/closing of playgrounds in general has ruined a lot of communities especially during summer vacation

[@milliedragon4418]

Especially with cheap you get your kids their McDonald's kids meal, and then they had free entertainment and to get rid of their extra energy, they would socialize with other kids it was great. Help the parents out for a little while and have a break. Besides that it was easier to find a Play place in fast food when there was to find a place to play in a park.

[@albertoginelsalvador2172]

We need more dangerous play grounds for safety

[@stevecrandall]

💯

[@christianmoore7109]

I honestly think that the presence of germs there at those play places likely strengthened immune systems in the long run and prevented some autoimmune diseases that would have otherwise appeared.

[@arklaymountains5832]

@@christianmoore7109 you want your kid to play in piss, we get it

[@warmstrong5612]

I remember when the N64 appeared with 4 player MarioKart64 in indoor Playplace locations. One McD's near me had it setup for several years.

[@juanzuniga5976]

I miss these, I grew up playing on these players. Nothing like spinning around until you throw up and burn your hands on the metal burger prison bars on a hot summer day. These things made us tough

[@hazelgrunts]

I’m a gen Z “kid” and I played on fast food playgrounds from around 2009-2016. I can say that I personally never got injured in one and actually found them a little too safe and underwhelming for my liking. I always preferred regular school playgrounds because the risk taking adding to the fun. I don’t think I got sick off the fast food playgrounds either

[@sNintendoFan]

Oh yeah. I NEVER got sick from those playgrounds. I found it super fun to climb to the top of the playgrounds (the one in my hometown was SUPER tall) and just watch everyone else. Flippin awesome!

[@jefferypardue7509]

I remember when McDonald's had PlayStation video games at the McDonald's Play Place. I forget what video games they were but I remember sometimes they weren't operating properly because the video game council was always on. Sometimes someone played for a few minutes and left the game consistently running. Also the health and safety issues should be the night time crew responsibility to the sanitize the playground equipment. Of course the employees don't clean every little spot like under the ice cream machines or Coke machines. And McDonald's always buys weird machines that have weird codes that don't make any sense to any normal person. The McDonald's play areas have nearly disappeared around the turn of the century in Western Washington Seattle-Tacoma-Everett WA areas. The ones that were outside are now just outdoor seating or landscaping. When McDonald's did a lot of their renovations about 10 -12 years ago they got rid of the brown roofs, all of the play areas were either removed completely or was shrunken down to the size of a play equipment that you could probably find in someone's backyard. Play areas are now an afterthought in the decor of McDonald's. Yes they are brown but that's about the only thing that matches the decor of the modern McDonald's. Also one they renovated they got rid of fancy murals McDonald's Playland characters like Ronald McDonald and his pals. I don't recall Ronald McDonald statues in the last few years at McDonald's. It seems like McDonald's wants adult business over screaming a body murder children wanting McDonald's toys. That's why you can see them partnering up with a rappers and sports figures and environmentalist groups to promote their food.

[@ablemagawitch]

A video game system used to be novel enough that it attracted kids and others would watch them play while waiting their turn. Kids today don't live in a world where a video game in novelty, nor where they have to wait to play. The McDonald's Icecream machines are special screw the Franchise owner because they specially built to Mcdonald's corporate standards unlike the almost identical model in other fast food chains. McDonald's require special Corporate approved service companies to come fix and/or reset the machines. How many Ice Cream cones and milkshake sales does it take to cover several hundred repair bill, that will just reoccur again and again. It worst than a "right To repair " Issue, it specifically designed so you have to buy special parts only through Corporate Vendors. There are some great youtube videos on these machines and how they scam McDonald's Franchise Owners, which they can't talk about publicly due to the N.D.A. they have signed in their contract to have Franchise. All Franchises have Kickback schemes to Corporate but McDonald's does some of the more corrupt abusive practices about their machines, and their service people...... See kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaOndqeJodZ9eZY Guy actually got the manuals on machines that hard to get even if Franchise owner. Why Adults? Coffee costs 5 cents to make and normally sold for about dollar. Now make it "Mc Latte" with flavors and now that is 25 cents in costs being sold for $5 a cup , much better return than on children meals. Plus the market up breakfast crap is insane compared to lunch and dinner. Plus, Kids aren't into clowns and McDonald's isn't creating shows and games for kids as a loss leader. Get the parents and the kids go with them. The good old Family Restaurant is dying out. So are the fast food places, when parents rather use door dash than load the kids in card/mini-van to go get fast food they can have delivered. Only problem is no wants to tip drivers enough to make it worth the bother, so their orders sit their waiting and waiting. There are people where getting to go have Fast Food or similar quicker food restaurant is the Pay Day treat. Although far too many customers are people that eat that carp far too often every week and should/need to eat better than McDonalds, but are so lazy they'll pay someone extra, so they don't have to even have to make the effort to go through the drive through. These are the idiots are who McDonald's is marketing to that you see, unless you're watching kid shows, you won't see their commercials aimed at children.

