Most Dangerous Toys of All Time

Modern toys undergo strict testing and certification before they go on sale. However, the past few years have provided children with some of the most dangerous toys.

Stores have pulled them out of shelves, but you might find them in online stores. In response, parents should recognize these items and steer clear of them.

This article will list the most hazardous toys once sold to children. It will not include mobile devices like smartphones and tablets.

1. Atomic Laboratory Kits
2. Toy Guns
3. Fisher-Price Power Wheels
4. Hoverboards
5. Toy Crossbows
6. Mini Hammocks
7. Flubber
8. Lawn Darts
9. Trampolines
10. Bounce Houses
11. Clackers
12. CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit
13. Yo-yo Water Balls
14. Water Beads
15. Fidget spinners
16. Fisher-Price Toddler Trikes
17. Kick Scooters

1. Atomic Laboratory Kits

Toys can fuel a child’s imagination and creativity. However, you may have never imagined your child playing with radioactive materials!

Believe it or not, toy stores sold atomic laboratory kits in the 1950s. For example, the Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab asks kids to perform “over 150 exciting experiments.”

It included a Geiger counter, a cloud chamber, and four types of uranium ore. That was enough to make it one of the most dangerous toys of all time!

2. Toy Guns

In the 50s, cowboys have been popular movie characters. It was not surprising to see kids pretending to be them. 

In response, toy companies made toy guns like the Austin Magic Pistol and Mattel’s Belt Buckle Derringer. It replaced bullets with ping-pong balls and gunpowder with calcium carbide.

Unfortunately, the material violently explodes when exposed to water. As a result, children may wet the toy, causing a harmful chemical reaction.

3. Fisher-Price Power Wheels

Ask someone about an explosive toy, and they would likely answer “hoverboard.” However, it was not the first toy vehicle to become a fire hazard.

In 1990, Fisher-Price received 150 reports of its Power Wheels catching on fire. Some complained of melting or smoking parts.

Worse, some of them burned while sitting unused in playrooms and garages. As a result, the toy firm recalled 10 million Power Wheels from stores. 

4. Hoverboards

Hoverboards were a hot trend in 2015, perhaps too hot. Like the Power Wheels, people reported self-balancing scooters catching fire and exploding.

Ten companies had to pull out more than 500,000 hoverboards in response to 100 fire-related incidents. Nowadays, regulations have tried to make them much safer.

Sadly, many of them are still fire hazards. For example, Razor recalled 237,000 of these toys due to defective battery packs and potential fire risk.

5. Toy Crossbows

Toy crossbows may not look like one of the most dangerous toys. It was barely the size of a child’s palm and fired toothpicks.

In 2017, China cracked down on these toothpick crossbows. They could launch the after-dinner tooth cleaners from more than 60 feet away.

That was enough projectile first to punch holes into aluminum cans. It would be dangerous for anyone to get hit by these toys.

6. Mini Hammocks

Letting a toddler relax outdoors on a mini hammock may seem cute. From the 1980s to the 1990s, toy manufacturers thought the same thing.

However, they did not include the spreader bards that held normal hammocks open. As a result, some of them twisted around the necks of children.

Roughly 12 children died after getting entangled in these toys. In 1996, ten manufacturers had to recall 3 million mini hammocks.

7. Flubber

Children used to play with slime and post their creations on the internet. However, their fascination for gooey playthings has been around since the 1960s.

Hasbro responded to that demand by releasing a product called Flubber. Eventually, thousands of people reported sore throats and rashes in children due to the toy.

As a result, the company had to recall the product. Online rumors say it allegedly kept the excess Flubber behind a warehouse because it cannot burn or sink at sea.

8. Lawn Darts

In the 80s, people played lawn darts or “jarts.” They would place a rubber ring on the far end of their yard. Then, they would hurl them until one shoots through the hoop.

These weighted darts were one of the most dangerous toys in history. Their long shaft and fletch-like fins enabled people to throw them with enough force to pierce a human skull.

