- 6 weeks ago
From explosive hazards to choking risks, these toys were every parent's worst nightmare! Join us as we count down the toys that made parents panic, companies recall, and regulators lose sleep. Not all were officially banned, but they were at least recalled and pulled from shelves, making childhood a little safer but a lot less exciting!
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00:00Invite me to your next party!
00:02Welcome to WatchMojo!
00:03And today, we're counting down our picks for toys that made parents panic,
00:07companies recall, and regulators to lose sleep.
00:11Not all were officially banned, but they were at least recalled and or taken off shelves,
00:16so they may as well have been.
00:18Standby to launch Fighter Probe.
00:20Acknowledge input recorded and functioning.
00:24Vector coordinates coded.
00:2550. Toy Guns
00:29It's the new Mattel Firebolt gun.
00:31It never runs out of ammunition.
00:33Meant for pretend play, some versions of toy guns got a little too real.
00:37From cap guns to realistic replicas, toy guns have long courted controversy.
00:42Poor manufacturing and design flaws meant certain toy guns could explode during use.
00:47This wasn't a one-off.
00:48Cheaply made models using low-quality materials and poorly designed firing mechanisms
00:53made them a risky endeavor.
00:55Toy guns were only magical until they blew up in someone's hand or otherwise caused unwanted damage.
01:01Safe to say, this is one toy parents were glad to see get taken off shelves.
01:07Let's talk about some toys that could cause you to be killed.
01:11That's right, killed.
01:13Number 49.
01:14Metal Playgrounds
01:16Earlier days were not kind to soft foam and safety mats and playgrounds.
01:21Instead, playgrounds were practically medieval obstacle courses.
01:25Metal monkey bars and slides were cool at first impression.
01:28But they gradually turned into searing hot jungle gyms of doom under the scorching summer sun.
01:33Combine this with concrete flooring and high falls, and you have an injury factory disguised as fun.
01:39Broken arms, concussions, and second-degree burns weren't uncommon.
01:43Eventually, cities replaced them with rubber flooring, coated steel, and softer surfaces,
01:48drastically reducing injuries.
01:50The nostalgia may be strong with this one, but most parents are glad these
01:55burn-inducing jungle gyms are a relic of the past.
01:58We've all seen them, on the playground, at the store, walking on the streets.
02:02They creep us out and make us feel sick to our stomachs.
02:04Number 48.
02:05Chiwanji Vertical Box Hammer Toy
02:08Marketed online as a simple wooden playset, this 2023 product quickly found itself under the
02:14hammer of safety regulators. Nothing says fun like pounding colorful balls into a box,
02:20unless those balls are choking hazards. The Chiwanji Vertical Box Hammer Toy included
02:25four colorful balls and a mallet meant for toddlers. Unfortunately, the US Consumer Product
02:30Safety Commission found the balls to be too small for children under three and a serious choking hazard,
02:35and encouraged parents to dispose of them. Parents learned the hard way that not all classic
02:40toys are safe just because they give off old-fashioned vibes. Maybe, just maybe,
02:46it is best to leave out a toy that has the word hammer in its name.
02:50Number 47. Belt Buckle Derringer Toy Gun
02:54What kid doesn't want a gun and a belt buckle?
02:58Released in 1959, the Derringer toy gun allowed wannabe cowboys and outlaws to
03:02quick-draw by sticking out their stomachs. This triggered a small cap gun to fire. It was
03:08everything kids in 1959 wanted, until it wasn't. The issue? Those caps ignited from friction alone,
03:15causing severe burns in an area no one wants scorched. Combine that with pellets firing at close
03:21range, and you're practically asking for the toy to get banned.
03:25Everybody on the ground!
03:26After several injury reports, the toy was recalled. While creative, the Belt Buckle Derringer Toy Gun was
03:33one of those toys that reminded us not every cowboy fantasy should involve gunfire near your beltline.
03:39Mattel. Shootin' Shell Buckle Gun.
03:48Nice smoke, nice bang.
03:50Number 46. Furby
03:52What's that?
03:53Me up!
03:54It's my Furby!
03:55Cute and fuzzy, this blinking creature was the must-have toy of 1999. At least it was, until the
04:02National Security Agency, NSA, decided that it might be a spy. The NSA banned Furbies from their offices
04:08after concerns that the animatronic critters could be recording classified information.
04:13And when the security breach is later discovered, the government issues a directive banning Furbies
04:18from the National Security Agency. A slick tale of betrayal. But is it true? Or a little…
04:26Now, the toy wasn't spying. Rather, its ability to mimic speech and supposedly
04:32learn freaked out intelligence officials. Parents didn't warm up to the critter,
04:36complaining about late-night chatter and its creepy blinking eyes. Though not banned for safety reasons,
04:42the Furbies' uncanny behavior paved the way for it to become an infamous children's toy. Combine that
04:47with reports of Furbies turning on spontaneously in the dark, and it's no wonder they earned an eerie
04:54reputation.
