Toy design is a challenging art at best. How to get kids interested and motivated and give them ways to burn off all that natural energy without maiming each other or themselves in the process is a perpetual issue, and many things that are intended to be simple fun (with proper adult supervision!) sometimes get turned into bigger issues than they really are. For every “You’ll shoot your eye out, Ralphie!” mom, there’s a dad going “Naw, he’s fine, a few scrapes build character!” And for every zealous consumer watchdog group overreacting to even the slightest whiff of the potential possibility of danger, there are people wondering why lawn darts are such a big deal and mourning the days when kids flung themselves headlong into traffic on rollerskates with no brakes – hey, we did it and we turned out fine!

So I’m always sort of amused and wary of ‘worst toy lists’, but there are honestly some toys where you just look at them and go “Okay, really, what were you thinking?”

Here’s a few from this year that rightfully raised eyebrows.

Geospace Walkaroo II Aluminum Stilts

Pretty much everything Geospace makes seems to fall under the ‘shoot your eye out’ category, but a special shout-out should be given to their Walkaroo II Aluminum Stilts. “As kids gain balancing skills, they can move the footrests higher for more challenge.” I’m inclined to wonder if they also have an adjustable setting to convert them straight into the crutches kids will inevitably need when they fold up and crumple (being made of likely cheap aluminum) and send the poor kid pitching face-first into a low-dangling hive of bees. (Admittedly unlikely, but that’s the mental image I had and I’m running with it!) A spectacularly bad idea all around, bestseller or not!

HARMED: None – so far, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see this pop up on a recall list later.

Step2® Push Around and Whisper Ride Buggies

You know, they still make Radio Flyers…

You’re pushing your kid around in a nice, soft, sturdy-looking plastic wagon-thing. You take the kid out to the park for some fresh air. Maybe there’s a little bit of a hill around that one corner. And you’re walking along, talking the way you talk to your kid when you do this kind of thing, and you’re on the hill, and… oops! The handle just plain drops off.

You can imagine how much fun that isn’t.

HARMED: An unfortunate 28 accidents; two bad enough to require doctor intervention.

JAKKS Pacific Spa Factory Aromatherapy Kits

Not shown: Bottle for collecting tears caused by exploding toy.

Hey, little girls like pretty things that smell good, right? And this might be a fun way to get them leaning toward basic chemistry, too, right? Sure, and let’s make all the containers really pretty and give them lots of nice sharp molded edges, so that when they fly to pieces because of our inability to keep our basic chemistry facts straight it can also teach them about basic first aid and eye flushing decontamination procedures!

This toy was already recalled once in 2009 because it has a tendency to explode. The manufacturer helpfully included plastic, sharp edged, ventless lids to be used with bath bombs containing carbon dioxide. For even more fun, some of the combinations create citric acid that really adds some extra sparkle to the flying debris! The toy was recalled for the second time in 2010 and the manufacturer is now offering free exchangeable lids that have air holes in them.

HARMED: 26 kids have been hurt by this thing blowing up in their faces.

Munchkin’s Bathtub Subs

Pain sometimes looks like a smile!

It looks so harmless, doesn’t it? It’s an innocent looking little yellow submarine with a smiley Pikachu face; perhaps bringing back fond memories to grownup moms and dads of the Beatles and their Yellow Submarine. But nature designated yellow and black as warning colors for a reason – the CPSC reports the sub’s intake valve sucks in skin along with water and, well, that’s just not the kind of fun most people want to be having in the bathtub.

HARMED: 19, with one hospitalization, lacerations to little boys’ genitalia. Ugh.

Fisher-Price Trikes (many varieties)

Seriously, how did that yellow key design get through at all?

There was some news coverage about this one a few months back, so you might remember it. Several kids were seriously injured and a few more hurt less seriously by a jutting ‘key’ in the trike’s design, which was unfortunately placed so that they could fall against it while riding or attempting to dismount the vehicle. The original design of the jutting key was unfortunately rather sharp-edged, and Fisher Price had to retract several million trikes. The trikes have been redesigned, but the original shape and position of the key was such a no-brainer for potential problems that you wonder how it made it past initial safety tests at the prototype phase.

HARMED: 6 girls seriously injured, a few more dinged, strangely all seeming to be little girls in the genitals. Ugh again.

Toys injuring kids is always a nightmare scenario – enough that the idea’s entered the cultural zeitgeist in the form of horror movies about killer toys, masks, and funhouse rides-gone-wrong. There’s just no good answer for it when playtime goes south, and I definitely feel for any kids who get hurt just trying to have a good time. Sure, a few scrapes build character, but nobody should end up in the hospital just from trying to be a kid.