[@CitiesForTheFuture2030]

I think there can be a happy medium between filthy & highly sanitised. Being completely risk averse also stifles child devekopment. Many people in developed countries suffer from autoimmune diseases due to over cleanliness. Can we provide children's with adventure while also keeping them safe from extreme harm? I think so. In fact adventure parks are popping up all around the world - teach kids about safety - supervise riskier play - use appropriate safety equipment where necessary - be hygiene aware & take the necessary precautions where appropriate eg always wash hands before eating or handling food, and after going to the loo etc - deworm kids regularly as per medical advisable Having a child means raising them to be competent adults that can engage life fully and enjoy a good quality of life - physically, mentally & emotionally.

[@scalpingsnake]

Here in the UK I used to go to a 'food playground' called Wacky Warehouse. It was attached to pub that severed drinks and food. As you can imagine with "warehouse" this in door play area was really big, you could book it for birthdays too so I had a few birthdays there (mine and friends). We loved it but eventually it was demolished (pub is still there though). I imagine it generated a lot of money for itself and the pub but I guess the love also declined for it here too.

[@milliedragon4418]

That sounds sort of tragic.

[@ChiB2004]

I remember Wacky Warehouse. I didn’t realise it was a nation wide thing, though? The childhood memories I have attached to that place....

[@bradzeigler]

Severed drinks? Sounds creepy, lol.

[@scalpingsnake]

@@bradzeigler oops hahah

[@scalpingsnake]

@@ChiB2004 Yeah I don't recall knowing about any other. I suspect there are multiple but they are few and far between.

[@johannes914]

As a child we played in sandboxes... Speaking of germs...

[@static-san]

It might be interesting to compare US with other countries here. Many McDonald's restaurants here in Australia have play grounds and new ones are still being built. Ballpits are almost extinct, but the colourful slides and climbing things are most certainly still around.

[@KenKen-ui4ny]

Probably because it more expensive, up front cost wise, to sue someone in Australia then in the US. Or there stricter criteria your lawsuit case has to rank, before it can be presented to a judge. Just my guess. I feel part reason is also McDonald's itself here in America, trying to boast more of an adult theme. Since the playlands are not the only i have seen being removed from their restaurants. Not sure you have noticed this there in Australia too, but i don't hear or see much of the chain's main mascot Ronald McDonald anymore, like i did back in the 90's and early 2000's. And you look at the architecture of a McDonalds restaurants these days here in the US. They resemble more of a sleek coffee cafe, then what they used to look like.

[@cerisem7727]

Slowly disappearing? They have disappeared! It's rare to find a fast food place with a playground these days. Where I live, they've been gone for almost 15 years now.

[@ShaunPuzon]

There's a Burger King down the street from where I work that still has an indoor playground. I guess the franchisee doesn't want to pay to have it demolished, because every time I've been in there, the door to the playground is barricaded with garbage cans.

[@lightningbear2135]

I grew up as a kid in the 80’s. Going to the McDonalds playground was always a special treat for things like good grades. It’s kinda sad to see them go away. I always had the best memories. Maybe I didn’t notice how dirty they were. If I hurt myself, my mom would tell me to go wash it off and get back to playing. It’s amazing we are alive today 😂

[@alid.p.1983]

Playgrounds at restaraunts are super common in South Africa. There are multiple restaraunt chains which are family orientated and have these play areas as a centre focus. They are very popular too.

[@coolbeans5911]

our local Wimpy and Spur had them and it was so so much fun

[@ThomasBensler]

we used to play in the dirt at a creek behind our garden ... lots of germs there as well

[@helenmejia2675]

i live in brooklyn, new york so i’m surprised the playplace at my local mcdonalds is still there. they’ve definitely reduced the size tho. went from three slides to one and that’s basically it

[@somedandy7694]

I remember a PlayPlace that had a target in the ballpit. If you got a bullseye you got to watch the ball roll into a cleaning solution, get sucked up a vacuum tube and rolled down an air-drying track to fall back into the pit. It was magical.

