Mary Bowerman

USA TODAY Network

Update: McDonald's voluntarily removed StepIt! Activity bands from Happy Meals "after receiving limited reports of potential skin irritations that may be associated from wearing the band," Terri Hickey, a spokesperson for McDonald’s said in a statement.

Parents may not equate McDonald's Happy Meals with physical fitness, but the fast-food giant is trying to change that with a new set of kids toys.

Instead of a plastic figurine, book or plush toy, McDonald's is giving away activity trackers with Happy Meals in the United States and Canada for a limited time, according to McDonald's.

The “step-it” trackers are part of a promotional campaign aimed at getting kids moving again.

The fitness trackers, which come in six colors, count steps and blink according to how quickly or slowly the person wearing the device is moving.

And while some may wonder what a fitness tracker and fast-food have in common, the step-it is in line with McDonald's move to push back at critics who say the business is pushing junk food to kids, according to Michelle Greenwald, Columbia Business School professor who is an expert in the food and beverage industry.

"They are doing something wholesome, and it gets you to maybe rethink and take another look because it's surprising," Greenwald said. "In marketing today you need to surprise people and jar them in order to reframe their thinking."

In 2011, McDonald’s began offering the choice between fruit or Go-Gurt with Happy Meals after years of pressure from consumer groups and food activists to increase the availability of fruits and vegetable options on their menu.

At the same time, McDonald's cut the french fries portion size in their kids meal by more than half. A hamburger Happy Meal with apples, juice, and a kid’s fry comes in at 460 calories, while a chicken nugget meal with the same choices has 390 calories, according to the McDonald’s nutrition calculator.

“Physical activity is important to everyone of all ages. We very much support children’s well-being,” Michelle McIlmoyle, McDonald’s Canada senior marketing manager, in a statement, Digital Trends reported. “Step-it is in line with McDonald’s general philosophy for Happy Meal toys, which is to make toys that encourage either physical or imagination-based play.”

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Contributing: Aamer Madhani