When you were young, there was nothing like going to McDonald’s and getting a Happy Meal. That iconic red box with deliciously salty fries, a cheeseburger or chicken nuggets, and the toy of the month from the coolest new movie or tv show. Now you’re an adult and there’s nothing like seeing your child’s face light up when you hand them that Happy Meal box with the same great food, but also healthier side options like apple slices and yogurt and better drinks like milk, apple juice or water.
Team Super Mamas had the opportunity to share this feeling with our little ones this week when McDonald’s invited us to an exclusive lunch at Ronald McDonald House in Los Angeles, California. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, McDonald’s is partnering with Peanuts and NASA to on a limited run of Happy Meals featuring Snoopy and Woodstock books that celebrate astronauts and space exploration.
Families staying at the Ronald McDonald House were invited to attend the lunch. Paul Propster, story architect for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, gave a live reading of one of the new Snoopy and Woodstock books that are available in Happy Meals now through September 3rd, 2019. The children were invited to ask questions throughout the reading about the constellations featured in the book like the Little Dipper, Hydra and Orion.
Paul also gave a presentation about JPL headquarters in Pasadena, California and about all things space exploration. We learned that JPL is bigger than Disneyland and also talked about the Juno spacecraft that traveled to Jupiter. The space craft was launched to take images of the planet and to gather data about how the planet formed. Did you know it launched in 2011 and took 5 years to reach Jupiter?? Paul also taught us about Marsquakes, which are very similar to earthquakes but look a little different that what we’re used to in California. You can watch a video about marsquakes here.
At the end of the session, all the guests were invited to enjoy their Happy Meals and talk to Paul one-on-one, where he shared cool NASA stickers and mini solar system poster with even more space facts. Many of the children asked for autographs too! It was a sweet ending to a fun lunch.
You can visit McDonalds now through September 3rd to collect your Snoop & Woodstock books, and from September 4 - 16, 2019, Happy Meals will feature Astronaut Snoopy STEM action toys designed to help inspire kids to play with science through fun.
To learn more about Ronald McDonald House Charities, please visit https://www.rmhc.org.
