Wendys has a new line of toys for their kids’ meals.  The toys and informational booklets come from National Geographic Kids.  And while I sincerely appreciate Wendys attempt to inject education into their fried food, I think they might want to reconsider some of the specifics.

One toy in particular stands out.  It is a small, plastic, detailed and relatively clever replication of an Egyptian sarcophagus containing a mummy buried in sand–listed on the website as an “Egyptian Sand Toy”.  The promotional copy is as follows: “Uncover the mystery of the tomb.  Locate the secret button to reveal an Egyptian mummy hidden under the sand.  This tomb is just like the ones used by Kings in Egypt thousands of years ago!”.

I was over at a neighbor’s house and her daughter held up this toy from her Wendys kids’ meal and the following conversation ensued:

Neighbor’s 4 year old: “Look!”

Me: “Oh, yeah, it’s a sarcophagus!”

Neighbor’s 4 year old: “No it’s not, it’s a mummy box!”

Me: “That’s what sarcophagus means honey, what a perfect description.”

Neighbor: “Yeah, I don’t know if I like the fact that Wendys is giving out toys that force me to have a lengthy discussion about death over dinner”.

Me: *hysterical laughter*