Let’s hope the toys of 2011 are a little less dangerous!

Cassandra writes about music, media and randomness at her blog, cassandrapoe.com.

Want more articles about toy news? Check out some of last year’s big lists:

-The Top 10 Radio and Remote Controlled Toys of 2009

-10 Most Popular Toys for Christmas 2009

-Top 10 Best Selling Toys of 2009

-Holiday Video Game Gift Guide 2009

This is just one recall of many this year: how can you keep up?  In this article I explore easy ways for concerned parents to stay on top of the news in regards to toy recalls.

The good news is that many companies are stepping up to be compliant with the CPSC toy safety regulations for 2010.  The safety enforcement was set to begin in 2009, but the delay has been set to allow companies (especially smaller ones) and the CPSC to find ways to budget the necessary costs of the new required tests.

Still, while we wait for better laws, it’s a good idea to know where to get the information from the source.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) lists toy hazard recalls here.  The most recent recalls are listed first.  This page makes it possible to check listings from lots of manufacturers at once without visiting separate websites.  The list also explains why the toy has been recalled.

When shopping at a physical store it’s possible to find out about recently recalled items too.  Stores should post recalled items they have carried near the customer service area or at the checkout so that frequent shoppers are aware of recalled items.  It is likely that older recall items will not be posted on the bulletin board, so checking the online resource is still a good option.

Safety is really a two-way street.  So, if at any time a toy comes apart or a child is injured by a toy it is good to let the company know.  This is the main way that recalls can be created from the public perspective.  No one wants a faulty toy, especially if injury is possible.  So, if that age appropriate toy pops apart under normal wear and tear be sure to report it.

This disturbing possibility has been documented by The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Public Citizen, who

charge in the complaint filed in Manhattan Federal Court that the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is flouting “the will of Congress” by allowing retailers to stockpile and continue to sell products from dolls to rubber ducks containing the chemicals after Feb. 10—the date a federally mandated ban on their production and sale is set to take effect—as long as they were manufactured before the deadline.

Let’s review: we know that phthalates could be dangerous in toys, but retailers are still allowed to sell them through the busy holiday season.

To learn more about the issue of phthalates, visit this information center.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has documented several cases of tendon cuts and wounds that required stitches, so please make sure to return these scooters to the manufacturer for a refund as soon as possible.

Y708	Y709	Y710	Y711	Y712
Y801	Y802	Y803	Y804	Y805
Y806	Y807	Y808

The serial number is located on the bottom of the scooter near the front wheel. Products with an oval sticker next to the serial number with a “V” followed by any letter (example VE, VF, VG, etc.) are not included in the recall.

This recall is one of the most troubling we have documented in the last year due to the number of hazardous products involved and the severity of the possible injuries.

Here are the toys recalled; so far no injuries have been reported.

The main issue with the rattles is that the mirrors and prisms can become detached and become a choking hazard.  The Miro Rattle also could be a choking hazard if dropped from a three foot height and the smaller plastic ball is released as the toy breaks.  (The redesigned Miro has a brass bell inside that does not break so easily, so it is not being recalled. )

The Triolino Puzzle has a ladybug head that could be a choking hazard.  In this case, HABA is offering to replace the puzzle piece with a safer one.

We applaud HABA for notifying the media as soon as they realized some of their products could cause injury, before anyone has gotten hurt.

The ruling also passed a ban against six different kinds of phthalates -  which are plastics that have been linked with reproductive damage.  Phthalates can be found in dozens of baby and kid products, including bath toys and baby lotions.

The dissenting voice against the Children’s Safety Act, by the way, is Representative Ron Paul, who insists he voted nay because it extends the reach of the US government, not because he hates children.

-    The toy should be both sanitary and washable—it’s amazing how quickly children’s toys can get dirty.
-    Toys should be well constructed. Cheap toys can come apart, exposing dangerous parts like wires, springs, or sharp edges.
-    Toys should not have no small parts that could come off and be swallowed or otherwise misused, and make sure the toy itself is large enough that it cannot be swallowed or put into the nose or ears.
-    Every part of the toy, including all paint and decorations should be non-toxic.
-    Look out for points that your child could fall on, or strings or cards that are long enough to choke.
-    Stuffed toys should not be filled with potentially dangerous materials like small pellets.
-    Toys made with cloth should carry the labels “flame resistant,” “flame retardant,” or “nonflammable.”

Of course, as your child gets older and you can trust him or her to play safely, less of these checks will be necessary. It’s also important to keep track of your children’s toys, and broken toys should be either repaired or disposed of so that they don’t pose a danger. You should also make sure that the toy is age appropriate for your child.