04:59Number 45. SpongeBob Address Book
05:02Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? SpongeBob SquarePants. Absorbent and yellow and full of lead
05:09is he. SpongeBob SquarePants? At first, the SpongeBob Address Book looked like harmless Nickelodeon merch,
05:16but tests revealed something sinister. Everything is chrome in the future!
05:21The binder's metallic spirals were loaded with lead, and that was a major red flag. Lead exposure,
05:27especially in kids, can cause serious developmental harm, so the recall was swift. The SpongeBob
05:33Address Book was pulled from shelves soon after. While SpongeBob's nautical adventures are usually fun,
05:40this was one case where Bikini Bottom got buried under safety violations. Nickelodeon quickly moved to
05:47address the issue. But for a while, SpongeBob wasn't soaking up fun. He was soaking up toxic metal.
05:53That didn't help at all!
05:55Number 44. Slip N Slide
05:58The Wham-O Slip N Slide! It's unbelievable and it's for you! It's new! It's magic!
06:04This toy was a backyard classic that came with a serious catch. If you were too big, get ready to be
06:10wiped out. Originally designed for kids, Slip N Slides became a whole different kind of playtime
06:16when used by adults or older teens. The extra weight meant more users slid straight off the
06:21end and into the ground, suffering neck and back injuries. While the manufacturers specified the
06:26toy was to be used only by children under a specific weight, their warnings often went ignored. By the 90s,
06:33several injuries and recalls piled up. It wasn't actually banned, but older children and adults were
06:39strongly discouraged from using it. Number 43. Poe Teletubby!
06:47Who could've guessed that one of the most cheerful children's characters would cause a full-blown
06:52controversy? The talking Poe doll hit the shelves of toy stores in 1998, but parents quickly noticed it
06:59was saying some questionable phrases. Rumors spread that Poe's babble included words like,
07:04bite my butt. No one was physically hurt, but that wasn't going to stop the ensuing backlash and
07:12complaints. Despite the manufacturer's insistence that it was a misheard garble of sounds, the damage
07:18had been done and the controversy stuck. Poe the Teletubby was soon pulled from some shelves, a case
07:24where a single misunderstood phrase silenced even the happiest of children's icons.
07:31Number 42. Burger King Pokémon Toys.
07:34Now inside every Burger King Big Kids meal you buy, your kids not only get more of the great
07:39tasting food they love, they get Pokémon toys and limited edition trading cards from Pokémon the
07:44first movie. Pokémon fans may remember the 1999 Burger King craze. Kids were on the catch-em-all train,
07:50just not at the cost of safety. Burger King's Pokémon promotion turned tragic when the plastic
07:56Pokéball containers, included with kids' meals, became suffocation hazards. After the death of a
08:02young child, millions of toys were recalled across North America. This marked one of the fast food
08:07industry's most heartbreaking product safety cases. Burger King eventually added warnings and offered
08:13refunds, but the journey was over. It was a dark moment for Pokémon's marketing history and a reminder
08:19that even the smallest oversight can have enormous consequences.
08:23Burger King and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission want you to know about the voluntary
08:27recall of this Pokémon Pokéball. The ball may pose a suffocation hazard to children under three.
08:33Throw the ball away.
08:34Number 41. Easy-Bake Oven.
08:36We're making something new with Easy-Bake!
08:39Hasbro's beloved miniature oven was the starter kit for many aspiring young bakers, until kids realized
08:45they were the ones getting baked instead. The compact electric oven used a light bulb to heat treats,
08:51but could reach dangerously high temperatures. Between 2006 and 2007, 77 reports of burns and at
08:58least one partial finger amputation forced a recall of hundreds of thousands of units.
09:04Her hand got stuck inside the Easy-Bake Oven while it was still turned on.
09:09Hasbro redesigned the toy with better safety features. A bulb-free version of the toy followed,
09:14but its reputation was singed. It's proof that while baking cookies is fun,
09:19it shouldn't come with a side of third-degree burns.
09:23Number 40. Battlestar Galactica Colonial Viper.
09:32Space toys should soar, not choke. Unfortunately, the latter was the case for Battlestar Galactica
09:38Colonial Viper. This toy spacecraft was every sci-fi fan's dream in the 1970s.
09:44Until it started launching projectiles down people's throats. The Viper featured a spring-loaded
09:49plastic missile that could easily be swallowed when first fired into a kid's mouth. Several choking
09:54incidents and one fatal case prompted a massive recall. The incident changed toy safety standards,
10:01and Mattel was forced to redesign their toys to prevent small parts from detaching. This also led to
10:07new choke-proof regulations for all projectile toys. The Colonial Viper may have flown in fiction,
10:13but in real life, it crash-landed hard.
10:16Viper launch station, not for use with other Battlestar Galactica vehicles. You put it together.
10:20Number 39. Harry Potter Nimbus 2000 Vibrating Broomstick.
10:25It's a broomstick. That's not just a broomstick, Harry. It's a Nimbus 2000!
