Playtime just got perilous! Join us as we count down the most dangerous toys that should have come with warning labels. From seemingly innocent playthings that caused serious injuries to products that were literally radioactive, these toys prove that fun and safety don't always go hand-in-hand. Which of these hazardous playthings did you own? And more importantly, how did you survive?
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00:00Gilbert physics sets provide endless hours of fun and learning about the laws of nature.
00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the toys that had the potential
00:10to cause serious injuries, and in many cases, actually did.
00:14New moon shoes, they're like kid-powered trampolines for your feet.
00:19Number 50. Baby Tumble Surprise. Introduced in the mid-90s, this doll and its spinoff,
00:24Baby Headstand Surprise, had weighted heads that enabled them to do somersaults and headstands.
00:30The problem was that those heads were really heavy. It could be pretty painful if you
00:36cocked yourself on the noggin with it or dropped it on your toe. And of course,
00:39some kids couldn't resist using it as a weapon on their siblings.
00:42Two rolls and rolls all the way over. My baby Tumble.
00:46With that heavy cudgel on one end, the doll was basically a mini mace that a child could swing
00:50around, taking out anything in their path. So much to love. My baby Tumble.
00:55Number 49. Wakanda Battle Claws. This toy comes with a warning not to slash or jab at anyone while
01:02wearing it. However, it's marketed to ages five and up, and we don't know too many five-year-olds
01:10who would obey that warning. After all, they are battle claws. What else are you supposed to do with
01:14them? These seem like a gouged eye waiting to happen. And they aren't even the only potentially
01:22dangerous claws available at your local toy store. In 2009, Hasbro released a new style of Wolverine
01:28claws in conjunction with X-Men Origins. And of course, the Jurassic World franchise has all kinds
01:33of dinosaur claws kids can terrorize people with. Toymakers are way too eager to put claws on the
01:39hands of small children. Number 48. Flubber. Many versions of this bouncy material have existed
01:47over the years, but the original was released as a tie-in with 1961's The Absent-Minded Professor
01:52and its sequel, Son of Flubber.
01:54We've dubbed thee Flubber.
01:57Short for flying rubber, the silvery stuff was similar to Silly Putty, with a catch. It apparently
02:03caused rashes and dermatitis. Shortly after Flubber hit the shelves, the FDA started getting reports
02:08of skin irritation linked to the substance. By the time toy maker Hasenfield Brothers pulled
02:13it from the shelves, the agency had received around 1,600 complaints. They never did confirm
02:18whether Flubber itself caused the rashes or if one of its knockoffs was responsible.
02:22We just don't want a Flubber foul up on our hands.
02:25Number 47. Rollerblade Barbie. Most parents wouldn't let small children play with a cigarette
02:30lighter, but that's exactly what was built into this Barbie skates.
02:34Rollerblade Barbie.
02:34Released in 1991, the flicker and flash version of the doll created sparks when you rolled her
02:39across a surface. And if that surface happened to be made of flammable materials, you can guess
02:44what happened. At least one parent even reported that their child's pants caught on fire while
02:48playing with Rollerblade Barbie. We don't remember seeing that in the movie. You have to wonder what
02:52Mattel was thinking with this invention.
02:54Rollerblade Barbie doll comes with a pair of Rollerblade skates that really flicker and flash.
02:57Number 46. Skip It.
02:59Anyone old enough to have had this toy definitely remembers that banger of a jingle. They also
03:08remember cracking their siblings in the shins, knocking over anything that wasn't nailed down,
03:12and occasionally tripping and landing face first on concrete.
03:15But the very best thing of all, there's a counter on this ball.
03:20The ball on the skip it had to be fairly heavy in order for the physics to work,
03:23which meant that it could do a lot of damage. If you were a skip it pro, you could get that
03:28thing going pretty darn fast. That meant a lot of bruised ankles, scraped knees, and
03:32holes in the drywall, if you were foolish enough to try it indoors.
