McDonald's Happy Meal Toys

Greetings! Just a quick post to let you know about the McDonald's Happy Meal toys that are currently at McDonald's! If you're a spy, professional or in training, in the United States (I'm not sure how widespread this blog is, for all I know there could be someone on the other side of the world reading this and just not posting comments), you should know that McDonald's fast food restaurants are now including Spy Gear with their Happy Meals. I'll tell you a little about them...

Secret Wrist Beam
This is a plastic wrist bracelet with a structure on the top. You push a button, and a small red light pops out, turning on only when opened. I have this piece of spy equipment. (I may be a professional spy, but hey, you're only a kid once, so enjoy it as long as you can!)

Spy Guard Motion Alarm
This piece of equipment is shaped like a lock. A switch in the back turns the alarm on. Any motion will set off the alarm.

Spy Disc Defender
This hand held device is a small disc shooter. Three plastic discs (they may be foam, I have not seen this in action for myself quite yet) are placed in the "canon" and then shot by pushing a button.

Invisible Writing Pen
This device is a rectangular shape. By pushing a switch, a rolled up piece of paper is revealed on which to write a message. The rectangular structure splits in half, revealing two pens. One is used to write an invisible message, the other is used to reveal it.

Rear View Spy Scope
Not only is this a binocular (rather a monocular; there is only one eyepiece), but it is equipped with a mirror to see things behind you.

Mobile Message Bot
This is a pull back and release toy. You pull it back to wind it, then let go, and it goes quite a distance depending on how back you wind it. When it stops, a cover pops up, revealing a message that can only be read clearly (if you can read upside down and backwards you'll be alright!) by using the mirror concealed in the flip top cover. There are four secret message templates included: Take Cover, Mission Complete, Backup Needed, and On My Signal. By tracing these templates onto cardstock you can easily make more templates (as long as you can write upside down and backwards!).

So even though these are inexpensive toys, they can be utterly useful. I'm in the process of collecting all six items, myself!

To see pictures and demos of all six pieces of Spy Gear, go to HappyMeal.com, click "Toys", select "Spy Gear", and then click "View Toys". Then you can easily scroll through them and click "Demo" when you want to see the equipment in action.

Gadget Review: Keyhole Spy Tool

I recently constructed a keyhole spy tool out of a clear glass marble and paper tube. I got the idea from the Top Spy Secrets website (for link click here). I rolled a piece of paper (8 1/2" x 11", but I ended up cutting it a little smaller) into a tube and secured it with tape, rolling it to size judging by the size of my marble. Here's my end result:















Here's the pros and cons to this neat little device.

Cons:

• Most doors are not made with keyholes anymore! But this can be used to peer through large cracks in walls, or used for other things.
• When looking through your keyhole tool, everything will appear upside-down! This is because the marble reverses any light that passes through it.
  
• Everything is a bit small, but you should be able to get a good idea of what's going on in the room.

Pros:

• Although small, this tool is very effective and and fun to use!
• I've tried it out myself, and believe me, this could help you out of some very tight situations!

Have fun!

Books: Secrets, Lies, Gizmos, and Spies

Written by Janet Wyman Coleman with the International Spy Museum, this book portrays the history of espionage and stories of the world's most famous spies. Heroes, villians, traitors? You decide. But each and every one of the stories you'll read is true, its characters making their mark on history. Will you be the next among them?

Books: The Daring Book for Girls

Along with tips on survival, games, school, and boys, this book contains tips on how to be a spy, plus information on women spies from the Revolutionary War to World War II. For instance, did you know that the Girl Guides - the British form of Girl Scouts - were used during World War I as couriers for secret messages by MI-5, Britain's counterintelligence agency? So if you're a girl with a nose for adventure, read The Daring Book for Girls, which has everything, from something as simple as putting your hair up with a pencil, to something as exciting as becoming a spy!