10:32In an instance where magic met questionable design, the Harry Potter Nimbus 2000 Vibrating Broomstick
10:38initially seemed like the perfect toy for young witches and wizards. Once parents discovered the
10:43vibrating handle, all that initial euphoria flipped over its head. What started as a viral toy became a
10:49negatively viral punchline. Kids loved the broomstick, but parents couldn't help but notice something else
10:55entirely. The broomstick's rising notoriety and unintended side effects led to it quickly being
11:05removed from shelves. While it didn't technically injure anyone, the marketing oversight remains one
11:11of the most embarrassing product moments in toy history. Number 38. Candy Cigarettes.
11:17Sure, I could give them up any time I wanted to. Nothing like promoting a bad habit in a sweet way.
11:23Candy Cigarettes were that and more. These sugary sticks mimicked real cigarettes and were wildly
11:29popular through much of the 20th century. Unfortunately, the candy was also teaching
11:34kids a questionable kind of play. By the 1980s, parents and health advocates protested,
11:39saying the candy normalized smoking for kids. While still technically legal in some countries,
11:45most major candy brands discontinued them. Setting aside the strange nostalgia,
11:50candy cigarettes serve as a reminder of a time when marketing and common sense
11:54weren't exactly on speaking terms. Sometimes imitation isn't the sincerest form of flattery,
12:00and it was for the best that these little cigs got stubbed out.
12:04You can still buy fairly realistic packs of the candy, and they're easy to recognize,
12:08even without the word cigarettes displayed on the packaging anymore. They may call themselves
12:12sticks or something similar, but the graphics on the package are unmistakable.
12:1637. Moon Shoes
12:22They promised you'd bounce like an astronaut, but Moon Shoes only made you feel like gravity won
12:27instead. Advertised as mini trampolines for your feet, this toy from the 1990s delivered more trips
12:34and tumbles down to the ground than propelling its users upward. The spring-loaded contraptions strapped
12:39to your sneakers used elastic bands to give wearers a tiny boost with every step, but they also caused
12:45endless ankle sprains, face plants, and bruised egos. Many retailers quietly pulled them from
12:51shelves. The shoes have made a nostalgic comeback, but most parents still prefer to keep their kids
12:56grounded. Just because you can strap springs to your feet doesn't mean you should.
13:01Moon Shoes are like mini trampolines for your feet. The shoes have anti-gravity effects, so as kids walk
13:06and jump, it feels like they're walking on the moon.
13:1036. Chicken Limbo Party Game
13:13Hey kids, slide on under and do the chicken limbo!
13:16How low can you go before it all collapses? Well, Milton Bradley's Chicken Limbo showed everyone that.
13:23What was designed to be a wacky fun game featuring a dancing talking chicken on a limbo stick came
13:28with a serious design flaw. The flimsy support poles meant that with the slightest touch,
13:33the structure wobbled and crashed down on players. This caused injuries like bumps, chipped teeth,
13:39welts, and even a fractured foot. After dozens of injuries and nearly a half a million recalled units,
13:44the clucking bird was recalled in 2006. There's a fine line between family fun and foul play. This game
13:51was meant to bring families together. Instead, it brought them to urgent care. Limbo's supposed to
13:57bend, not break. 35. Zulu Toy Gun
14:01You'd think a toy called Harmless on the box would be safe. Not this one.
14:11This was trouble right out of the box. Sold in the late 1960s, the Zulu Toy Gun invited kids to load
14:17small darts and fire them by blowing through a tube. But the problem wasn't shooting. It was breathing.
14:23Instead of blowing out the darts, many children inhaled them instead, sending darts, pins, and
14:29even needles into their throats. Emergency rooms saw a spike in choking cases and an emergency recall
14:35led to the banning of the toy in the UK. Sometimes, all it takes is one deep breath to end a toy's run
14:41permanently. 34. Lead Painted Toys
14:49The toys and dolls in this museum are safely locked away, out of reach of small children,
14:56which is just as well as most of them contain lead. Toxic playtime sadly sums up much of the
15:02Victorian era. In the 19th century, toys coated in lead paint were everywhere. Even worse, there were
15:08cases where sometimes toys were entirely made of lead. The lead gave a glossy finish to the toys,
15:13but slowly poisoned the kids playing with them. In an era of poor sanitation and high infant mortality,
15:19lead toys made an already grim childhood even deadlier. By the 20th century, medical science
15:24finally linked lead exposure to severe neurological damage, forcing governments to ban the practice.
15:30Today, strict regulations protect kids from this colorful danger. But the lessons
15:35linger. Not every shiny toy is safe.
15:38Lead in paint can be a danger.
15:4033. Skyranger's Park Flyer Airplane
15:44When it came to takeoff, these toys just blew it. The Skyranger's Park Flyer was a radio-controlled
15:50airplane, popular in the 2000s and designed for kids and hobbyists alike. The Skyranger's Park
15:56Flyer RC plane was a pretty standard bearer of head injuries from above, but with one ridiculous twist.
16:01The battery pack in the plane's tail had a knack for exploding before or during launch.
16:06The lightweight design and rechargeable battery setup made it appealing, but then those very same
16:11batteries also overheated and led to spontaneous explosions. These planes literally burst into flames,
16:18damaging property and injuring users. After numerous reports of fire hazards, the flyer was grounded for
16:25good. They may have been parked flyers, but for many, they ended up as parked fires. The line between
16:32fun and fiery disaster has rarely been thinner.