[@MCA_Lives]

Those og metal play places were lit, had an indoor one near us, that McDonald’s didn’t even have a drive through at the time, ended up getting turned into a Starbucks around 2000 and McDonald’s moved across the plaza.

[@dgpsf]

This video unlocked a core memory of playing on one of those classic McD playgrounds with the burger-shaped climbing structure! Sometime in the late 80s! I even remember playing with the happy meal toys that day too! Thanks for that.

[@blueblousedesigns]

The fast food play places here in Middle Georgia get periodically cleaned by a company called Clean 2 Play

[@jofbeats11]

Its really sad that many fast-food playgrounds are disappearing cause many adults these days don't understand good ole fun these days. And if playgrounds were dirty. Than parents should just hurry take their kids home later after a good fun. Noone ever says anything outdoor public playgrounds being ten thousand times dirtier than fast-food playgrounds. Parents these days just suck

[@the_garniiics]

At my local Burger King, which was in a rural town, there was a rumor about a snake being spotted. They shut it down "temporarily", but it was torn down and not even replaced with any outdoor seating. Just left a fenced in concrete spot as a reminder of what once was lol

[@sevegarza]

As a person who grew up in the 90s and went to multiple McDonalds birthday parties, I can confirm that fast food playgrounds were indeed filthy as f**k. I’ve personally witnessed rotting cheese, burgers, kid feces, and piss smelling ball pits. Yuk! ….. I still begged my mom to go to McDonald’s to play there though lol.

[@KittySnicker]

Fellow Millennial here and I have wonderful memories at these playgrounds!

[@brownfudge2653]

Me too

[@TechnicallyLenard]

Even when I was a kid, I remember thinking those play areas were extremely dirty!!! I always smelled crap whenever a friend had a birthday party at such a fast food area.

[@godlugner5327]

I for one, think coming eye to eye with a dead iguana as a child gave me character.

[@cheegum6296]

Times change and our definition of safety and what we can get away with changes. Playgrounds a century ago were large death traps but people were generally okay with it. Driving your horse carriage drunk was ok because horses tend to know where they're going. Driving your horseless carriages drunk was a problem though because horseless carriages hadn't (haven't?) become that smart yet. Driving around with cellphones was okay-ish until smartphones came into the picture. So we realized this and made texting and driving a huge taboo. Playplaces are a great thing for children and their imaginations. Perhaps McDonald's can introduce a reward (free burger!) for spending an hour device free. And also maybe clean up those moshpits every now and then.

[@BatCaveOz]

Wait, is Cheddar now using Reddit as a quotable new source? (circa 2:46)

[@austinhernandez2716]

In Albany, Georgia the burger King has a huge 4 floor play place or whatever you call it and my family loved it. It was a maze in there and you could literally get lost. There was a big chamber in the center and older teenagers would take the floor and barricade the entrances and the kids would all try to over power them. Sometimes it got a little ugly with some bullies. Getting a scratch or bruise wasn't uncommon. There were also some arcade games and Legos. Good times

[@Old_school02]

Being born in the very early 2000s I still vividly remember there being played places in my hometown the last one to be phased out was in 2015 a Burger King until it was replaced with that typical corporate styling we all hate

[@videosammy]

News flash: bacteria is EVERYWHERE Its even inside of us helping fight of viruses and fevers. I played in those " bacteria" infested places. All my friends growing up did too. Made a visit to a fast food a lot of fun back then. Now everything is just grey and sterilized because some people think they can somehow protect their kid from microscopic bacterias that ironically make their inmune systems more resilient. Sigh. Guess thats something thats just dead and gone. Like a lot of other things i took for granted as a kid

[@joylox]

I'm glad my parents made me wash my hands after playing in those... I also remember a few of them had N64 consoles, which were the only electronics I'd seen in a restaurant meant to be played with. I also remember the closest one to me being closed for cleaning sometimes when I'd go in, and we'd have to wait for someone to put the balls back in the ball pit before playing. More of the issues I remember is kids not waiting for someone else to get out of the slide and ending up kicking another kid.

