These kids toys are hella controversial. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for kids toys that were taken off the market due to health and safety risks to the kids they're marketed to.
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00:00What can you dot then spray for fun that stays?
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for toys that were
00:09taken off the market due to health and safety risks to the kids they were marketed to.
00:21Number 30. Fidget Spinners. And I posted on our social media,
00:25they're here, and then I had to turn around a few hours later and say, they're gone.
00:29A toy that gives you something to do when there's nothing to do is the name of the game, right?
00:35Well, kids, just because you're bored during class doesn't mean you should be doing something
00:41other than paying attention. Fidget spinners, due to their small, transportable, and addictive
00:46nature, became a distraction as the handheld gadgets soared in popularity in 2017. So much
00:53so that many schools banned them from classrooms. What had been originally considered a tool to
00:58help kids concentrate became a potential inhibitor to academic progress. The fidget spinner story
01:04also teaches us a lesson. Boredom is okay sometimes, and you don't always have to be
01:10doing something. Now, in large numbers, kids who don't have ADHD have noticed the objects
01:16their friends were using and decided they want to start spinning too.
01:2129. Barbie and Tanner
01:28The world of the iconic Barbie faced a bit of an issue in 2007 with the Barbie and Tanner toy sets.
01:35These sets were based on life as a dog owner, which, of course, meant that they had to include
01:40a pooper scooper. Unfortunately, a small magnet inside that pooper scooper posed a threat for
01:46young children. It could come off and be swallowed or aspirated. Yeah, not good. It was certainly
01:53not a fantastic situation, and this crap needed to be dealt with. The solution was to get these sets
02:00off the market. 28. Flubber
02:09I'm not sure what we've got here, Charlie, but if we've got what I think we've got,
02:13we've got something. An object that's gooey plus stretchy plus bouncy equals fun, right? That seems
02:20to be a plausible equation, one that came into play with the release of Flubber during the 1960s.
02:26The flexible kid's toy was inspired by the movie The Absent-Minded Professor and produced by the
02:31Hassenfield brothers, known as Hasbro. They teamed up with Disney for a promotion ahead of the film's
02:37sequel, Son of Flubber, but it didn't take long for the Flubber product to have issues. Reports and
02:43complaints about sore throats and rashes forced the chemical concoction toys to be taken off the
02:49shelves. Did you really think you could rival Silly Putty? Silly Goose? 27. Polly Pocket Playsets
03:08Multiple editions of Mattel's Polly Pocket playsets in the mid-2000s had magnet issues.
03:18There were hundreds of reports of magnets coming loose from the figurines and accessories in the
03:23set. And worse, there were a few reports of children who suffered serious choking injuries
03:28that required surgery. It wasn't all fun and games anymore. The danger of multiple magnets
03:34becoming attached to each other after being swallowed was no joke. It meant potentially
03:39fatal consequences and that the few million Polly Pocket playsets with the magnet issue
03:45had to be recalled. 26. My Friend Kayla
03:53They're watching us. They can hear us. These sentiments about surveillance and privacy
04:04concerns have circulated with the advancement of technology. How much of our computer and
04:09cell phone habits are actually private has become a legitimate question. And there's
04:13more to it than that. If you asked the German government about the doll known as
04:18My Friend Kayla, they would tell kids Kayla isn't who they thought she was. The kid's companion
04:24with communicative and voice recognition capabilities was deemed an espionage device,
04:30and they were banned in Germany as a result. That's right, kids, your secret might not be
04:35safe with Kayla after all. This is all kinds of, well, creepy. 25. Kinder Surprise
04:46Two Seattle men found out the hard way the candy they bought in Canada is illegal here in the
04:51United States. A chocolate egg with a toy inside. Sounds like a kid's dream, right? There's an issue
04:57though. The Kinder Surprise, made by the Italian company Ferrero, goes against a U.S. law that
05:03prohibits the sale of candy that contains an inedible toy inside. As a result, they were banned
05:09from being imported into the U.S. The argument behind this ban is choking and aspiration hazards.
