Parents, Brace Yourselves—Squishmallows Are Heading to McDonald's Happy Meals

As if kids didn't need a reason to ask for fast food.

Fact checked by Sarah Scott

If you thought you were going to be able to get your kids to eat Christmas leftovers the next day—prepare to be disappointed. Parents and children alike should brace themselves because on December 26, Squishmallows are coming to a McDonald's Happy Meal box near you!

In what has been described as Gen Alpha’s version of the Beanie Baby, Squishmallows are the super popular round plush toys. They each come in different characters and like Beanie Babies, all have their very own story. The coveted cuties have come out in different animals, fruits, and even popular characters. There are over 2,500 Squishmallow characters out and they come in sizes ranging from two to 24 inches.

“We’re all about connecting our fans to culture and Squishmallows are some of the hottest toys out there right now,” says Tariq Hassan, McDonald’s USA Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer in a press release. “This collaboration welcomes McDonald’s and Squishmallow fans alike to enjoy this one-of-a-kind experience with the first McDonald’s Squishmallows Squad.”

McDonald's has long connected with fans through pop culture. As far back as I can remember the company has boasted toys that went right along with the most popular trending movies and TV shows.

According to Time, the first Happy Meals were released in 1979 and even back then, they included a toy. In 1987, the first Disney-themed toy debuted in Happy Meals. The aforementioned Beanie Babies were also included in the kids' meals in 1997. They sold more than 100 million!

Just this year they had memorable collaborations with The Little Mermaid, Disney for their 100th anniversary, and Harper Collins bringing some cute Happy Meal-sized kid's books. Late last year they also dropped the limited edition Cactus Plant Flea Market meal which was an adult-sized Happy Meal that played on 90s nostalgia and even came with collectible toys. McDonald's knows how to keep their target customers coming back and I can’t say that I’m mad at them.

Brace yourselves, parents, because this Squishmallow promotion could be equally as popular as those Beanie Babies with your kids' clamoring to find every Squishmallow in the collection,

The Squishmallow Happy Meal toys had already been released in other global markets earlier this year and now the day after Christmas, they’ll be available in the United States. Popular Squishmallow characters like Cam and Fifi will find their way into Happy Meals, as well as everyone’s favorite McDonaldland character—Grimace! (Do our kids even know who Grimace is?)

Some fans will also be lucky enough to open their box to find a surprise mystery character. Alongside the 12 unique characters, some of the Squishmallows will come with their very own playlist. This will help you get a sense of their “personality” and further tell their story. The playlist will be available to scan via QR code courtesy of Universal Music Group and adds to the uniqueness of the characters.

"The Squishmallows Happy Meal has taken the world by storm,” says Gerhard Runken, Senior Vice President of Brand and Marketing at Jazwares, the company responsible for Squishmallows. “We are excited to bring the program to our millions of fans in the U.S. with fun new ways to collect and connect with the Squishmallows brand.”

As a millennial McDonald's baby who absolutely loved collecting Happy Meal toys, I am excited to see that the company still finds ways to connect with its biggest fan base. Even if that means a few more trips to the drive-thru window for me!

For more Parents news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Parents.