03:36You can skip it everywhere!
03:38Number 45. Slip and Slide.
03:40Introduced in 1961, this backyard water slide is just a long sheet of plastic attached to a
03:45garden hose.
03:46You can put it on your lawn, turn the water off.
03:49On a hot summer day, there was nothing better than putting on a bathing suit and blasting down
03:53it at full speed. However, the Slip and Slide was not safe for adults or teens due to their
03:58heavier body weight.
03:59First you slide, then you glide, then you slide, slide, slide.
04:01There was a strong risk that they would stop abruptly on the slide, leading to major neck
04:06injuries. During the years the original Slip and Slide was on the market, multiple people,
04:11mostly adults, broke their necks while using it. Some were left with paralysis, and at least
04:16one died. This resulted in a number of lawsuits against Kransko, the parent company of Wham-O.
04:22The original Slip and Slide, and now the new Slip and Splash from Wham-O!
04:26Number 44. Chicken Limbo.
04:28One of the goofier toys on our list, this electronic party game was advertised for children ages
04:33four and up.
04:34It's always party time with me!
04:36It only lasted about six months on the market before it was recalled due to injuries.
04:40The cheap plastic parts didn't fit together correctly, meaning the thing would collapse if
04:44you so much as breathed on it. Considering that the whole point of Limbo is to keep going until
04:48you hit the pole, that meant this toy was constantly falling apart and landing on the players.
04:55Milton Bradley received numerous reports of injuries. Most were minor, but the more serious
05:00ones included a chipped tooth and a broken foot. Following pressure from the Consumer Product Safety
05:04Commission, the company recalled the game in February of 2006.
05:08Invite me to your next party!
05:10Chicken Limbo.
05:11Number 43. Bird of Paradise Slingshot.
05:14This toy from the 60s was so dangerous, it was partly responsible for changing the laws
05:18around toy safety in America.
05:20I just wanted to entertain!
05:23In 1969, the Bird of Paradise Slingshot was one of eight toys that the National Commission
05:27on Product Safety recommended be taken off the shelves. That was because the projectiles
05:32that came with it were razor sharp, and you can imagine what kinds of injuries that would cause.
05:36I'm a real good shot, you wanna see?
05:38At the time, toys were only considered dangerous under the law if they were made from hazardous
05:43materials. The commission called for stronger safety standards and more rigorous testing.
05:47This led Congress to pass the Toy Safety Act in late 1969, and to create the Consumer Product
05:52Safety Commission in 1972.
05:54Do you have a slingshot?
05:56I'm not sure.
05:56Give it to me.
06:00Number 42. Swing Wing.
06:02Imagine a skip it, but attached to your head. Doesn't sound like a great idea, does it?
06:07Transigram Games introduced the Swing Wing in 1965.
06:10It's a swing wing. It's a wing wing.
06:14Just by watching this commercial, you can probably imagine the head and neck problems this thing
06:18could cause. It was rumored to give children vertigo, spinal issues, and even concussions.
06:22Of course, there was also the risk of whacking another kid in the face if they got too close.
06:29On top of that, it doesn't look particularly fun to play with. No wonder this terrible invention
06:34was short-lived.
06:35It's a swing wing.
06:36It's a what?
06:37Number 41. Soccer Boppers.
06:40Soccer Boppers.
06:41Soccer Boppers.
06:42You can sock all day and bop all night.
06:45Also known as Sockum Boppers, these inflatable boxing gloves were first manufactured in the 1970s
06:50and are still available today. Advertised as more fun than a pillow fight, the idea was that kids
06:56would blow them up, put them on, and just start wailing on each other.
06:59Soccer only wants and bop them drops.
07:02Unfortunately, anyone who's played with them can tell you that they don't provide a perfect
07:06cushion for your fist. If you punch someone hard enough, you can do some serious damage.
07:10And of course, many kids will purposely try to hit their opponent as hard as they possibly can.