05:16Particularly if a young child isn't aware that a toy is inside the chocolate egg,
05:21it could be dangerous. We get the idea of the surprise toy within a piece of chocolate,
05:26but let's be real. Many kids would be happy with just a piece of chocolate by itself,
05:32and with just a toy by itself. They don't need the two-in-one combo.
05:4624. Splash-Off Water Rockets This has Risky Kid's science
05:52experiment written all over it. Kids, make sure you're wearing your safety goggles. Or,
05:56better yet, for the splash-off water rockets, don't use them at all. These things were ready
06:02for liftoff in the toy market in 1997. But the water pressure caused by filling a splash-off
06:08water rocket led to danger of it breaking apart into pieces. 37 reports of hand, shoulder,
06:14and forehead injuries were the result, as was the product's ultimate crash landing in the toy
06:20market. Safety goggles weren't even enough, actually. You might need full-body armor to
06:25be truly safe from splash-off water rockets. 23. Super Bang Blast Balls
06:37Have you ever had a toy that you loved because of its sound? The lure of the Super Bang Blast
06:42Balls was just that, sound. They were built to sound similar to a cap gun. And the instructions
06:48to create that cracking sound is simple. Strike one blast ball against the other with your hands.
06:54But just think about the name again. Don't Super Bang Blast Balls just sound dangerous?
07:00The contact of these balls of fury can cause sparks to ignite. They could, and did, cause
07:07minor burns to hands and fingers. So sorry to the kids who were having a blast with the Super
07:12Bang Blast Balls, but it was time to let them go. 22. Slap Bracelets
07:26If the word slap is in the name, take it for what it's called. Slap bracelets were meant to
07:41slap around the wrist and add an extra layer to a kid's style. During the early 1990s,
07:46they were a fashion trend for students. They came in different colors and patterns, but if
07:52slapped on aggressively and out of nowhere, it could kind of hurt. Cheap and worn out versions
07:57especially posed injury risks. Once injured wrist reports started piling up, numerous schools banned
08:04slap bracelets, helping bring the fad to a halt. 21. Thingmaker
08:14Also known as Creepy Crawlers, this toy allowed kids to create multiple little critters made out
08:26of a liquid chemical substance. The problem with the Thingmaker, though, was the heat of the molds.
08:32A kid's toy with temperatures reaching close to 400 degrees Fahrenheit didn't sit well with the
08:37United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, so the Thingmaker was discontinued in 1973,
08:44about nine years after its release. It did make a comeback, though, with a second iteration that
08:49was safer. However, as the story goes, the sequel didn't have the same success.
08:5520. Toothpick Crossbows
09:09In the mid-2010s, a toothpick crossbow craze was sweeping Chinese schools.
09:15Selling online and in shops for as little as seven yuan,
09:18these so-called toothpick crossbows were originally designed to shoot out just that.
09:2421. Toothpicks
09:25As their name suggests, these were mini crossbows that were meant to shoot toothpicks at various
09:31objects, usually friends. But as you can imagine, shooting sharp pieces of wood into your friend's
09:36faces can be quite dangerous. Not only that, but there were alleged reports of children using the
09:42crossbow to fire the likes of nails and needles. These toothpick crossbows have become a new
09:47favorite among Chinese children, but it seems some have already been exposed to the potential
09:53dangers. Parents raised concerns, and the law swiftly answered by banning the sale of toothpick
09:59crossbows across the country. Many major retailers were ordered to take the toy off their shelves,
10:05and raids were carried out by law enforcement to ensure that retailers were complying with the ban.
10:1019. Rollerblade Barbie
10:18We don't know what Mattel was thinking with Rollerblade Barbie. This doll was obviously
10:23meant to rollerblade around the room, and to do so, the manufacturer equipped her feet with
10:28rolling contraptions that acted like cigarette lighters. They were even designed to kick up
10:34sparks. Of course, there were reports of injuries. In Jackson, Mississippi, a young girl accidentally
10:51set her brother on fire after playing with a combination of hairspray and Rollerblade Barbie.
