Playground prototype launches at Tulsa McDonald's

A McDonald's restaurant in Tulsa offers something no other McDonalds in the country has. It's a new play area designed to help kids with fitness. <br/><br/>News on 6 anchor Craig Day found out

Monday, March 27th 2006, 3:20 pm

By: News On 6

A McDonald's restaurant in Tulsa offers something no other McDonalds in the country has. It's a new play area designed to help kids with fitness.

News on 6 anchor Craig Day found out when you're in kindergarten, McDonald's is the place to be; but the McDonald's at 21st and Garnett is really the place to be.

The playplace is one of a kind. This McDonald's is home to the first R Gym Playplace in the nation. Kids call it "super good."

The R Gym Playplace is a redesign of the usual play areas at McDonald's restaurants, but now there are things like an electronic dance pad, basketball goals, and electronic bikes you can pedal.

It's all designed to get kids exercise to go along with their happy meals. Dietician say kids often fool fitness for fun.

Although Tulsa's is the first store in the country to test the new playplace, it isn't the first time McDonald's has used Tulsa as a national test market for new ideas.

Tulsa has also been a national test market three other times: for wireless Internet service, new choices for McDonald's Happy Meals and to get reaction on McDonald's new look.

The playplace is the latest idea from the fast food giant.

Franchise owner Bob Wagner says, "I don't know that every restaurant in the country can handle one, but based on the concept, it might very well be the future of playplaces at McDonald's."

McDonald's will study what games the 21st and Garnett location kids like and which ones they don't.

Then they'll begin expanding the R-Gym at restaurants in other parts of the country.