Toys 'R' all over us

Those fast-food prizes can pile up fast

On a recent afternoon, children zoomed through the play space at a North Raleigh McDonald's. One toddler sat watching "Madagascar." Other children explored a maze of tunnels. Their laughter rang through the area as parents looked on.

Adam Barabasz sat at a table while his son played. Near his arm rested a small bundle wrapped in plastic -- one of the "Cars" from the Disney/Pixar movie of the same name. It will become the latest addition to his 5-year-old son's Happy Meal toy collection.

"He'll play with it at least for the day," Barabasz said.

For decades, kids have been snacking on fast food and snagging playthings. In 1979, McDonald's debuted the Circus Wagon Happy Meal with free puzzles and games. Today, kids can pile up cuddly, action-charged and high-tech goodies. At Chick-fil-A, the Kid's Meal can bring a new book or CD-ROM. Places like Wendy's and Burger King often feature toys associated with beloved characters and movies.

But some say a kid's bounty can quickly turn into a parent's headache. Just visiting a fast-food restaurant once a week can bring a stream of new gizmos. With so much "free" stuff available, how do you manage all of the loot?

Barabasz says his son keeps some -- he has a "Kim Possible" toy and likes the "Cars." He keeps the series collectibles in his toy box. Barabasz appreciates the quality.

"You get a nice toy for just the cost of a Happy Meal," he said.

But sometimes they're a pain, he said. The ones that have lots of little pieces are easy to lose and cause clutter.

"A lot of times they end up getting tossed," he said.

Any parent who does fast food can tell you: The stuff adds up.

Daphne Stam of Morrisville estimates that she has a couple dozen Happy Meal toys around her house. She has also thrown that many away. She and her two daughters, 4 and 2, hit fast food places a few times a week.

"After a while, you accumulate so many, it's hard to know what to do with them," she said. "You feel like you're filling up a landfill."

Still, she allows her daughters to hold on to some. Ones that make the cut include dolls like Strawberry Shortcake or Madame Alexander.

"Some day, they may appreciate them," she said.

Stam is also a fan of McDonald's Fisher-Price toys for toddlers. They've collected a fire engine, street sweeper, ambulance.

"We almost have a little town of them," she said.

She uses the toys her girls like as incentives. But some -- bug-shaped toys, computer games, figurines for movies she'd never take her girls to -- never get a chance to become favorites, she said.

"They either go in the trash or I put baskets of them out at yard sales. I give them away or charge five cents each."

The problem with that strategy: "They never go," she said.

Lately, Stam has been finding ways to dodge the toy crush. Sometimes, she orders just chicken nuggets for the girls instead of the whole meal for kids.

She also likes the option Chick-fil-A offers. Not interested in the free item?

"You can trade it in for ice cream," she said.

Pass them along

Julia Masserelli, who lives in Raleigh and has four children, said they go to fast-food places just a few times a year. When they do, her kids play with the toys in the restaurant, but lose interest when they leave. She has a creative way to deal with the overflow and give back: "We donate them to the teacher's fun drawer at school."

At Guardian Angel Thrift Store in Fuquay-Varina, the operators get lots of fast-food toy donations. Just as often, folks come to snap them up.

"We usually put them into gallon Ziploc bags we sell for $1," said assistant manager Wendy Haynes.

Kids and adults come to the store clamoring for the treats. Haynes said they go through a shopping cart full of the toy-bags-for-a-buck each week. Some people buy them for fun. Others have a greater reason.

One woman bought one of the toy bags for her son for his birthday. Another woman bought them for a mission trip to South America.

"Here, we take things for granted," Haynes said.

But for some people, those little toys go a long way, she said.