16:36Wildcat speed and velocity, all on the proud wings of victory.
16:4032. Trampolines
16:42Wait, you can talk about my trampoline with me.
16:44Now, trampolines haven't been fully banned, but they remain a classic backyard attraction that promises to
16:50be an orthopedic nightmare. Safety groups have long warned against trampolines. From neck injuries to
16:56concussions and even spinal fractures, the trampoline was a fun way to bounce into the ER.
17:01Trampoline injuries were so common that some insurance companies stopped covering them altogether.
17:06Safety nets and padding helped, but improper use and overcrowding kept the risks sky high.
17:12Despite warnings from doctors and safety boards, trampolines remain popular, proving that gravity will
17:17always win in the end. The medical profession does not recommend
17:22trampoline use at home. 31. Magnetics
17:28They snapped together beautifully, and then kids started snapping them up. Literally. The Magnetics
17:33construction set was a popular construction toy kit that used tiny magnetic balls and rods to form
17:39creative shapes. But when those tiny magnets came loose, Curious Kids swallowed them, leading to
17:45life-threatening internal injuries. Upon swallowing, the magnets could pinch or tear intestinal walls and
17:51require emergency surgery. After various cases of hospitalizations and a tragic death, the toy was
17:57recalled. Today, magnetics serve as one of the most sobering reminders in toy history. The smaller the
18:03parts, the bigger the danger. But for now, at least one item of concern has been struck off the list.
18:09Number 30, fidget spinners. And I posted on our social media,
18:14they're here. And then I had to turn around a few hours later and say, they're gone. A toy that gives you
18:19something to do when there's nothing to do is the name of the game, right? Well, kids, just because
18:26you're bored during class doesn't mean you should be doing something other than paying attention. Fidget spinners,
18:32due to their small, transportable, and addictive nature, became a distraction as the handheld gadgets
18:38soared in popularity in 2017. So much so that many schools banned them from classrooms. What had been
18:45originally considered a tool to help kids concentrate became a potential inhibitor to academic progress.
18:51The fidget spinner story also teaches us a lesson. Boredom is okay sometimes, and you don't always
18:58have to be doing something. Now, in large numbers, kids who don't have ADHD have noticed the objects
19:05their friends were using and decided they want to start spinning too. Number 29, Barbie and Tanner.
19:17The world of the iconic Barbie faced a bit of an issue in 2007 with the Barbie and Tanner toy sets.
19:24These sets were based on life as a dog owner, which of course meant that they had to include a pooper
19:30scooper. Unfortunately, a small magnet inside that pooper scooper posed a threat for young children.
19:36It could come off and be swallowed or aspirated. Yeah, not good. It was certainly not a fantastic
19:43situation, and this crap needed to be dealt with. The solution was to get these sets off the market.
19:50So cute! Uh-oh, excuse us! You potty trained Tanner, Barbie!
19:54Barbie girl!
19:55Number 28, Flubber.
19:58I'm not sure what we've got here, Charlie. But if we've got what I think we've got,
20:02we've got something.
20:03An object that's gooey plus stretchy plus bouncy equals fun, right? That seems to be a plausible
20:09equation. One that came into play with the release of Flubber during the 1960s. The flexible
20:15kids toy was inspired by the movie, The Absent-Minded Professor, and produced by the
20:20Hasenfield brothers, known as Hasbro. They teamed up with Disney for a promotion ahead of the film's
20:26sequel, Son of Flubber. But it didn't take long for the Flubber product to have issues. Reports and
20:32complaints about sore throats and rashes forced the chemical concoction toys to be taken off the shelves.
20:38Did you really think you could rival Silly Putty? Silly Goose?
20:42Let's try and describe you. Uh, you're an elastomer. Yes, uh, um, you're highly viscous,
20:50but yet you can phase shift.
20:51Number 27, Polly Pocket Playsets.
20:55I'm Polly Pocket. Want to see what's new? Really fun compacts just for you!
21:00Multiple editions of Mattel's Polly Pocket Playsets in the mid-2000s had magnet issues.
21:06There were hundreds of reports of magnets coming loose from the figurines and accessories in the set.
21:12And worse, there were a few reports of children who suffered serious choking
21:16injuries that required surgery. It wasn't all fun and games anymore. The danger of multiple
21:22magnets becoming attached to each other after being swallowed was no joke. It meant potentially
21:28fatal consequences and that the few million Polly Pocket Playsets with the magnet issue had to be
21:34recalled.
21:34How does life more wait to have a Polly Day?
21:38Each will separately.
21:39Number 26, My Friend Kayla.
21:41Kayla knows millions of things.
21:44How about a new hairstyle?
21:46How about a ponytail?
21:47They're watching us. They can hear us. These sentiments about surveillance and privacy concerns have
21:54circulated with the advancement of technology. How much of our
21:57computer and cell phone habits are actually private has become a legitimate question.
