7 Cheapest And 5 Most Expensive Fast Food Kids' Meals

Let's be real — kids' meals are crazy convenient. Though most of us would love to be able to feed our children a fresh, home-cooked meal daily, there are times when a good ole kids' meal is just what the doctor ordered. Whether you've just finished up a busy day on the go or simply don't have the energy to whip up a feast, fast-food offerings provide littles with a hearty, enjoyable solution for the days you simply don't wanna. 

Still, we'd be lying if we said ordering fast food doesn't get expensive, especially if you have a lot of mouths to feed. And, while there are plenty of fast-food restaurants willing to feed your kiddos for free, for most chains, you'll need to pay for your child's kids' meal, and it can help to know how much that will cost.

In the upcoming post, we're unveiling some of the most popular kids' meal options in the fast-food industry along with whether the meal is comparatively cheap or expensive. Bear in mind that pricing will vary greatly depending on location, and that, for the sake of consistency, we will consider any kids' meal priced under $6 a decent deal. With that, join us as we present you with kids' meal details you crave.

McDonald's is one of the best places to score a kids' meal for cheap, though the menu admittedly doesn't feature a ton of variety. Expect a Happy Meal from the beloved chain to offer a hamburger, cheeseburger, or 4-6-piece nugget to littles, along with a very small fry and a bag of apple slices. For drinks, McDonald's Happy Meals come with an Honest apple juice box, soda, milk, fountain drink, or water, all for the humble price of between $4.69 and $5.69 as of the time of publication in Appleton, Wisconsin.

As you probably already know, McDonald's Happy Meals almost always come with a toy — recent kid-friendly offerings found in the meals include fun finds like Squishmallows, B21 ring clips, and more. Don't forget, McDonald's is one of the few fast food joints to offer an indoor playground — and though not every location offers a PlayPlace, you can use McDonald's website to see if you're lucky enough to have one near you!

Panda Express' kids' meal is pretty pricey at $6.80 — it doesn't even come with a toy! Even so, this popular Chinese eatery offers what most fast food establishments on the list don't — yummy Asian fare and side dishes, many of which are chock-full of veggies, good for growing kids.

Known for its best-selling Orange Chicken, Panda Express offers children the chance to build their own delicious Asian-inspired meal. This "Panda Cub" meal features smaller portions for little ones, and comes in a convenient to-go carton for easy carrying. When ordering a Panda Cub meal, feel free to come up with your own combination — choose one of a multitude of entrées along with a side dish (chow mein, fried rice, white rice, or super greens) and your choice of drink. The meal also comes with a pack of dried Tree Top Apple Slices, though we personally wouldn't recommend them to kids younger than age 4 due to choking risks.

Not too familiar with Panda Express and don't want to sift through the menu? Don't worry — the Asian chain has curated Panda Cub meal options, too. Simply choose between orange chicken, broccoli beef, or teriyaki chicken for the entrée before pairing with white rice, fried rice, veggie-rich super greens, or chow mein to finish the deal. Easy, right?

Similar to Wendy's and Burger King, Sonic's Wacky Pack Kids' meals offer a lot of bang for your buck, with the entrée, side dish, drink, and toy all included in one low price. Expect most Wacky Pack kids' meals to cost between $4.39 and $4.99 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as of August 2026, depending on what you order. Entrées include your choice of a cheeseburger or hamburger, chicken tenders, hot dog, corn dog, or grilled cheese. Side dishes are as per usual, offering either French fries or a squeezy applesauce, but the menu's tater tots help keep things interesting if your little ones are in the mood for something different.

In addition to the meal, Sonic Wacky Packs offer a large number of beverages, including a juice box, milk, fountain drink, and more; just know that some options, like the slushie or lemonade, feature a surcharge. In most cases, Sonic's Wacky Packs also throw in a toy with most Wacky Pack meals, making this kids' menu item a totally worthy purchase, if you ask us!

Chick-fil-A kids' meals are quite expensive at $6.45-$6.95 per meal in the central Wisconsin area, but it's honestly one of the best places to feed your kid if you're looking for nutritious bites. No, fried chicken nuggets aren't exactly the healthiest option, but unlike most, Chick-fil-A also offers grilled nuggets as an alternative. As of August 2026, the popular chicken chain was even dishing up its incredibly delicious mac and cheese (which also doubles as a chicken sandwich topper) as a kids' meal entree — try finding that at McDonald's!