[@benschwartz6565]

The one near me had a Gamecube. I had a blast playing Super Monkey Ball

[@uss_04]

These videos about us millennials getting older as we become our parents and nostalgia slams harder just grabs my clicks

[@Brando56894]

They removed the outdoor playground at McDonald's in my hometown back around 2010. It's now an outdoor eating area IIRC

[@rspen2142]

I played on these structures and I am now almost 40 years old. I'm still alive and so are a lot of my peers. I would say, if parents watched their children closer, severe injuries can be prevented. Cuts, scrapes, bumps and bruises are all apart of growing up. Kids are too soft nowadays because the government is always regulated the CHILD from childhood!

[@skylineXpert]

Certain mcdos had one size of playground. I was a wee danish lad when i arrived at mcdo in florida and boy it was bigger than mcdo at home... At that time i had a tower outside and inside. Last time i went to a play area like this was when I hit 14 and fell for the age limit at Roenbjergs mombasa playland

[@shainahullihen1159]

@skylineXpert, I would give anything to go to the Orlando McDonalds and play in the arcade since I'm too old for the playground. I might be going to Disney World next year, so, I'll ask my mom if we can go to that McDonalds too.

[@chanmarr8118]

Kids are dirty creatures. I’ve seen them roll all over the floor then put their hands in they mouth. Teaching them early on to have good clean habits can help reduce all the germs/getting sick from playgrounds.

[@TehConqueror]

Imagine being an overworked/underpaid mcdonalds worker and seeing "bring back playplace" while you stare at the "now hiring" sign. oh and you want it to be clean!? the thing that snotty little children roam around out in? The lack of public spaces available for children (and people in general) IS a true problem. i don't think relying on the private sector to solve it is ideal. I think maybe, at least in America, it'd be good to study the ratio of parks to parking lots and see if that can be changed. as tired as I am of seeing children staring at screens, i'm more tired of this expectation of spending to be....anywhere. The word "mall" didn't always mean an economic center. it used to just mean a place where cars weren't allowed so people could exist outdoors.

[@moabdi9084]

Some people need to potty train their children never would have guessed feces are very common in those play areas

[@qbsko]

I can add in Poland remaining ones were closed due to COVID-19...

[@AdeleiTeillana]

Up until COVID, all the Chick-fil-a playground were bustling with kids. It would be very rare for me to walk in one of their restaurants and not see any kids in there. And a lot of times there would be groups of moms and kids there on a scheduled/weekly playdate.

[@claudiamiller7730]

Yeah..well my son accused me of causing my 2 year old grand-daughter’s cold by taking her to the MALL. In a stroller. Contacting no one. Prior to Covid…..yet the toddler play group they belong to is “safe”…..go figure.

[@zues121510]

I was literally just thinking about how there are no more playgrounds at fast food places yesterday

[@stephanc6138]

"that's why we can't have nice things".... srly, that mom should prob check everywhere else she brings her kids to. include kids places. - basic playgrd ... whose ONLY resp is that equipment has no hazard areas like sharp edge, poles sticking out and would be cleaned once a day (or twice depending) the rest is up to parents/ care givers to supervise (unsupervised to their own risk esp if their kids are prone to being trouble).

[@draxman76]

Stoked that somebody finally addressed this topic!

[@ethansloan]

Can't all of this apply to playgrounds in parks as well? Why do McDonald's playplaces have a reputation for germs and injury while your basic public park is seen as fine? Kids climb on things, get dirty, and get occasional bruises and scrapes. 99.99% of the time, everything is fine.

[@jefferypardue7509]

I agree that McDonald's gets singled out in this video mostly no mention of how public parks might be dirtier than McDonald's. Remember birds fly over the park and poop on play equipment and drunk people walk into parks and don't forget people doing drugs in the park while stumbles over and drop their needle in the wood chips.

[@DavidWRyan]

I cannot express the excitement I felt when our local McDonalds got the original playground when I was 6!

[@mrbfros454]

My 6 year old is currently playing on a Burger King indoor playground. There’s no ball pit, corners, exposed bars, or possible falls over 24”. It’s extremely safe other then germs, but come on. It can’t be any worse then other playgrounds. They did a really nice job designing it so it’s still pretty cool even though it’s so safe.