22:02And there's more to it than that. If you asked the German government about the doll known as
22:06My Friend Kayla, they would tell kids Kayla isn't who they thought she was. The kid's companion with
22:13communicative and voice recognition capabilities was deemed an espionage device, and they were banned
22:19in Germany as a result. That's right kids, your secret might not be safe with Kayla after all.
22:25This is all kinds of, well, creepy.
22:28Kayla's so smart.
22:29And so cute.
22:30I hear that a lot.
22:31Number 25, Kinder Surprise.
22:34Two Seattle men found out the hard way the candy they bought in Canada is illegal here in the United
22:40States.
22:41A chocolate egg with a toy inside. Sounds like a kid's dream, right? There's an issue though. The Kinder
22:46Surprise, made by the Italian company Ferrero, goes against a US law that prohibits the sale of candy that
22:54contains an inedible toy inside. As a result, they were banned from being imported into the US.
23:00The argument behind this ban is choking and aspiration hazards. Particularly if a young
23:06child isn't aware that a toy is inside the chocolate egg. It could be dangerous. We get the
23:12idea of the surprise toy within a piece of chocolate, but let's be real. Many kids will be happy with just a
23:18piece of chocolate by itself and with just a toy by itself. They don't need the two-in-one combo.
23:25He said, are you aware that Kinder eggs are illegal in the United States and carry a $2,500 fine per
23:33egg? And I actually laughed.
23:35Number 24, Splash Off Water Rockets.
23:38This has risky kid science experiment written all over it. Kids, make sure you're wearing your safety
23:44goggles. Or better yet, for the Splash Off Water Rockets, don't use them at all. These things were
23:50ready for liftoff in the toy market in 1997. But the water pressure caused by filling a Splash Off
23:56Water Rocket led to danger of it breaking apart into pieces. Thirty-seven reports of hand, shoulder,
24:03and forehead injuries were the result. As was the product's ultimate crash landing in the toy market.
24:09Safety goggles weren't even enough, actually. You might need full-body
24:13armor to be truly safe from Splash Off Water Rockets.
24:17Number 23, Super Bang Blast Balls.
24:20You know what I got? I got some noise makers. Check this out.
24:25Wanna try one?
24:26Have you ever had a toy that you loved because of its sound? The lure of the Super Bang Blast Balls
24:32was just that, sound. They were built to sound similar to a cap gun. And the instructions to create
24:37that cracking sound is simple. Strike one blast ball against the other with your hands. But,
24:43just think about the name again. Don't Super Bang Blast Balls just sound dangerous? The contact of
24:50these balls of fury can cause sparks to ignite. They could, and did, cause minor burns to hands and
24:57fingers. So sorry to the kids who were having a blast with the Super Bang Blast Balls. But it was time to
25:04let them go.
25:09Then we finally get a reaction taking place.
25:12Number 22, Slap Bracelets.
25:15I am not 10 years old anymore. I don't like roller skating or unicorns or slap bracelets.
25:20Don't you take off the slap bracelets. That represents friendship.
25:24If the word slap is in the name, take it for what it's called. Slap Bracelets were meant to slap
25:30around the wrist and add an extra layer to a kid's style. During the early 1990s, they were a fashion
25:36trend for students. They came in different colors and patterns, but if slapped on aggressively and
25:42out of nowhere, it could kind of hurt. Cheap and worn out versions especially posed injury risks.
25:48Once injured wrist reports started piling up, numerous schools banned slap bracelets, helping
25:54bring the fad to a halt. Nearly 80,000 bracelets for kids are being recalled.
26:00Number 21, Thing Maker. Now you can make all kinds of lovely things like these with Mattel's wonderful
26:08Thing Maker. Also known as Creepy Crawlers, this toy allowed kids to create multiple little critters
26:14made out of a liquid chemical substance. The problem with the Thing Maker, though, was the
26:19heat of the molds. A kid's toy with temperatures reaching close to 400 degrees Fahrenheit didn't sit
26:25well with the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, so the Thing Maker was discontinued
26:31in 1973, about nine years after its release. It did make a comeback, though, with a second iteration
26:38that was safer. However, as the story goes, the sequel didn't have the same success.
26:44Build a monster mold with the color plastic goop and make a creepy crawler from my yucky monster soup.
26:50Number 20, Toothpick Crossbows.
26:52Is that a crossbow?
26:55Ah! Oh, it is a crossbow!
26:58In the mid-2010s, a toothpick crossbow craze was sweeping Chinese schools.
27:03Selling online and in shops for as little as seven yuan, these so-called toothpick crossbows were
27:10originally designed to shoot out just that.
27:12Toothpicks.
27:14As their name suggests, these were mini-crossbows that were meant to shoot toothpicks at various objects,
27:20usually friends. But as you can imagine, shooting sharp pieces of wood into your friends' faces can
27:26be quite dangerous. Not only that, but there were alleged reports of children using the crossbow to
27:31fire the likes of nails and needles.
27:34These toothpick crossbows have become a new favorite among Chinese children, but it seems some have
27:40already been exposed to the potential dangers. Parents raised concerns, and the law swiftly
27:46answered by banning the sale of toothpick crossbows across the country. Many major retailers were
27:52ordered to take the toy off their shelves, and raids were carried out by law enforcement to ensure that
27:56retailers were complying with the ban.