In addition to crave-worthy, kid-friendly entrees, Chick-fil-A also has a plethora of side dishes, including applesauce, potato chips, waffle fries, mac and cheese, and even a medley fruit cup. For the drink, choose between milk, chocolate milk, or apple juice, though bottled water and orange juice are also available for an additional fee.

As far as toys go, Chick-fil-A has fun finds even for children under age 3 — whether a book or toy, the goodies at Chick-fil-A are usually educational or at least very unique. Not interested in adding more toys to your child's collection? We feel ya. Try swapping it out for an"Icedream" cone or cup instead — though free, kiddos can also add their own toppings for 40 cents each when ordered in a dish for a yummy, customizable treat. 

Though Wendy's has reportedly pulled the plug on hundreds of restaurants, one thing remains certain, and that's Wendy's kids' meals are some of the cheapest on the list, priced between $3.49 and $4.39 per meal in Appleton, Wisconsin. The Ohio-based burger chain has several kids' menu items to choose from, including 2-piece chicken tenders, 4-piece classic chicken nuggets, 4-piece spicy chicken nuggets, or a cheeseburger. The meal also comes with Jr. natural-cut fries or apple slices along with a juice box, milk, or chocolate milk. 

As you might assume, each Wendy's kids' meal comes with a toy, and we've found many of them interesting and creative. Still, like most fast food restaurants, the toy your child receives may vary based on region and location. Thus, while possibly not the most exciting option out there, Wendy's kids' meals are worth the visit — we like being able to pick between fries and fruit and having several chicken options to choose from, especially for the low price of $3-4 per meal.

While not the most expensive kids' meal offering on the list, Culver's kids' meals come pretty darn close at $6.89 in Waupaca, Wisconsin. And, though you do at least get quite a few more options than at other restaurants, don't expect to get a toy with the meal this time around. Instead, this Wisconsin-based Butterburger chain allows kids to enjoy a free scoop of frozen custard — it'll even give you a token for it to enjoy at a later date, you know, in case you'd rather not have your kids stuffed with ice cream before dinner.

So, what do Culver's kids' meals entail? Choose from a wide variety of entrées, including a Butterburger with or without cheese, a 2-piece plain chicken tenders meal, a 2-piece buffalo tender meal, a corn dog, or even a grilled cheese meal. For side dishes, pick between fries or applesauce, though, for a surcharge, you could technically order any side your kids choose.

In terms of drinks at Culver's, you have quite a few options — the location in Waupaca, Wisconsin offers white or chocolate milk, Mott's apple juice, water, tea, a fountain drink, or bottled water included with the kids' meal for free. Concerning the frozen custard we mentioned earlier, feel free to choose from vanilla, chocolate, or even the Flavor of the Day — there's no additional fee, unless, of course, you get a double scoop or a bunch of toppings.

Burger King is a great place to grab a cheap kids' meal at $3.99 to $4.99 at the Waupaca, Wisconsin location, though you should be warned that there isn't much variety in the menu. Burger King's "King Jr." kids' meals include an entrée, side, drink, and toy. Choose between a 4-6 piece "crown" nugget or your choice of a cheese or hamburger; side dish options include fries, a Mott's applesauce cup, or onion rings, and can be paired with white milk, chocolate milk, or an Honest kids' apple juice box.

Of course, no King Jr. Kids' Meal would be complete without a toy; Burger King's options are often quite fun, and you might even score a Burger King crown if you ask for it. With all things considered, Burger King's King Jr. Kids' Meals are a great deal — oh, and if you happen to be an adult looking to buy a Burger King kids' meal, know that you may be able to swap the toy for a free dessert — but that depends entirely on your BK's location.

Panera Bread kids' meals are annoyingly expensive, especially considering there's no drink, toy, or treat included. Sure, options like grilled cheese, turkey sandwiches, and mac and cheese provide more variety for littles than the typical burger and fry meal, but for $7, we'd be lying if we said these particular child-friendly offerings don't give us pause.

Panera Bread kids' meals come with a bag of chips, a single apple, or a mini baguette — fresh fruit is an option too, though you'll need to tack on an extra $2.39 to enjoy it, according to pricing at the Grand Chute location in Wisconsin. Once that's added, you'll end up spending nearly $10 for the kids' meal, and that's wthout a beverage. Yikes!