07:15It's not hard to find stories online of people who suffered broken noses during childhood soccer
07:20bopper fights.
07:24Number 40. Hoverboard.
07:25No, we're not talking about the flying boards from Back to the Future. We wish.
07:29We're referring to the self-balancing scooters that ambitiously call themselves hoverboards.
07:34Roll into the future with HoverTracks tech that lets you cruise forward, backward, and spin on a dime.
07:39You might think that the biggest risk with these is falling off of them, but it actually gets much
07:43worse. The lithium batteries in hoverboards have a tendency to overheat and catch fire or even
07:48explode. But it may not just be sails that are hot. Some of the boards may be too. It's on fire!
07:55They've caused dozens of house fires around the world, some of which have been deadly. In 2016,
08:00federal agencies in the Philippines warned that they'd also received reports of people getting
08:05electrocuted while riding them. So instead of buying one of these hoverboards, you might be
08:09better off waiting for someone to invent the real thing.
08:16Number 39. Johnny Reb Cannon.
08:19The cannon's name is Johnny Reb. Hurrah! Hurrah!
08:24You know what nine-year-olds don't need to be playing with? An actual cannon.
08:28Remco introduced the Johnny Reb Cannon in 1961. It was nearly three feet long and came with hard
08:33plastic balls about the size of a baseball. It could fire those cannonballs up to 35 feet. And
08:39although they were marketed as harmless, they could actually do some damage. They also weren't easy to
08:44aim accurately. Any little aspiring Confederate soldier standing in the wrong place was liable
08:49to take a nasty hit. And we cannot imagine how painful it would be at point-blank range.
08:54Number 38. Super Elastic Bubble Plastic.
09:01Super Elastic Bubble Plastic. Try it out. It's quite fantastic.
09:05Released by Wham-O in 1970, this toy came with a straw and a tube of soft plastic that could be
09:10used to blow bubbles. Usually, toys that include straws pose a choking hazard. But that wasn't the
09:15problem with Super Elastic Bubble Plastic. Just squeeze it out and blow it up.
09:19The real danger came from the toxic chemicals the plastic was made with, particularly acetone.
09:25Breathing in acetone vapor can make a person extremely sick. And young kids were prone to
09:30accidentally inhaling through the straw and getting a big dose of it. The toy was banned in Canada and
09:35taken off the market in the U.S. in the 1980s. In the 2010s, a new, safer version was released with
09:41a straw that you can't inhale through.
09:43Super Elastic Bubble Plastic. It's back. And now, even better.
09:47Number 37. Slap Bracelet. What 90s kid didn't have one of these? A teacher in Wisconsin created
09:52the Slap Bracelet, also known as the Snap Bracelet, in 1983, and they were a huge hit.
09:58Why is it called a slap bracelet? Because you just put it on like this.
10:02They were so popular, in fact, that a number of brands stole the idea and started making cheap
10:06knockoffs. These versions contained thin strips of metal with sharp edges that could easily wear
10:11through the fabric. Remember back in the day, in the second and third grade, when those nifty
10:16slap bracelets were the craze?
10:19They were sharp enough to draw blood, meaning that slapping them across your wrist could be
10:23a risky proposition. Slap Bracelets were banned in many schools and have been the subject of
10:28numerous recalls over the years, but there are still plenty of dangerous ones floating around.
10:32Number 36. Air Storm Fire Tech Bow.
10:35The first version of this bow was released by Zing in 2014, and was advertised as suitable for kids
10:41ages 8 and up.
10:43With Sonic Blaze arrows and light a bow, it's an illuminating aerial assault.
10:47Yet even Zing seemed to acknowledge how dangerous they were with the many warnings on the package.
10:52Users were advised not to shoot at people or animals, and not to play with the bow in complete
10:57darkness. Even though they lit up, craziest of all, kids weren't supposed to draw the bowstring
11:04back more than halfway. Why make a toy bow that's unsafe to use at full strength? Zing must have
11:09realized how absurd this was, because the Fire Tech Bow is now marketed to kids 14 and older.