28:0019. Rollerblade Barbie
28:02We don't know what Mattel was thinking with Rollerblade Barbie. This doll was obviously
28:12meant to rollerblade around the room, and to do so, the manufacturer equipped her feet with rolling
28:18contraptions that acted like cigarette lighters. They were even designed to kick up sparks.
28:35Of course, there were reports of injuries. In Jackson, Mississippi, a young girl accidentally
28:40set her brother on fire after playing with the combination of hairspray and rollerblade Barbie.
28:46Luckily, the child wasn't seriously injured. Mattel realized that they had a serious problem
28:50and potential lawsuit on their hands, so they quickly ceased production on Rollerblade Barbie.
28:56That was probably a good idea.
28:5918. Mini Hammocks
29:01You know who invented the hammock, Homer? No.
29:03That's something for you to do. Find that out.
29:05Manufacturers realized that hammocks weren't really made for children, yet children loved to hang in them.
29:11So they had the idea to make mini hammocks suited exclusively for tiny bodies.
29:15There was just one problem. And we mean one major problem.
29:20Hammocks contain what are called spreader bars. And these bars keep hammocks from folding in on
29:26themselves. These mini hammocks did not have spreader bars, so they were prone to entangling
29:32and strangling children. Unfortunately, many children and teenagers died in tragic hammock-related
29:37accidents, and one child reportedly suffered brain damage. These specific mini hammocks were eventually
29:43recalled, with more than 3 million being taken off the country's shelves.
29:4817. Hannah Montana Popstar Card Game
29:52Hannah Montana was all the rage in the mid-2000s, having debuted in March of 2006.
29:58Don't look at my booty. No danger of that, partner.
30:00All sorts of merchandise was made up to capitalize on its success, including a playing card game.
30:07Sounds innocent, except that the cards contained a dangerously high amount of lead.
30:14In 2007, thousands of children's toys were tested for lead, specifically lead paint.
30:20Kathy Jenkins owns toys in the attic. After hearing recent reports of lead found in toys from China,
30:25she decided to offer free lead testing to anyone who wanted to bring their toys by.
30:29The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 40 parts per million, and 600 parts
30:35per million is the federally mandated level for a mandatory recall. It was found that the Hannah
30:40Montana cards contain levels of 3,056 parts per million, about 5 times higher than the recall limit.
30:48Suffice to say, you can no longer find these cards anywhere.
30:5116. Slingshots
30:55While not exclusively made for children, slingshots have long been used by them. For some, it's an
31:01introductory weapon. For others, it's a relatively harmless toy used to shoot chestnuts at soda cans or
31:19whatever. Of course, there is a huge risk factor inherent with slingshots. As a result, arm-braced
31:25slingshots are banned in many jurisdictions. For example, the state of New York has banned slingshots
31:31under criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree. Also gripped with slingshots are the likes
31:36of electric dart guns, switchblade knives, and brass knuckles. Possession of arm-braced slingshots is a
31:42Class A misdemeanor and can land the owner in prison for a year.
31:5415. Fisher Price Power Wheels
32:02In the late 90s, Fisher Price manufactured various models of ride-on cars and trucks for children.
32:08They were called Power Wheels, and they allowed little ones to get a taste of the road long before
32:13they could obtain a driver's license. However, these Power Wheels cars were horribly designed,
32:18to say the least. Some of them failed to stop, causing children to plow into walls and get hurt.
32:2344,000 Hot Pink Barbie Dream Campers are recalled, this after 17 reports of the battery-powered wheels
32:30continuing to run even after the foot pedal was released.
32:34But even worse were the faulty electrical components. There were hundreds of reports of
32:38these toy cars overheating and catching fire, and they caused upwards of $300,000 in property damage.
32:45Power Wheels were eventually recalled, and just a few years later, Fisher Price faced a $1.1
32:50million fine from the Consumer Products Safety Commission.
32:5514. Aqua Leisure Baby Floats
32:58Pool flotation devices are certainly nothing new.
33:01I would say that I'm just drifting here in the pool.
33:05Why?
33:08Well, it's very comfortable just to drift here.
33:10Unfortunately, young children in open water don't often make for the safest combination.
33:15In the late 2000s, manufacturer Aqua Leisure issued a voluntary recall over their defective baby floats.
33:21Swim school baby boats consider every detail for safe water play.
33:25Ensuring your baby is comfortable is foremost.
33:28The seats were prone to tearing, causing babies and young children to fall through the flotation
33:33of ice and into the water. More than 30 such incidents were officially reported. But thankfully,
33:38no one was seriously injured or killed.
33:40I think I'm sorry about that.
33:45You've been smirking, guys. You've been smirking.
33:47Aqua Leisure eventually notified the Consumer Product Safety Commission, but at that point,
33:52more than 20 reports had already been issued. As a result, the CPSC slapped the company with a
33:57civil penalty of $650,000.