Oh, and about those drinks, according to the Panera Bread online ordering system, a fountain beverage and certain types of tea can accompany a kids' meal for only .99 cents. Even so, we still can't help but feel a little salty — shelling out $7-$11 for a kids' meal seems a little unfair. Because of that, we'd recommend thinking twice before ordering a Panera Bread kids' meal — you might be better off just making your own deli-style sammies at home.

Arby's offers children a chance at delicious eats for a price somewhat less expensive than a few other restaurants on the list, at $5.09-$5.69. A welcome break from the typical burger and fry fare, Arby's kids' menu consists of a ham or roast beef slider or a 2-piece chicken tender meal. Kids can enjoy curly or crinkle fries without a fee at the Arby's in Appleton, Wisconsin, but as of the time of publication, there was a 20-cent surcharge just for applesauce. 

For drinks, Arby's kids' meal options offer either white or chocolate milk, a bottle of water, or Honest Apple Juice box — unfortunately, the location nearest us tacked on a fee for chocolate milk of about 50 cents. We also called to confirm that Arby's meals for littles do indeed come with a toy; thus, considering all you get for the price, a kids' meal from Arby's is one of the more reasonably priced options out there.

Raising Cane's doesn't have many options for kiddos, but we guess that's to be expected; the popular chicken finger chain isn't exactly known for having much menu diversity, though there's no debate that its food is still totally delicious. The Raising Cane's "Kids' Combo" comes with 2-piece chicken fingers, crinkle cut fries, a drink, and that's about it. Drink options include a milk box, Honest apple juice, bottled water, or a fountain drink. If your kid loves coleslaw or Texas toast, you're kinda out of luck — you may need to order it separately or be willing to give up your own, as these sides appear to only come with adult meals.

The worst part is, despite its lack of variety, Raising Cane's kids' meals still cost a stifling $6.79, at least at the location in Greendale, Wisconsin. On the bright side, some Raising Cane's locations do at least offer a toy with each kids' meal; the location in Brookfield, Wisconsin states that its current August 2026 toy is a Raising Cane's "collectible." With all things considered, the Raising Cane's meal for children is one of the most expensive on the list — unfortunately, its mundane menu options also make it one of the most disappointing. 

Subway Fresh Fit For Kids meals are an okay deal — depending on what you order, you'll probably spend between $5.69 and $6.49 each in the Waupaca, Wisconsin area. Choose from healthy options, like a junior-sized 4-inch mini Veggie Delight Sub, Black Forest Ham, or Oven Toasted Turkey on your choice of bread. Just don't expect to have many options when it comes to side dishes; Subway appears to only dole out applesauce pouches as an accompaniment, along with a Shamrock Milk (which, by the way, is only regular white or chocolate milk produced by Shamrock Farms) or an Honest Juice Box, as part of the meal. As of the time of publication, there was no toy, activity, or dessert that comes with the meal, so keep that in mind before ordering.

All in all, though the Subway Fresh Fit For Kids meal is different from most in that it offers more opportunities for customization and extra veggies, it doesn't come with much else, aside from an applesauce and drink. As such, though we think Subway Fresh Fit For Kids may be a decent option for little ones, without a toy or much variety in terms of side dishes, it could be considered slightly overpriced for what it is.

A kids' meal from Kentucky Fried Chicken is a cheaper fast food option, though don't expect prices to run as low as McDonald's or Burger King. As of August 2026, the KFC in Appleton, Wisconsin, was dishing up meals to kiddos containing a 5-piece nugget along with your choice of side for $5.79. Sadly, there appears to be no other entrée choices to choose from, though there's plenty more to enjoy when it comes to the meal's accompaniments. Applesauce, fries, mac and cheese, coleslaw, mashed potato and more are part of the lineup — amazingly, according to KFC's online ordering system, there doesn't appear to be a surcharge for any of them.

For a little something to wash it down, expect KFC kids' meals to come with a milk, Capri Sun, fountain drink, or sweet tea. If it's a hot day and you've got a car full of littles begging for lemonade, know it'll cost ya — there's a 50-cent surcharge fee for each. Oh, and in case you're wondering, Kentucky Fried Chicken kids' meals do come with a sticker sheet, at least, according to the location in Plover, Wisconsin. So, though lacking in terms of entrée variety, KFC still proves a decent pick for filling hungry tummies at a reasonable price.