[@Laserashton]

I was the last generation of kids to experience these Play Areas. I always enjoyed the local one at McDonald's 15 mins away. I remember 2019, weeks before turning 11, going to a classic McDonald's PlayPlace one last time, and then checking out the newer remodeled versions rolled out 2018-present. I do like how the new versions fix the issue of people getting stuck in the tubes and the space more convenient for workers to clean. You could probably spend only 2 mins in there if you're like me and prefer the more unique PlayPlaces. Glad I only had to deal with that for 12 months lol 😂

[@jspihlman]

Anyone else remember McDonald's used to sell white tube socks if you weren't wearing socks but wanted to play in the playplace? I'm not sure if all locations that had them did this, but I remember my grandma would keep them in her van so that when us grandchildren went we would always have socks.

[@moony2703]

It’s not just fast food playgrounds that are disappearing. There was a metal rocket, basically a massive tower of metal with a ladder up the middle and multiple levels with a slide that I used to play on all the time as a kid, it was closed because wait for it… metal gets hot. They were worried someone was going to burn themselves or something. I can’t remember if I ever had that issue but if it got so hot it was going to hurt your hands I probably wouldn’t be planning on climbing up multiple ladder levels of a metal contraption anyway. Also my Mum said she didn’t take us when it was hot on the slide anyway. So basically metal playground = use common sense on when it’s safe to play. Also have fond memories of a massive flying fox someone I knew owned, and now they are apparently illegal where I live. There is one that I know of still because it’s an ‘adults playground’ or something and not for young kids but anyway. On one hand I get safety on the other hand you kinda wonder just how far can they go without destroying all the fun. Plus the whole ‘really young kid playground’ and nothing for teenagers. Came across a few teenagers playing out the back of the shops in a carpark and was going ‘okay that’s dangerous and probably illegal’ then reflected on that (thank you to Not Just Bike’s channel) and went ‘the only bike and skateboarding park I know of it way out the other side of town so unless these kids have someone to drive them this is actually probably on of the ‘safest’ places with lots of smooth surfaces they could be doing this because they’d picked what was probably one of the most furtherest away from cars while still being on a smooth surface, spots they could have picked’. Basically telling people ‘don’t do that there, it’s not safe’ if there isn’t somewhere else they can go or there is somewhere but it requires an adult to drive them, isn’t very helpful.

[@phredflypogger4425]

You would think that there was absolutely no risk with children playing at home or in a park, even travelling in the family car. Risk is everywhere but it can be managed.

[@tudorjason]

2:15 - Perhaps no one bothered the staff. Back then, kids got hurt from playing in all sorts of places all the time! At the public park, at school, on sidewalks while riding bikes, etc. So perhaps back then parents didn't say anything. Most probably thought it was their responsibility to make sure their kids were safe during playtime and then get medical attention when needed.

[@JakeTheBikerDude]

I remember back in some of the Mcdonalds playgrounds the only thing I experienced was bad smell at times, I didn't see anything else of what they mentioned in the video of the play places nor did I know what was causing the bad smell in the first place as a mid 2000s to early 2010s as a kid before moving elsewhere growing up without going to those playgrounds again, after watching this video it makes me feel glad I didn't go into any of them again along with the Mcdonalds I had in the area I moved into

[@bananacandy333]

The bad smell is probably sweaty feet and French fries.. lol. There’s never been a fast food playground I’ve been to that didn’t have that smell.

[@LoboMan7409]

I need a bumper sticker saying, “I survived playing in McDonald’s play place.” Y’all are making kids soft.

[@Iamyodaddy_]

I’m actually glad they got rid of them. When I was young I got lost inside of them and struggled to get out. It was dangerous, unsanitary and it was a hazard. It’s unbelievable that they even let it last as long as it did. They also had many lawsuits. The older generation will make excuses because of the nostalgia, of course through life you’ll have memories of something, it was just common for it’s time. It’s not that parents or people are sensitive. It was just a horrible idea in the first place

[@moth.monster]

i remember the local McDonald's having a space shuttle themed play place... it was glorious!

[@teren60]

now i that i think of it along time ago when I was a kid I used to play in one those on a Mcdonalds and after the day was done I got sick with fever..

[@coolbeans5911]

chilling in a sunlit colourful tube on my own feeling like im on a funky rainbow spaceship deserted on an alien planet was just _chefs kiss_ some of my fave childhood memories. Thinking back now the hygiene of those playgrounds were probs non existent but who cares, i was lone space cadet in a technicolour space shuttle for a few hours and i will cherish that feeling forever

[@draxgoodall3685]

400 injuries in 30ish years. That is pretty damn low. Honestly, im sad kids don't get to experience these playgrounds.

