Crayola Launches Global McDonald’s Happy Meal Experience That’s Out-of-This-World
Crayola and McDonald’s are teaming up on a sweeping, space-themed Happy Meal collaboration that blends hands-on play with a digital layer designed to make kids’ artwork leap off the page. Launching across more than 60 countries, the limited-time “Planet McDonald’s” Happy Meal turns family mealtime into a creative mission, inviting children to color, build, and then scan their creations to see them animate in a vibrant, exploratory space environment.
What’s in the box
The co-branded Happy Meal lineup includes activity kits and toys built around space exploration, each crafted to spark imaginative, tactile play. In a first for Crayola, the company is supplying colored pencils directly for the program, signaling a deeper integration of its creative toolset into the McDonald’s experience. Even the Happy Meal boxes double as a canvas, featuring artwork inspired by kids’ own illustrations—keeping the focus on authentic, child-led creativity.
- Exclusive, space-themed activity kits and toys encouraging open-ended, hands-on play
- Crayola colored pencils included for on-the-spot creativity
- Happy Meal packaging showcasing children’s imaginative designs
- Crayola’s creative IP woven throughout the campaign touchpoints
A digital launchpad for imagination
The campaign extends beyond the table with an interactive digital experience: kids can scan their creations and watch them come to life in a colorful, space-inspired world. The experience invites exploration, learning, and further creation—bridging the gap between physical art and dynamic, screen-based storytelling. While the partners haven’t detailed the exact tech stack, the flow suggests a simple on-ramp for families: create, scan, and see your universe animate—no complex setup required.
Global rollout and timing
The Planet McDonald’s Happy Meal is rolling out now at participating McDonald’s restaurants across EMEA, the UK, Asia, and Canada. Availability varies by market, and the promotion runs through March 2026 while supplies last. As with most global McDonald’s programs, specific toy assortments and digital content may differ by region.
Why this partnership matters
Two trends converge here. First, families are seeking screen time with purpose—experiences that encourage creativity rather than passive consumption. Second, brands are increasingly stitching together physical and digital play to create longer, more meaningful engagement. By placing Crayola tools in kids’ hands and tying them to a scan-and-animate experience, the collaboration nudges children to author their own stories and see their analog art transformed into living, interactive worlds.
It’s also a notable move from Crayola, which deepens its presence in everyday family moments beyond classrooms and craft tables, and from McDonald’s, which continues to evolve the Happy Meal into a multi-platform experience. The integration of Crayola’s creative IP across marketing channels, combined with user-generated artwork front and center, underscores a shift toward campaigns that prioritize kids’ voices and imagination over prescriptive play.
What the companies are saying
Crayola frames the collaboration as an expansion of its mission to inspire kids to explore, discover, and express themselves creatively. The company says the partnership turns a beloved family ritual—the Happy Meal—into an imaginative journey, giving children a bigger canvas to fill with color and ideas.
McDonald’s positions the effort as a way to create personalized, interactive moments that resonate with families globally. By putting kids “in control of their own narrative” within a space-themed adventure, the brand aims to connect culture and creativity in a format that feels both playful and participatory.
The bottom line
Planet McDonald’s fuses Crayola’s creative DNA with McDonald’s family footprint to deliver a hybrid play experience at massive scale. For parents, it offers a tangible, hands-on activity that seamlessly extends into a digital universe; for kids, it’s an invitation to build, color, and then watch their ideas launch into orbit.