For more toy safety information, check out our post on the toy industry’s safety certification program.

The certification program would combine three main elements. First, all new toy designs would have to undergo a risk analysis to identify potential safety concerns as early as possible. Secondly, all toy manufacturers would have to undergo reviews of their factories to ensure good manufacturing practices. Lastly, samples of all toys would be taken to make sure that the toys meet industry and government standards for safety.

The program would apply to all toys sold in the United States, regardless of their place of manufacture. After being certified safe by the American national Standards Institute, the toys would be given a toy safety mark. This mark would assure that the product has undergone all the checks required by the certification program.

The program, however, will not be in place until Christmas 2008, and manufacturers are looking for ways to increase consumer confidence in the meantime, especially for this holiday season. Disney has begun testing samples of its toys, both those already on shelves and those scheduled for release. Toys R Us has begun spot checking the toys in its stores and is now increasing the number of these checks on every manufacturer.

Testing is not currently required for toys sold in the United States, though a mark of certification is mandatory in Europe. The Toy Industry Association believes that this program will allow parents to have confidence in the products they buy for their children.

We respect HABA for their transparency about which products are made overseas, as well as the care that goes into their inspection procedures no matter where they are made.  This level of transparency is necessary these days when so many cheap toys are on the world market, only to be recalled later for atrocious omissions such as baby toys made with lead paint and other heavy metals.

Our advice to parents and educators is to do some independent research into toy companies before bringing them into your home.  We also hope that we make that task a little easier for you here at Toy-TMA!

Led by Democratic senators from New York and Connecticut, the proposed measure is called the Children’s Product Safety Act. Look for its effect on toy shelves near you. The legislature is hoping to undermine a tendency we blogged about here recently, in which store owners are still selling recalled toys at a bargain price.

In fact, a recent study by the Consumer Product Safety Council found that 69% of thrift stores sell items that have been previously recalled or banned! I love thrift stores, but this is scary news for unsuspecting parents.

But it’s not really the thrift store owners who are to blame. Rather, it is our permissive market culture. Many parents may be surprised to know that those thrift store owners (most of which are probably unaware of their products’ status) are not compelled by law to remove their banned and recalled toys except in a couple states. Not yet anyways.

Common baby products with phthalates are baby shampoos, lotions, powders, and of course, soft plastic toys that babies love to chew. Yikes. While the possible dangers of this additive have been known for quite some time (check out the Wikipedia article on the health risks of phthalates), the US Food and Drug Administration has not made a move yet.

Well, until the results come in, there are ways to lessen your baby’s exposure to these toxins just in case. High on that list is to look into the plastic chewable toys in your home. PVC plastics are most likely the ones with these additives.

Also, steering clear of scented baby lotions and shampoos is probably a good idea. Phthalates are used to retain scent and color, as well as aid in skin absorption. Switching to organic lotions and shampoos, and using home remedies such as olive oil and coco butter, are safe and natural ways to take control of your baby’s toxicity levels.

The bottom line: research unfamiliar or new toys before you buy them. This is the only way to safeguard against poisonous toys. “Poisonous toys” – it’s a shame we even have to use such a phrase.

From the AP press article,

“We believe this really is the first step toward cleaning up the problem of lead paint in toys,” the Chicago lawyer said. “It will put a lot of pressure on other companies to step up and act morally. We hope this becomes a problem of the past.”

We wholeheartedly agree it’s the first step, but we also wonder how it happened in the first place.  The apologetic company is offering cash as well as “bonus” toys for compensation.  This is the first use of the word “bonus” that I know of that means “Your toddler can chew on this and not be poisoned.”

Rather than shunning all toys, take an educated look around your backyard.   We just discovered a wonderful toy site maintained by parent advocacy groups on toy safety.   Check out Healthytoys.org to learn if your toys are safe.  You can search your toy by brand, name, or type.

To begin, let’s take a virtual tour on the memories of yesteryear’s favorite toys. In 1920, what was the top selling toy for boys? Answer: the Daisy air rifle. In 1950: the air rifle now has twin barrels and continues to be a best-seller. In 1970, the most popular toy on the market was army action figure. In 1980, a full generation later, what was the number one toy for boys? Answer: realistic water guns. Look how far we’ve come!

This trend of violent toys does not often catch the eyes of press, but in fact violent toys effect child psychology to a startling degree. Toys help children model the world of adults, and our society has been teaching for generations that guns and violence are acceptable behavior.

Most toy experts say that war toys have a negative effect on children because they promote violence. The message these toys send is that adults resolve conflict by killing one another. This is a profound statement, especially considering the war-torn world we have inherited.

So the best-selling toys are not always the best toys for our children.