13/07/2026
Post by Hui Ting.
The McDonald’s Party
“I don’t know where to start?” the McDonald’s party host admitted, looking overwhelmed. It was 4 July, a Saturday, when Summer's Therapy Services celebrated her 11th birthday at McDonald's Ang Mo Kio Park.
“Just start whenever you are ready," I replied. "They will never settle.”
It had been 15 minutes since the kids entered the party room, and I had been wondering why the host had not kicked things off. Then I realized the truth: she was waiting for them to “settle.”
But this wasn't a typical crowd. It was a group of 15 children and youths with special needs, plus their siblings—22 “kids” in total, ranging from ages 4 to 23. It was a beautiful, chaotic mix of diagnoses: Autism, Down Syndrome, GDD, Speech Delay, and ADHD, spanning all levels of functioning. It was simply impossible to hold their attention all at once. They were never going to sit down, look forward, and be perfectly quiet at the same time. You just had to dive in.
“Welcome everyone to McDonald’s!” the host finally announced. My therapists cheered instantly to boost the energy.
“Now we are going to play some games! Puzzles!” The host and her two support staff pulled out three bags of puzzles featuring a photo of Ronald McDonald playing soccer. But these were nearly 30 pieces of square, flat-edged puzzles without any grid or frame to guide them. It did not take long to see the kids were completely lost. The activity was just too tough.
Prior to the party, I had shared our children's profiles and asked about the games. The outlet had given me a one-word reply: “puzzles.” I had explicitly mentioned that physical games would be much better suited for this mixed group, and I had even tried calling the outlet for two days to clarify, but no one picked up.
The puzzle game was a definitive flop, and the host knew it. She looked lost again. When I asked what was next, she suggested that we could have food; but we were ahead of schedule for 15 minutes. Hence I requested another game. Thinking on her feet, she suggested cup stacking. I could tell she was starting to get it.
The kids absolutely loved the cup stacking game. The goal was simple: build the highest pyramid possible. With guidance from my staff and the patient McDonald’s team, every child got involved. The absolute best part? Pushing the giant pyramid of cups over at the very end. Everyone laughed, everyone participated, and everyone had fun.
Then came the food logistics. I give immense credit to the party host here. At the start of the party, she had asked me for each individual child's order—fries or apple slices? Nuggets or a cheeseburger? Milo, Coke, Sprite, juice, or water? In the middle of the chaos, tracking down dietary restrictions, beef allergies, dislikes, and lactose intolerance felt impossible. Seeing my hesitation, she made a brilliant executive decision: "Let's standardize it. Fries, nuggets, and juice for everyone." Perfect.
The food was a massive hit. Some kids even asked for seconds. The host and her team were incredibly patient, catering to endless requests for cold water, napkins, and tomato sauce. The best part? They replaced dropped food quickly, without a single question or judgmental look.
After eating, it was time for photos, the birthday song, and cake. Except for one overwhelmed child, everyone loved singing along. The McDonald's cake was wonderfully low-fuss—resembling a dense brownie with no messy cream. The host cut it into small squares, providing just enough sweetness to make the kids happy without triggering a massive sugar rush.
Finally, they handed out goodie bags and balloons. Kudos to the staff, who even tracked down the families who had already stepped out of the room to ensure no one missed out.
After a swift 1 hour and 45 minutes, the party came to a close. The kids and their families left happy. My staff members were thoroughly over-stimulated, but pleased with how it all turned out.
Afterward, a few parents shared that their children usually miss out on birthday parties because of their diagnoses or unpredictable behaviors. Some had not believed their child could survive the chaos and uncertainty of a party environment at all. (We had quietly allowed some parents to sit in with their kids to provide extra support, which was not part of the original venue rules, but it made all the difference).
In the end, our goal was achieved on Summer's Therapy Services' 11th Anniversary: to let every single kid, regardless of their diagnosis or ability, experience the simple, pure joy of a McDonald’s birthday party.
Will Summer’s do it all over again? Oh yes for sure!
