The McDonalds I am about to review here requires me to give you a little bit of a background history!
You may remember that, in 2002, McDonalds was sued on behalf of a group of adolescents in New York, who claimed that they had become obese... and aquired related health problems... due to eatng McDonalds. The idea was that the kids were persuaded to eat so much fast food because McDonalds' marketing tactics convinced them that the food was nutritious.
The suit was dismissed, with a judge ruling that McDonalds was not responsible for what individuals chose to eat and how often they chose to eat it. But the case must have scared the McDonalds people, because in 2006 they unveiled plans for a new type of play place, called an "R Gym." The new play place would contain aerobics and sports equipment that would encourage kids to become extra active after they finished their Happy Meals.
Originally, seven R Gyms were created, including one in Woodridge, IL. If the R Gym idea took off, the gyms would replace play places in more McDonalds restaurants. However, apparently the idea didn't take off, because the traditional play places stayed in most restaurants, and no more R Gyms cropped up. But the McDonalds at 75th and Janes, in Woodridge, still has its R-Gym.
When I heard about this, I was intrigued, so the kids and I ventured to Woodridge to check it out.
The play place had a climbing structure, like most play places... but this one seemed to be on steroids!
As you can see, there seems to be some different equipment an exercise opportunities inside the play structure,,, instead of just platform after platform for kids to climb over to get to a slide!
Outside the play structure, the kids enjoyed playing air hockey. (Although, does that really count as exercise?)
Can you see the mini running track in the background, where kids can have races?
They liked shooting baskets at the mini basketball court.
And there was some action-oriented video games, one with a bicycle and one with a skateboard. The exercycle seemed to be missing its handlebars, though, and the skateboard one wouldn't turn on!
The kids thought it was the coolest play place they'd ever been to. So, if you're out towards Woodridge, this might be one worth stopping for!
3 comments:
I live right around the corner from the McDonalds and have been there a few times but never with the kids. I have never even paid attention to the play place there. We will have to check it out one of these rainy days.
I remember when they switched over. I looked through the window as a kid and saw they were tearing apart the play place. I was scared they would turn it into extra seating and remove the tubes. A few months later I went back and I saw the R Gym.
Hi i know how weird and unusual this is, but do you remember any names on the skateboard and/or pictures of the skateboard itself?
My friends are on a quest to find as much as we can about it because we remeber it when we were young, and after 4 days this is the only trace of it we could find.
Email me if you have anything
Thanks,
David Floyd
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