It led to the deaths of three children in 1997. In response, the Consumer Product Safety Commission ordered their immediate destruction.

9. Trampolines

Are trampolines truly one of the most dangerous toys in history? You may have one rusting in your backyard that has never hurt anybody.

From 2002 to 2011, trampolines sent nearly 289,000 people to the hospital due to broken bones. Also, researchers found that the toy caused more than a million ER visits. 

Home insurance firms have specific requirements for trampoline-related injuries. The policyholder must implement safety measures or forfeit them.

10. Bounce Houses

Your kid may have played in one of these during their friend’s birthday party. However, you should be careful the next time your child plays in one again.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recorded more than 17,000 related injuries in 2013. Also, a gust of wind blew away a bouncy house in Australia, killing at least five children.

Numerous US states do not regulate these toys. Also, the other states do not strictly regulate their use.

11. Clackers

This next entry also does not look like it belongs in a list of the most dangerous toys. After all, it is a pair of plastic balls linked by a string.

In the 1960s, people played it by swinging them around to “clack” the balls together. Some kids found creative ways to make noise with the toy.

However, the acrylic orbs tended to shatter and send sharp edges flying. In 1971, the Food and Drug Administration imposed stricter regulations on clackers.

12. CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit

Do you remember watching the CSI TV show in the 2000s? Planet Toys decided to help children imitate its characters as forensic investigators back then.

It contained a container of fingerprint dust that allowed kids to reveal traces like those from the show. Unfortunately, the dust contained asbestos.

The world banned its use for home insulation due to health risks like lung scarring and cancer. Worse, the pretend CSI kit used tremolite, one of the most deadly types of asbestos.

13. Yo-yo Water Balls

These toys consisted of a squishy water-filled ball attached to an elastic cord. The design allowed children to play with them like yo-yos.

Yo-yo water balls caused an uproar among parents and officials. They claimed the long cord could strangle kids. The liquid inside could be poisonous, and the toy may easily catch fire.

Still, the CPSC refused to ban or recall the toy. Some states and stores stopped selling them, while others released versions with shorter cords.

14. Water Beads

These toys are tiny balls of super-absorbent polymers or plastics. Add water, and they expand up to 200 times their original size.

Also, liquid can turn them into one of the most dangerous toys ever. An eight-month-old baby needed surgery to remove a water ball that blocked the intestines.

15. Fidget spinners

You might remember the fidget spinner as the “it” toy of 2017. People would spin them around when bored, while others recorded themselves playing with their modified spinners.

Some experts saw their potential benefit for people with ADHD and other mental health issues. However, children can dislodge the metal bearings inside and swallow them.

In November 2017, Target had to pull fidget toys off shelves due to “extremely high” lead levels. 

16. Kick Scooters

Kick scooters worked like skateboards, but they had handlebars in the front. You would push or “kick” the ground to propel yourself and the toy forward.

It deserves its place as one of the most dangerous toys, as it caused a 40% increase in toy-related injuries from 1990 to 2011.

The most common injuries were cuts, bruises, strains, sprains, and limb fractures. Nowadays, people ride ones with electric motors called e-scooters.

17. Fisher-Price Toddler Trikes

Fisher-Price appears again on this list with another ride-on toy. In 2010, the company had to recall over seven million of these toys. 

The old version had its ignition key in the center of the vehicle, above the seat. As a result, ten children gained serious injuries after falling on this component.

The newer versions have flattened ignition systems that reduce that risk. Still, you should ensure safety precautions like wearing a helmet and knee pads.

Conclusion

Some of the most dangerous toys are still on store shelves. In response, parents should carefully pick toys for their sons and daughters.

Check the toy on the internet before giving it to your kid. Also, read the packaging for potentially dangerous ingredients. Some may trigger your child’s allergies. 

Your children should still have time to play with toys. Also, playing with friends can improve their well-being and development.

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