Toys That Cause Harm Are No Fun
For instance, be on the lookout for a “pencil catapult,” or the Alphabet Zoo rock and stack pull toy that has plenty of string to strangulate a small child – 20 inches worth, while safety standards call for 12 or less. More disturbing is the Swat electric machine gun that can be mistaken for a real gun by police
These are the types of hazards WATCH looks for when it assesses toys. The list includes long strings that can choke children, small parts that can be swallowed and those with potential for eye injuries. Toys made of hard materials that can lead to impact injury are on their no-good lists, as are those with long, slender parts that pose choking risks.
“The numerous recalls in the past year (17, with 4.8 million units that were being sold in the U.S. and Canada,) as well as the recurrence of many known hazards in toys are clearly suggestive of a broken system that needs fixing before more children are harmed,” said WATCH president Joan Siff.
On the list for 2014:
#1 – Zing Air Storm Fire Tek Bow: The toy comes with instructions not to aim the arrows at people or animals, especially the eyes and face. But it is unfeasible that children in the age group most likely to use the toy could be expected to follow those precautions, WATCH says.
#2 – Radio Flyer Ziggle: The problem the watchdog group found with this toy was in the advertising. Although instructions warn users to “always wear a helmet and other safety gear,” The ads show a child who wears no such protection, which could easily influence how the toy is used.
#3 – Toysmith Catapencil: The directions advise children “of all ages” using this toy to “play safe and enjoy,” but the idea is to use a catapencil as “target practice for your desktop.” Wow. Eye damage on its way! Sharpened pencils are not playthings, WATCH declares, and a miniature slingshot-style launcher should not be marketed as a plaything.
#4 – Alphabet Zoo Rock and Stack Pull Toy: The 20-inch pull string is clearly a safety hazard, the nonprofit agency declares. Industry safety guidelines call for a string 12 inches or less. The risk for strangulation makes this a gift parents and others should avoid.
#5 – Junxing Toys Industrial SWAT Electric Machine Gun: Even the name should serve as a warning. In today’s violent society, handing such a toy (weapon?) to a child is inexcusable, Watch says. They are potentially dangerous and generate unhealthy thrills for a young person. Such detailed replicas of actual weapons have caused injury and deaths in the past and should not be sold as toys, the agency says.
#6 – WalMart Spark. Create. Imagine. Wooden Instruments: A small child could easily choke on the drumstick that is part of these toys.
#7 – Science Wiz Bottle Rocket Party: Labeled for children as young as 8; kit poses the risk of eye, face and other injuries, the watchdog warns. The toy imitates rocket-launching projects at schools and camps over recent years, but lacks the adult supervision necessary for such events and involves propellants that can be unpredictable.
#8 – JC Toys Lil’ Cutesies Best Friend: With a name like that, how dangerous could it be? Plenty, WATCH warns. Sold as suitable for children as young as 2, the dolls have a decorative ribbon bow that detaches from the head, posing the potential for swallowing and choking.
#9 – Legends Orcs Battle Hammer: Inviting a 3-year-old to become a savage Orc with a hard plastic battle hammer to use against playmates is not a good idea, WATCH advises. The two-foot-long hammer is capable of doing damage on young flesh, they suggest. No warning cautions are included on the packaging.
#10 – Plush Colored Hedgehog: A stuffed animal with long, fiber-like hair that isn’t sufficiently rooted and easily dislodged invites ingestion and aspiration injuries, the agency says. Not the right gift for the infants for whom it is targeted.
Avoiding these specific toys and being watchful that the toys that are purchased do not have elements that could be dangerous is the objective. And WATCH will continue to monitor in the interests of keeping children safe.