[@Adam-kk7nw]

Blame all of the kareen

[@wreckingopossum]

I use to play on these as a kid, and I am willing to bet my immune system is stronger for it. Plus, kids need playgrounds where they can get hurt. It helps them learn about safety and risk-management. Germany understands this, it is sad the US does not.

[@automan25]

We understand it alright; in fact that seems to be the consensus in the comments. The problem is that in the U.S. all it takes is one paranoid 'activist' to put together shoddy evidence and file a lawsuit and it's all over. Corporations are not going to fall on their sword for a playground.

[@mats7492]

But the McDonald’s playgrounds are gone in Germany as well

[@TehCapcutSpartaRemixer]

I remember playing a screen game about a space rocket thing (i dont remember exactly what game it was) in a random pizza hut. I loved that game so much but today it has been scrapped and its just a wall now

[@Mark_How]

The high cost of medical care has made parents these days terrified of kids getting hurt, to the detriment of the kids themselves

[@Toto-95]

to be honest though, how do you want to "clean" those playgrounds ? How do you wash this stuff ? How do you clean the ballpit ?

[@Cody-Bear]

I didn't even know Carl's Jr had play grounds 😳

[@shainahullihen1159]

Cody-Bear, I didn't know Hardee's had playgrounds either until I was watching a Tannerites video. Johnny said when he was a child, Hardee's had playgrounds.

[@TheAdrianwaka]

This has inspired me to build a fast food place with a playground. I’m sure the cars of the customers who come to the maccies are filthier than the playground

[@The_Nerd_King]

Our BK in town still has its play area. While Macdonalds still remains a cold, dry, boring place for kids. They even got rid of the video games that they had there.

[@middleagebrotips3454]

that makes no sense since in my area all these indoor kids playground and springing up all over the place. My local McD's still has a play area but no ball pits to hide objects.

[@imjustsomeguy]

Let me guess, germs and poop. Also nowadays, kids are glued to phones and iPads/tablets. Although I remember having fun in these, I'm surprised that my parents allowed me to go in these. My grow up self would find these very disgusting and dirty

[@rachelwaln269]

My OCD ass would be in for a full-on nightmare 😂.

[@mats7492]

I remember injuring myself on on of the bolts of the slide that’s was sticking out… But that’s was in the early 90s so I got a free McDonald’s ice cream and that was it… No lawsuit, no lawyers… nothing..

[@ChristianBehnke]

I miss the days of the ol' tooth-chipper playground equipment. 😢

[@perpetualtech5906]

I would love these playgrounds to be more common. A little activity goes a long way. Kids today spend too much time on their devices (my child included). The germs and random objects in the play area aren't all the fault of the restaurant. As stated in other comments on this video, I believe the parents should better police their kids. Keep your hands off your face while playing in there and wash your hands afterward. Not a hard thing to do and it would help a ton. Maybe the restaurant could have an employee check the area out before each shift for foreign objects... That might help some. Seems like parents don't want to do anything to police their kids or are just looking for a payday.

[@D2theJ26]

My question would be how those bacterial levels at the fast food playgrounds compare to public park playgrounds.

[@prestoncheapbtheadphoneste3010]

🫤😐 made different. Sun, rain, snow! Cold hot. Difference between the two. The outside ones. 🙄

[@prestoncheapbtheadphoneste3010]

Some don’t live long. Hmm.

[@ItsDanny91]

I saw one at a chick fil la a couple years ago. Im a 90s kid they need to bring them back. Make sure they are clean and safe. Kids need to play

[@CLIVIXX]

There was one in union town PA I use to go to with my grandmother and cousins and it was the best memories growing up. We’d go shopping and end our trip with some fun at McDonald’s

[@CLIVIXX]

Nor did I ever get sick from playing there I always ate before I plaid and washed my hands when I got home

[@nromk]

Who's going to want to clean those playgrounds and how often should they be cleaned and how should they be cleaned... Like you could steam a ball pit but you have to let some time pass and who is going to siff through the ball pit, like work already sucks as it is.

[@massimookissed1023]

They should replace them with unsupervised shop class.

[@jessy350gt]

So glad I was a 90s kid and got to play in the mcds playground it was a lot of fun. Parents nowadays are just a bunch of whimps that don't like to see their kids get their hands dirty.

[@A.Martin]

Kids play consoles now, not outside.