11:15Though we doubt teenagers are any more likely to heed those warnings.
11:18Air Storm Fire Tech Bow and Sonic Blaze arrows comes as shown from Zing.
11:22Number 35. Vacuform.
11:24Here's what a Vacuform can do. Look at the things it'll make for you.
11:28Yet another dangerous toy to come out of the 1960s. The Vacuform involved melting a sheet of thin plastic
11:33to create a mold of anything small enough to fit in it. It even came with paints, so that budding young
11:38creators could design their own cars, planes, merit badges, and more.
11:42Make Jeeps and Tanks, it's up to you. Another kit for metals, too.
11:45The problem was that the metal plate used to melt the plastic was totally exposed. Anyone who wasn't
11:50careful, or maybe just wasn't smart, could put their hand on it. We don't know exactly how hot it got,
11:56but the melting point of most plastics is at least 90 degrees Celsius, or almost 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
12:01That is hot enough to cause third-degree burns in seconds.
12:05These kits and packs come separately wherever toys are sold.
12:09Number 34. Power Wheels Harley-Davidson.
12:11The manufacturing defect in this toy is the stuff of nightmares.
12:15Step aside, we got nothing to fear.
12:18Shortly after its release in 1999, Fisher-Price had to recall more than 200,000 of the little
12:24motorcycles because the accelerators would get stuck in the on position. That would result in the rider
12:29being unable to stop the toy and running into things. In fairness, the mini Harley-Davidson's
12:34maximum speed was only 5 miles per hour. But if a parent wasn't paying close attention,
12:38their toddler could be blocks away by the time they realized there was a problem.
12:41Harder, harder, and we're running my show!
12:44Even worse, it seems Fisher-Price didn't learn its lesson.
12:47In 2019, the company had to recall 44,000 Barbie Dream Campers for a similar issue.
12:54The ride-on power wheels can continue to run even after the foot pedal is released,
12:59posing a potential injury hazard.
13:01Number 33. Kite Tube.
13:03We're not gonna lie, these look super fun until you see one of them fly 30 or 40 feet in the air
13:08and violently crash back down.
13:13In 2006, Kite Tube manufacturer Wego was forced to take them off the market after users suffered
13:19broken necks, punctured lungs, and two people died. The issue was that they were pretty much
13:24impossible to control. You never knew when the Kite Tube was gonna catch a gust of wind,
13:28shoot up dozens of feet in the air, or throw the rider off at high speed.
13:38The package included an absolutely wild warning. Never kite higher than you are willing to fall.
13:44Unsurprisingly, Wego has since gone out of business.
13:47Number 32. Toothpick Crossbow.
13:50You heard that right. A tiny crossbow that fires toothpicks.
13:53These little weapons became all the rage in Chinese schools in 2017.
13:57Fidget spinners may be facing the wrath of school administrators,
14:01but over in China, it's all about the toothpick crossbow.
14:05Parents, understandably, were not happy about this.
14:08The crossbows are powerful enough to pierce a soda can at close range.
14:12Kids were also caught using them to shoot nails and needles,
14:15making them even more dangerous. It was only a matter of time before someone lost an eye.
14:22Since then, several provinces in China have banned toothpick crossbows,
14:26and multiple online retailers, including eBay and Amazon, don't allow them on their platforms.
14:32Number 31. Magnetics.
14:33Powerful magnets and small children can be a deadly combination.
14:37This construction set included a variety of colorful pieces and strong ball magnets to connect them
14:41together.
14:44It was marketed to kids aged six and older, and was probably perfectly safe for that demographic.
14:50However, if kids left the magnets lying around where a toddler could get a hold of them,
14:54The company that made the magnetics toys resisted any recall at all for a long period of time.
15:00It was a recipe for disaster.