10:57Luckily, the child wasn't seriously injured. Mattel realized that they had a serious problem
11:02and potential lawsuit on their hands, so they quickly ceased production on Rollerblade Barbie.
11:07That was probably a good idea. 18. Mini Hammocks
11:16Manufacturers realized that hammocks weren't really made for children, yet children loved
11:21hanging them. So they had the idea to make mini hammocks suited exclusively for tiny bodies.
11:26There was just one problem, and we mean one major problem. Hammocks contain what are called
11:33spreader bars, and these bars keep hammocks from folding in on themselves. These mini
11:39hammocks did not have spreader bars, so they were prone to entangling and strangling children.
11:44Unfortunately, many children and teenagers died in tragic hammock-related accidents,
11:49and one child reportedly suffered brain damage. These specific mini hammocks were eventually
11:54recalled, with more than $3 million being taken off the country's shelves.
11:5917. Hannah Montana Pop Star Card Game Hannah Montana was all the rage in the mid-2000s,
12:07having debuted in March of 2006. All sorts of merchandise was made up to capitalize on its
12:15success, including a playing card game. Sounds innocent, except that the cards contained a
12:21dangerously high amount of lead. In 2007, thousands of children's toys were tested for lead,
12:29specifically lead paint. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 40 parts per
12:45million, and 600 parts per million is the federally mandated level for a mandatory recall.
12:51It was found that the Hannah Montana cards contained levels of 3,056 parts per million,
12:56about five times higher than the recall limit. Suffice to say, you can no longer find these cards
13:02anywhere. 16. Slingshots
13:06While not exclusively made for children, slingshots have long been used by them.
13:12For some, it's an introductory weapon. For others, it's a relatively harmless toy used to
13:28shoot chestnuts at soda cans or whatever. Of course, there is a huge risk factor inherent
13:34with slingshots. As a result, arm-braced slingshots are banned in many jurisdictions.
13:39For example, the state of New York has banned slingshots under criminal possession of a weapon
13:44in the fourth degree. Also grouped with slingshots are the likes of electric dart guns, switchblade
13:49knives, and brass knuckles. Possession of arm-braced slingshots is a class-A misdemeanor
13:55and can land the owner in prison for a year. 15. Fisher-Price Power Wheels
14:09In the late 90s, Fisher-Price manufactured various models of ride-on cars and trucks
14:18for children. They were called Power Wheels, and they allowed little ones to get a taste of the
14:23road long before they could obtain a driver's license. However, these Power Wheels cars were
14:29horribly designed to say the least. Some of them failed to stop, causing children to plow into
14:33walls and get hurt. But even worse were the faulty electrical components. There were hundreds
14:49of reports of these toy cars overheating and catching fire, and they caused upwards of $300,000
14:55in property damage. Power Wheels were eventually recalled, and just a few years later, Fisher-Price
15:00faced a $1.1 million fine from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. 14. Aqua Leisure Baby
15:08Floats Pool flotation devices are certainly nothing new. Unfortunately, young children in
15:23open water don't often make for the safest combination. In the late 2000s, manufacturer
15:28Aqua Leisure issued a voluntary recall over their defective baby floats. The seats were prone
15:40to tearing, causing babies and young children to fall through the flotation device and into the
15:45water. More than 30 such incidents were officially reported, but thankfully, no one was seriously
15:51injured or killed. Aqua Leisure eventually notified the Consumer Product Safety Commission,
16:02but at that point, more than 20 reports had already been issued. As a result, the CPSC
16:07slapped the company with a civil penalty of $650,000. 13. Hoverboards
16:15These self-balancing scooters were all the rage in the mid-2010s. Unfortunately,
16:26also generated quite a degree of controversy, not only for being fake hoverboards, but because they
16:32were incredibly dangerous. Not only were inexperienced users falling off and hurting
16:37themselves, but the batteries were notoriously awful and prone to bursting into flames.
