Familiar Places McDonald's by Playskool

While I was writing my last post about Shogun Warriors, I remembered that I had pictures of me and my brother from the 70's holding our new warriors. I searched my old childhood photos and could not find them. Instead I found this picture from Christmas 1974 of me opening up my new Playskool Familiar Places McDonalds play set.

It is a pretty special picture to me because my wonderful late Great-Grandma and Great Aunt are behind me. I loved that McDonald's Playset. Do you remember it? Playskool had three or four sets that they called "Familiar Places". I wanted the Holiday Inn Familiar Places set but never got it. I have heard that there was a Texaco Station Familiar Places set but I've never seen it. Playskool made other sets for their square "Play Friends" (that came to be known as "Blockheads"), but they weren't called "Familiar Places". I had a great National Park set that had a bunch of animals. I also had a Fire Rescue Tower and I think I remember them making a horse or pony stable set. Of course Playskool was competing heavily with the popular Fisher-Price little people of which there were many sets. I have a lot of them to show you in future posts!

This post however, is supposed to be about the Playskool McDonald's, so here goes.

This was a great set with a large plastic building that looked just like the McDonald's buildings did at the time. It had a plastic mat with the parking lot and was marked where you were to place the building, sidewalk & sign piece and the playground. Many McDonald's Restaurants of the '70s had normal playgrounds like parks did, so of course this set had a working merry-go-round!

My favorite parts were inside the building. The dining room had a couple of tables and the kitchen area was great! It had the drink machine and burgers on one side, the fries and shake machine on the other, a cash register that went "ding" when you pressed it and a working tray return in the back.

On one side of the outside of the building was the restrooms and on the other side was the tray return that led inside to the kitchen.

If you remember, the Playskool Play Friends suffered from the same ailment that the Fisher-Price little people did; NO HANDS! The best thing about the Playskool people being square was that they could still "hold" things! In the McDonald's set, they could hold the trays under their chins. In the National Park and camping sets, they could hold a backpack on. Look at the picture at the top of this post to see a man from the park set with the backpack.

All sets also came with cars that 4 people could ride in. When these pictures were taken, the cars were still at my Mom's in the toy box that the grandkids play with. There are still many of our old vintage toys in that toy box. Some are probably valuable, but that's okay. Toys should be played with. Besides, its because of my mom saving them that I am able to take pictures of all of these great Toys 2 Remember!

 

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If you have read anything in this post that interests you or helped you bring back memories, I would love to hear from you. Please comment or send me an email.

I have many other toys that I can write about and show pictures of. Please comment or email if you have a favorite toy form the 60's, 70's, or 80's that you would like me to post about. If your favorite toy is before the 60's or after the 80's, I will still give it a shot. I have many of my Dad's old toys, and I know about the more recent ones too.

This blog is for you. It's for everyone. Together, lets talk about the Toys 2 Remember! Thanks!!

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Comments

[Melinda Cotton]

Yes, I remember this playset. My sister and I had one and we just loved it! My mom got rid of all our old toys, so it's nice to be able to see pictures of it. Thanks!

[Bryan Burns]

oh MAN! what a wonderul memory flashback. I had this set, but completely forgot about it til now. As soon as I saw the trays that fit under the peoples chins I had heart palpatations. Thank you so much for these awesome pics!!

[zombie8]

Thank you so much for posting this!!! I had this and fondly rememberd loving playing with it! Countless searches over the past few years have only yeilded the other one for the Fisher Price little people.But THIS is the one I had! Awesome pics!

[Tabitha Zaehringer]

I was just thinking about my old McDonald's little people set I got for Christmas one year. I loved that toy so much. I couldn't remember the whole thing until I looked at your pictures. Thank you so much for taking those pictures. I have so many good memories of playing with that toy. I got a lump and my throat when I saw it. It was a very special present to me. I wish I would have kept it for my 8 year old daughter. Thanks again for the memories

[Wade]

WOW! My kids just found mine in the closet. They love it... and now i remember why I kept it... I love it to :) Thank you for posting this!!!

[Michelle]

THANK YOU! Thank you so much for posting all these detailed photos and for the wonderful description. As I was reading it I could hear the cash register 'Ding'...what Awesome memories! I was talking about old toys with someone last week and talked about this McDonal's playset - I could see it in my head - and today I remembered to 'google' it and found your site. Thanks for sharing your memories with those that have similar ones with this toy.

[Joe]

Our children had this set and now our grandchildren enjoy it when they come over. It's fun to watch them use their imagination - creating a "town' from McDonalds, Sesame Street, a Fisher Price dollhouse, and a Weebles' Haunted House. Great, durable toys made to be played with.

[Angela D.H.]

I just came back from cleaning out my Dad's house and brought w/me my McDonald's Playset along with the...Holiday Inn you mentioned. Along with those - and also still in its original box (boy, I was an anal child) - the A-frame house. I couldn't believe it. These were all mine in the 1970's! Now if only I could get the lead-count I could decide if they were safe enough for my kids or if I have to sell them to a vintage toy dealer somewhere. Any thoughts out there? (I also have the orig. yellow-roofed house (no box) with wooden people and the old farm the separate silo (wooden people) not in orig. box. I just LOVED Fisher Price Little People when I was a kid!

[sandra kelley]

i have been looking on the internet for these familiar places toys. i have all three. i have kept them for my son. he now has three children and i am waiting until they are old enough to appreciate looking at them. was just curious as to how much they would be worth. not wanting to sell them at this time but that would be up to my son in the future. i kept most of his large tonka trucks,grader and other things. he is 38 now so you know how long i have had them. thanks for sharing your pictures.

[Stacy Hornstein]

I would like info on how I can order the 1970s Mcdonald's play set.. I used to have it until I gave it to my cousin and I wish I had not.. I miss it very much.. my children would love it..

[candi]

My grandparents bought the MccDonalds set for me to play with at their house when I was a kid. It has since been played with by all the grandkids and now the great-grandkids. Still has the box and all of the pieces. My 3-year old daughter played with it just yesterday and I decided to do a little research on it. You have GREAT pictures here. Gotta love the people who hold the trays with their chins and the register that makes sounds without needing batteries replaced. Theirs still makes ringing sounds after 38 years!

[Jmaruyama]

I had this set as a kid and loved it. But to be honest, we primarily used it for our Fisher Price Little People. Sometimes, the armless and perpetually smiling mom needed a break from cooking and they would visit Block Head McDonalds. We used the square heads as workers. Even the cars we used for Little People. The tray return was almost always jammed. I don't think the plastic mat lasted 5 seconds.

[Mary Ann Houston]

This play set takes me back in time when I was 8 and I just got it. I am so glad that you put this up. Thank-You!!!!!

[Seehorse72]

I had this playset. I LOVED it! I loved the bell on the cash register. So many hours of fun. Thanks for the photos!