15:01The magnets were so strong that if a child swallowed more than one,
15:05they could attract inside their body, causing intestinal perforations.
15:09Recalls were issued on magnetics in 2006 and 2007,
15:12after multiple children required emergency surgery to remove them,
15:16and one boy died.
15:17Megabrands was later forced to pay a civil penalty of over $1 million.
15:22Number 30. Clackers.
15:23Check out this new toy.
15:27Oh, clackers.
15:28Sometimes, the simplest trinkets are the ones most likely to leave a mark.
15:32There isn't much to clackers.
15:33They're two balls on a string that the user could smash together as slow or fast as they'd like.
15:38While they seem like a good time, they quickly get out of hand.
15:42They're hard to control once it gets moving at high speeds,
15:44making it easy for someone to hit themselves or others.
15:47Taking hard plastic to the face already doesn't sound like a good time,
15:50and the risk of the spheres shattering upon impact made things even more perilous.
15:54They picked up such a bad reputation that the U.S. government had tens of thousands of them
15:58destroyed in the 1970s, forever cementing their infamous legacy.
16:03And now?
16:04Punch it!
16:07Number 29. Splash off water rocket.
16:10For years, water-based activities have been the go-to on a hot day.
16:14What better way to have fun in the sun than to set off an H2O-powered projectile with your friends?
16:19Three, two, one, go!
16:24That's gone.
16:25What should have led to instant memories instead resulted in an unwanted stress.
16:30To get the splash off water rocket to work, it had to be filled using a classic garden hose.
16:35However, when liquid was added, the pressure proved to be too much,
16:39causing some of them to completely fall apart.
16:41This, of course, led to the possibility of people getting hit and injured.
16:45Getting splashed is one thing,
16:46but no one wants to spend their summer vacation recovering from being hit with a piece of rocket.
16:55Number 28. Darth Maul and Qui-Gon's lightsabers.
16:58The Star Wars franchise has spawned several lines of toys over the decades,
17:07allowing kids to play as their favorite heroes and villains from the series.
17:11Some of the most popular were the lightsabers,
17:13modeled after the ones used by the characters.
17:15While many appeared to be innocent,
17:17some had more danger lurking beneath the surface.
17:20The Darth Maul and Qui-Gon version seemed to be an instant hit,
17:23particularly the former's iconic double-sided weapon.
17:26While they were beloved, they didn't last long on the shelves.
17:29An internal issue with the batteries shifting and overheating
17:32eventually led to them being considered burn hazards.
17:35While the negative effects were realistic to the movies,
17:38they definitely weren't ideal in a real-life setting.
17:40You master Qui-Gon Jinn.
17:43I gutted him while you stood helpless and watched.
17:46How did that make you feel, Obi-Wan?
17:50Number 27. Belt-buckle Derringer toy gun.
17:53Fake firearms are one thing,
17:55but one that can be hidden in an article of clothing
17:57takes things to a whole new level.
17:59In the 1950s, Mattel introduced a new phenomenon,
18:03a tiny pistol embedded within a belt buckle.
18:05The mini-artillery would pop out and shoot a pellet
18:08whenever a small switch was activated,
18:10usually while the wearer moved their hips.
18:14They were so realistic that they could shoot several feet,
18:17making them a risk to anyone in the vicinity.
18:20The fact that it was a cap gun
18:21added another precarious layer to the product.
18:23While the bullets were not real,
18:25the friction from the chamber being activated
18:27spelled out disaster,
18:29especially considering how close they were
18:31to sensitive areas of the body.
18:33You've got to ask yourself a question.
18:36Do I feel lucky?
18:37Well, do you, punk?
18:45Number 26. Pogo Sticks
18:47Now we're going to play.
18:49Do you want to play with me?
18:52Oh, no!
18:53While bouncing from place to place seems ideal for any child,
18:57the risks usually outweigh the rewards.
