Trouble In Toyland 2019

Toys with sound

What to watch for If a toy is too loud for you, it could be loud enough to damage your child’s hearing. Turn off the sound, remove the batteries or return the toy.

Slime

What to watch for Some slimes contain high levels of toxic boron. Consider making homemade alternatives without borax, or monitor your children at all times. If your child ingests a slime product, call Poison Control.

Fidget spinners and toys marketed to adults

What to watch for Some products, such as fidget spinners or children’s makeup, are not classified as toys and avoid certain safety standards. These products could contain higher levels of lead, choking risks and other hidden dangers. Avoid these “toys,” or watch your kids closely while they play.

Toys with small parts

What to watch for Toys marketed to ages six and older may contain small parts that are choking hazards for younger children. Parents should check all toys for age guidelines. Before your child plays with a toy for the first time, see if smaller parts fit through a toilet paper roll — indicating they pose a choking hazard. Watch our video to learn how.

“Hatching” toys

What to watch for Toys with break-apart packaging can become choking hazards for small children. Monitor your child while they open the packaging and promptly dispose of the pieces.

Balloons

What to watch for Never let a child under three play with balloons, and monitor any child under 8, as balloons are the number one choking hazard for children.

Smart toys

What to watch for Sites, apps, games and smart toys may be collecting private data from your child and exposing their information to hackers. Consider running these smart toys without connections to the internet, evaluating privacy policies when you first activate them, and monitoring your child’s use. Check out this guide for more info.

Makeup

What to watch for We found asbestos in Claire’s makeup last year. Makeup lacks necessary safety standards, which is why we recommend avoiding these products for children, or at a minimum purchasing alternatives without talc, as it can be a source of asbestos.

Toys with small magnets

What to watch for Swallowed magnets can cause serious internal damage by bunching together. Keep away from young children and monitor older children when they are playing with toys containing magnets.

Toy jewelry with toxic metals

What to watch for Cadmium is a toxic metal that can be used as a substitute for precious metals in inexpensive jewelry, including dress-up jewelry marketed to young children. If your child is under six, watch them carefully to confirm that they don’t swallow a piece of jewelry, chew on the item, or put it in their mouths. Also, consider avoiding cheaper, metallic jewelry that is imported.

Recalled toys sold secondhand

What to watch for Before using an old or pre-owned toy from an online marketplace, garage sale or passed down from a family member, parents should confirm that the product has not been recalled by visiting www.SaferProducts.gov.

Toys already in your home, school, or childcare facility

What to watch for A survey earlier this year by U.S. PIRG Education Fund found 1 in 10 surveyed childcare facilities still using recalled inclined sleepers, despite a heavily publicized recall. The same problem exists in the toy market, potentially to a greater extent, since many recalls receive less attention in the media, regardless of their risk.

MORE RESOURCES

• Subscribe to email recall updates from the CPSC and other U.S. government safety agencies available at www.recalls.gov.
• Report unsafe toys or toy-related injuries to the CPSC at Saferproducts.gov.
• Be aware that toys connected to the Internet, as well as apps and websites, may be collecting information about children inappropriately. Download the free guide “Protecting Children’s Online Privacy: A Parent’s Guide to the new stronger kids’ privacy rules for digital media (COPPA)” published by the non-profit privacy watchdog, the Center for Digital Democracy.