16:42These scooters were blamed for dozens of residential fires and deaths, and as a result,
16:46they have been banned in numerous places across the world. Many public spaces have prohibited the
16:57use of hoverboards, and places like New York City, the Netherlands, and Hong Kong have banned their
17:02use outright. Various imports have also been banned by the U.S. International Trade Commission
17:08for infringing on copyright laws. 12. CSI Fingerprint Kit
17:14This is one particularly tragic case that can have enormous repercussions in a couple of decades.
17:20In the mid-2000s, a specific CSI toolkit allowed children to dust for fingerprints.
17:25Unfortunately, the powder that was used in the test kit contained a very dangerous type of
17:30asbestos called tremolite. In fact, it's believed that even a one-time exposure to this type of
17:35asbestos can cause lung cancer later in life. The department of consumer protection ordered
17:49the manufacturer to recall the product, but who knows how many children had already been affected.
17:54Manufacturer Planet Toys, Inc. eventually went bankrupt, and a class-action lawsuit was launched
18:00seeking damages. 11. Gilbert Glass Blowing Set
18:05It doesn't take a genius to work out that children and glass blowing do not mix.
18:19Why anyone thought this would be a good idea is beyond us. Glass blowing is an incredibly
18:25dangerous trade, requiring the maker to work with literal molten glass. As in,
18:31glass that appears bright orange because it's 2000 degrees. This is dangerous for the pros,
18:41never mind children who have no idea what they're doing. This Gilbert Glass Blowing
18:46Set encouraged children to try the practice for themselves. We don't even want to think
18:50about the consequences. Unsurprisingly, this toy was eventually pulled and is now
18:55regarded as nothing more than an insane experiment. 10. Sky Dancers
19:02Who would have thought something so cute would get yanked off the shelf?
19:12Released in 1994, these skinny plastic dolls came with foam wings and a little base to set her in.
19:18When you pulled the string on the back, the wings would spin like a helicopter and the doll would
19:23fly into the air. Incredibly popular at the time, the toys were given a recall due to the
19:36unpredictable nature of how they flew. Repeated eye injuries, broken teeth, blindness, and even
19:44severe cuts were all caused by the out-of-control spinning dolls. 9. Atomic Lab Kits
19:52Sold in the 1950s, the Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab gave kids the radioactive material needed
19:59to unleash nuclear and chemical reactions. From the lens of a 21st century parent,
20:05you'd question how anyone ever thought this was a good idea. Included in the sets
20:14were compounds that emitted beta and gamma rays, both of which are radioactive. It was pitched as
20:20being completely safe as long as you followed the instructions carefully, which we all know
20:26kids do so well. Thankfully, the $50 price tag was far too high to make it attractive in those days,
20:36forcing it off store shelves before it even sold 5,000 kits. 8. Clackers
20:43For the 1960s, the concept was fairly simple. Take two balls and attach them to a string,
20:50and children can swing them around. When they collide, they make a big clacking sound,
20:55which the kids will adore. It was all fine and dandy until the balls started exploding.
21:04With enough force applied, the collision would cause the balls to shatter,
21:07sending shards of glass or plastic in any direction.
21:15Reports of facial and other injuries caused the toy to be pulled from the market before
21:19resurfacing again in the 1990s. More modern materials prevented the exploding balls from
21:28hurting anyone further. 7. Buckyballs
21:33You can market it to older kids all you want. That's not going to stop the younger ones from
21:46playing with them. Buckyballs were a set of small, powerful magnets that would stick together to form
21:51various shapes. Each magnet was about 5mm wide, just small enough for a young kid to swallow.
22:03Countless reports of children ingesting the magnets caused a recall on the toy in 2012,
22:11forcing the company to issue $375,000 worth of refunds.
22:20That didn't, however, stop Buckyballs founder Craig Zucker from trying again.
22:24Specs are essentially the same toy, with a new name and logo.