34:0013. Hoverboards
34:07These self-balancing scooters were all the rage in the mid-2010s. Unfortunately,
34:14also generated quite a degree of controversy, not only for being fake hoverboards, but because
34:20they were incredibly dangerous. Not only were inexperienced users falling off and hurting themselves,
34:26but the batteries were notoriously awful and prone to bursting into flames.
34:30These scooters were blamed for dozens of residential fires and deaths,
34:34and as a result, they have been banned in numerous places across the world.
34:38The MTA is banning hoverboards because they say the lithium-ion batteries pose a potential
34:43fire risk.
34:44Many public spaces have prohibited the use of hoverboards, and places like New York City,
34:48the Netherlands, and Hong Kong have banned their use outright. Various imports have also been
34:54banned by the U.S. International Trade Commission for infringing on copyright laws.
34:5912. CSI Fingerprint Kit
35:03This is one particularly tragic case that can have enormous repercussions in a couple of decades.
35:08In the mid-2000s, a specific CSI toolkit allowed children to dust for fingerprints.
35:14Unfortunately, the powder that was used in the test kit contained a very dangerous type of asbestos
35:19called tremolite. In fact, it's believed that even a one-time exposure to this type of asbestos
35:25can cause lung cancer later in life.
35:27The toxicant was found in six of eight samples tested by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization
35:34during a five-month examination.
35:36The Department of Consumer Protection ordered the manufacturer to recall the product,
35:40but who knows how many children had already been affected.
35:43Manufacturer Planet Toys Inc. eventually went bankrupt,
35:46and a class-action lawsuit was launched seeking damages.
35:5011. Gilbert Glass Blowing Set
35:53It doesn't take a genius to work out that children in glassblowing do not mix.
35:5811. Glass Blowing
36:08Why anyone thought this would be a good idea is beyond us.
36:1211. Glassblowing is an incredibly dangerous trade, requiring the maker to work with literal molten glass,
36:19as in glass that appears bright orange because it's 2,000 degrees.
36:2312. This is dangerous for the pros, never mind children who have no idea what they're doing.
36:33This Gilbert glassblowing set encouraged children to try the practice for themselves.
36:37We don't even want to think about the consequences. Unsurprisingly, this toy was eventually pulled,
36:44and is now regarded as nothing more than an insane experiment.
36:4712. Sky Dancers
36:50Who would have thought something so cute would get yanked off the shelf?
36:5412. Sky Dancers
37:00Released in 1994, these skinny plastic dolls came with foam wings and a little base to set her in.
37:07When you pulled the string on the back, the wings would spin like a helicopter and the doll would
37:12fly into the air.
37:2013. Incredibly popular at the time, the toys were given a recall due to the unpredictable nature of
37:26how they flew. Repeated eye injuries, broken teeth, blindness, and even severe cuts were all caused by
37:33the out-of-control spinning dolls.
37:349. Atomic Lab Kits
37:37Sold in the 1950s, the Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab gave kids the radioactive material needed to
37:45unleash nuclear and chemical reactions. From the lens of a 21st-century parent, you'd question how
37:52anyone ever thought this was a good idea.
37:55My name is Sheldon Cooper, and I'm trying to build a nuclear reactor, and I could use this help.
37:59Included in the sets were compounds that emitted beta and gamma rays, both of which are radioactive.
38:06It was pitched as being completely safe as long as you followed the instructions carefully,
38:11which we all know kids do so well.
38:1310. Vent Radioactive Gas
38:16N-O
38:18Thankfully, the $50 price tag was far too high to make it attractive in those days,
38:22forcing it off store shelves before it even sold 5,000 kits.
38:2610. Clackers
38:29For the 1960s, the concept was fairly simple. Take two balls and attach them to a string,
38:36and children can swing them around. When they collide, they make a big clacking sound,
38:41which the kids will adore.
38:4310. Unbreakable miracle clackers are for everyone, even the little guys.
38:46It was all fine and dandy until the balls started exploding. With enough force applied,
38:51the collision would cause the balls to shatter, sending shards of glass or plastic in any direction.
38:58The new original miracle clackers won't shatter even if you use both hands.
39:02Reports of facial and other injuries caused the toy to be pulled from the market before
39:06resurfacing again in the 1990s.
39:12More modern materials prevented the exploding balls from hurting anyone further.
39:167. Buckyballs
39:19You can market it to older kids all you want.
39:22The magnets can adhere to each other,
39:25and then it can cause intestinal injury or damage.
39:29That's not going to stop the younger ones from playing with them.
39:33Buckyballs were a set of small, powerful magnets that would stick together to form various shapes.
39:39Each magnet was about 5 millimeters wide, just small enough for a young kid to swallow.
39:44The company and CPSC have been warning for a long time.
39:48This is a product not intended for kids, yet the incidents still happen.
39:52Countless reports of children ingesting the magnets caused a recall on the toy in 2012,
39:57forcing the company to issue $375,000 worth of refunds.
40:02This x-ray shows a ring of 18 Buckyballs lodged in his stomach.
40:06That didn't, however, stop Buckyballs founder Craig Zucker from trying again.
