Last Christmas our youngest daughter received the Spin Master McDonald's McFlurry Maker. Initially she was thrilled. This excitement lasted for the duration of the first few uses. Her interest in this food toy dwindled and last month she decided to donate this toy set. If your child likes McFlurry type of desserts, and he/she enjoys food sort of toys, this set might be a worthwhile purchase. All things considered I feel it is an average set that although initially enjoyed, the novelty quickly fades.

DETAILS
This food toy is recommended for 5 years and up. As with most toys like this, parent/guardian assistance is needed. My youngest, 8 at the time of gift receipt, needed help setting this up and understanding use. After the first use she understood how the toy worked but still needed help putting it together and disassembling it for clean-up.

The toy set includes:
Canister and Parts (Mixing Fin, Lid, Etc)
Stirrer
Plunger
Cup w/Cover - McFlurry Theme
Spoon
Two Ice Cream Mixes
Two Treat Packages

You will need to separately purchase:
Half -n- Half | Cream (1 Cup Per Package Mix)
Salt

After the unit is assembled, your child will put half-n-half and one McFlurry mix packet into the metal canister. Next a 'mixing fin' is put into the canister and the 'lid' is placed onto the unit. Next your child will place a combination of ice, salt, and warm water around the metal canister. At this point the lid and handle are put into place.

This toy unit is battery-free which means your child -or you- will be turning the handle. This process is supposed to take 5 minutes. The time varied from 4 minutes to 6 minutes. For some children this might be a cumbersome task. The first couple of times that she made a McFlurry, my daughter thought the process was fun. Mind you, she had never used any sort of ice cream maker. Her Father grumbled (not in front of her) with regard to the money spent on products like this versus the value of the product.

When the ice cream touches the lid, the cranking process is done. At this point your child will use the plunger to push the mix into the cup. Your child can add the treat packets to the top of the "McFlurry" or mix them in. The included packets were chocolate candies and rainbow sprinkles.

If your child expects to have a full cup, or a finished product that resembles the picture, they will be disappointed. However if your child is already conditioned to advertising schemes he/she will know that the finished product will differ from the supposed suggestive portrait. In reality the finished mix fills the cup approximately half-full. Does your child have a Hasbro Easy Bake Oven & Snack Center? Then they will be used to the small portions!

The finished product tasted fine, kind-of like a vanilla McFlurry. My daughter, a very selective eater, liked it. But she usually is fine with the taste of food products made in toys such as this. After-all it is a tiny serving matched with the sense of accomplishment. And then there is clean-up... the entire unit must be disassembled and then hand-washed, as the parts are not dishwasher safe.

This unit only includes two (single-serving) McFlurry mixes, but thankfully she received eight refills. As mentioned, although she initially enjoyed using this toy set, her interest dwindled and we have now donated this set. This set is likely to be appreciated by children that like food toy sets and/or McDonalds McFlurry's. An acceptable alternative to this toy set, in my view, is purchase of a traditional ice cream maker. Children enjoy at-home ice cream making!






Happy Playing!
(c)2004 Lisa_J




Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): GIFT
Type of Toy: Other
Age Range of Child: 6 to 8 Years