22:286. Yo-Yo Waterballs
22:32Have you ever played with a paddle ball? You know, that rubber ball attached to a
22:36string with a paddle? Now imagine your hand is the paddle, the string is a bungee cord,
22:45and the ball contains a nondescript fluid. That's the concept behind the yo-yo ball.
22:50It sounded innocent enough, but many issues have arisen from it.
22:54There was of course the potential choking hazard it posed if the cord was wrapped around you in
22:59the wrong way. The material it was made of was also highly flammable. If pulled too far,
23:05the snap back could be quite painful. And the liquid in the ball was toxic.
23:10Everything about this bouncing ball said it needed to come off shelves.
23:165. Kite Tubes
23:19When you're done watching this video, search YouTube for
23:22Kite Tube Fail, and you'll see exactly why this kind of toy has no business on store shelves.
23:28It's essentially a modified inner tube designed to catch air while being dragged behind a boat.
23:33Once airborne, neither the boat driver or the passengers had any control over how the
23:38tube would react to the air current. In many cases, it would flip or turn suddenly,
23:51forcefully ejecting its passengers into the air. Broken bones, punctured lungs,
23:56and damaged eardrums were all injuries sustained as a result of the violent crash back into the water.
24:08The kite was quickly recalled, and flying boat tubes were made illegal.
24:124. Snack Time Cabbage Patch Kid
24:15No one would ever argue that Cabbage Patch Kids were a huge wave in the toy industry.
24:20But not every new doll was a success. Released in 1996, the Snack Time Kid was intended to allow
24:33children to feed their doll any number of plastic treats. Innocent at first, kids quickly discovered
24:39the mouth wouldn't stop until whatever it ate was fully immersed in their little friend. Combine
24:44that with an overpowered motor, kids were getting their fingers and hair stuck in the dolls.
24:50With no way to stop them from eating. By 1997, Mattel gave up on the hungry,
25:04hungry hippo-like doll and offered refunds to parents who had purchased the product.
25:153. Austin Magic Pistol
25:18Say what you want about toy guns, but they have been a staple of the toy industry for as long as
25:24guns have been around. But for a brief time in the late 1940s, this magic pistol was no ordinary
25:31play firearm. Using a combination of calcium carbide and water, the gun would propel ping-pong
25:36sized balls from the barrel for distances well over 70 feet. The biggest problem with this toy
25:47was the fact that it gave children access to a literal explosive compound
25:51that could go off with as little as a couple of drops of sweat.
25:57Combine that with the splash of sparks that often erupted from the weapon,
26:01everything about this toy spelled dangerous.
26:052. Aquadots
26:08Similar in some ways to today's Perler Beads, Aquadots, also known as Bindies,
26:14are small beads that can be used to create creative designs on small pegboards.
26:23Like other swallow hazard toys, younger children would accidentally ingest the beads.
26:28That wasn't however what triggered the ban and subsequent massive recall.
26:38The beads were made of butane diol, which when ingested converts to a sedative known
26:43as GHB or Gamma Hydroxybutyric Acid. Incidents of children swallowing and
26:49suffering adverse effects were widely reported. Concerns were also addressed about the beads
27:01being used as a recreational drug. The ingredients were eventually replaced with safer ones,
27:06allowing the toy to be brought back to store shelves.
27:131. Lawn Darts
27:32And you thought getting hit with a regular dart was bad.
27:35Lawn darts were a staple of outdoor games for many years. Shaped like their smaller counterpart,
27:41the metal pointed ends were quite heavy. Propelled by hand into the air in an arch
27:46to hit a circle target, the darts would have been harmless if they had only hit the grass.
27:54Thousands of injuries from lacerations, concussions,
27:56and even death were reportedly tied to the unsafe usage of this outdoor field game.
28:01When they're dropped from 15 feet, when they hit, this is 23,000 pounds per square inch.
28:07They were banned in the US in 1988, and then in Canada in 1989.
28:12Less dangerous substitutes have since been released, all with no metal tips.
28:17What kids toy brings back the most memories for you? Let us know in the comments.
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