40:10The specs are essentially the same toy, with a new name and logo.
40:156. Yo-Yo Waterballs
40:18Have you ever played with a paddle ball?
40:20You know, that rubber ball attached to a string with a paddle?
40:27Now imagine your hand is the paddle.
40:30The string is a bungee cord, and the ball contains a nondescript fluid.
40:34That's the concept behind the yo-yo ball.
40:37It sounded innocent enough, but many issues have arisen from it.
40:41There was, of course, the potential choking hazard it posed if the cord was wrapped around
40:45you in the wrong way. The material it was made of was also highly flammable. If pulled too far,
40:51the snapback could be quite painful. And the liquid in the ball was toxic. Everything about
40:57this bouncing ball said it needed to come off shelves.
40:595. Kite Tubes
41:05When you're done watching this video, search YouTube for Kite Tube Fail, and you'll see exactly why this
41:11kind of toy has no business on store shelves. It's essentially a modified inner tube designed
41:17to catch air while being dragged behind a boat. Once airborne, neither the boat driver or the passengers
41:23had any control over how the tube would react to the air current.
41:26Hello? Mrs. Pommelhorst? I'd like to get down now.
41:35In many cases, it would flip or turn suddenly, forcefully ejecting its passengers into the air.
41:41Broken bones, punctured lungs, and damaged eardrums were all injuries sustained as a result of the violent
41:46crash back into the water. The kite was quickly recalled, and flying boat tubes were made illegal.
41:584. Snack Time Cabbage Patch Kid
42:02No one would ever argue that Cabbage Patch Kids were a huge wave in the toy industry,
42:07but not every new doll was a success.
42:094. Snack Time Kid
42:16Released in 1996, the Snack Time Kid was intended to allow children to feed their doll
42:21any number of plastic treats. Innocent at first, kids quickly discovered the mouth wouldn't stop
42:27until whatever it ate was fully immersed in their little friend. Combine that with an overpowered
42:32motor, kids were getting their fingers and hair stuck in the dolls, with no way to stop them from eating.
42:38After I got the battery, I had to see if I could push a button or something, a lever,
42:42and pull the hair back through. But as the hair went in, it intertwined into the gear,
42:46and then you couldn't get it out.
42:48By 1997, Mattel gave up on the hungry, hungry hippo-like doll
42:52and offered refunds to parents who had purchased the product.
42:55If you pulled on the doll, it only grabbed more, and it was pulling her hair away from her scalp.
43:013. Austin Magic Pistol
43:04Say what you want about toy guns, but they have been a staple of the toy industry for as long as
43:10guns have been around. But for a brief time in the late 1940s, this magic pistol was no ordinary
43:17play firearm. Using a combination of calcium carbide and water, the gun would propel ping-pong-sized
43:23balls from the barrel for distances well over 70 feet. The biggest problem with this toy was the
43:34fact that it gave children access to a literal explosive compound that could go off with as
43:39little as a couple of drops of sweat. Combine that with the splash of sparks that often erupted from
43:47the weapon, everything about this toy spelled dangerous.
43:502. Aquadots
43:54Similar in some ways to today's Perler beads, Aquadots, also known as Bindies,
44:00are small beads that can be used to create creative designs on small pegboards.
44:043. Aquadots
44:09Like other Swallow Hazard toys, younger children would accidentally ingest the beads. That wasn't,
44:15however, what triggered the ban and subsequent massive recall.
44:194. The complete Super Studio playset
44:20includes the Papalo Bend, the Speed Dryer, the Aqua Sprayer.
44:24The beads were made of butanediol, which, when ingested, converts to a sedative known as GHB,
44:31or gamma-hydroxybutyric acid. Incidents of children swallowing and suffering
44:36adverse effects were widely reported.
44:38He just started weaving, kind of like he was drunk or something, and he fell down.
44:45Concerns were also addressed about the beads being used as a recreational drug.
44:50The ingredients were eventually replaced with safer ones,
44:52allowing the toy to be brought back to store shelves.
44:56Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified
45:00about our latest videos. You have the option to be notified for occasional videos, or all of them.
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45:121. Lawn Darts
45:14It was on April 5th, 1987 that David Snow's world fell apart.
45:18And you thought getting hit with a regular dart was bad. Lawn darts were a staple of outdoor games
45:24for many years. Shaped like their smaller counterpart, the metal-pointed ends were quite heavy.
45:30Propelled by hand into the air in an arch to hit a circle target,
45:34the darts would have been harmless if they had only hit the grass.
45:38By afternoon, she was in a coma.
45:40Thousands of injuries from lacerations, concussions, and even death were reportedly
45:44tied to the unsafe usage of this outdoor field game.
45:48When they're dropped from 15 feet, when they hit, this is 23,000 pounds per square inch.
45:54They were banned in the US in 1988 and then in Canada in 1989.
45:58Less dangerous substitutes have since been released, all with no metal tips.
46:04Which of these banned toys do you remember owning? Did any survive your childhood intact?
46:09Let us know in the comments and don't forget to subscribe to WatchMojo!
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