19:00Pogo Sticks have been one of the most unique items
19:02on the market since their inception,
19:04as they utilize springs to give users
19:06hours of fun and potential pain.
19:08Some variations have been taken off the market
19:10due to the mechanisms backfiring,
19:12causing people to fall mid-use.
19:14However, what makes them truly unsafe
19:16is how hard they can be to control.
19:18Even if someone isn't attempting sick tricks,
19:20the stick can easily slip out from underneath them,
19:23causing them to fall or even be hit.
19:25What's even more dangerous are the stunts
19:27some people attempt while using them,
19:29with failed ones usually ending up in immediate injury.
19:32Pimpy! Get out the Pogo Sticks!
19:34Number 25. Monster Science Colossal Water Balls
19:37A bouncy ball never hurt anyone, right?
19:40Just be careful if they start to mutate.
19:42Consumer reports say there's a potential safety hazard
19:45with popular small toy balls and beads
19:47that expand dramatically in water.
19:49The amazing toys ran into some trouble
19:51when they produced colossal water balls,
19:54little polymer orbs that expanded in size
19:56when combined with a special growth powder.
19:58The problem started with the colorful trinkets
20:01resembling candy.
20:02The toys also ballooned up in any sort of water,
20:05something that unfortunately makes up
20:07more than 50% of the human body.
20:09The fear was that kids would ingest the product
20:11and that its growth in diameter
20:13would present a serious choking hazard,
20:15or if swallowed, cause fatal obstruction in the intestines.
20:18Though no direct incidents involving
20:20the Monster Science miniatures were reported,
20:23occurrences involving similar polymer products
20:25prompted a recall of jelly beads, jumbo beads,
20:28and magic-growing Fruity Fun toys in 2013.
20:31If nothing had been done,
20:32the intestines would have perforated,
20:34the child would have had significant infection on sepsis
20:37and could have possibly died from it.
20:38It's a helpful reminder that unexpected dangers
20:41sometimes come in small packages.
20:44Number 24. Super Blast Balls
20:46In retrospect, a toy centered around
20:48slamming two objects together as hard as possible
20:51might not have been the best idea.
20:53The concept behind Super Blast Balls was straightforward.
20:56People would hit them together,
20:57simulating the sound of a cap gun going off.
21:00They would then have to hold the small balls
21:01in their palms for maximum effect,
21:03causing a loud noise and even sparks in the process.
21:06Then we finally get a reaction taking place.
21:12We have not only collided,
21:13but we have met that minimum activation energy
21:16that's required to make that process happen.
21:18The latter posed a burn threat,
21:20especially to those who were hitting them
21:22with all their strength.
21:23Before they were finally investigated and recalled,
21:26several people had reported being injured
21:28by the tiny ballistics.
21:29What could have been a great early lesson in friction
21:31ended up teaching more people how to treat singe wounds.
21:34Well, burn for it!
21:36Ah! Ah!
21:38Number 23. Yo-yo Balls
21:40Some playthings are a mess from top to bottom.
21:43Even something as small and seemingly inconsequential as this.
21:47A round goes, it comes back to you.
21:49A yo-yo and a ball combined
21:51seems like it should result in hours of fun.
21:53Instead, they ended with trips to the hospital.
21:56Every component of it posed a threat,
21:58from the cord nearly strangling kids
22:00to the balls striking them in the head.
22:02Even the liquid inside was scrutinized
22:04for its potential toxicity and flammability.
22:06While there thankfully were not any fatalities,
22:09there were far too many close calls.
22:11This led to them being recalled.
22:13Though by the time they were,
22:14millions had already been sold across the country.
22:17These just go to show that even the smallest objects
22:19can have the largest drawbacks.
22:24Number 22. Gilbert Glass Blowing Set
22:26Giving children unfettered access to glass and fire.
22:29What could possibly go wrong?
22:31The A.C. Gilbert Company was all about releasing products
22:34that had some real-world application,
22:36whether it be a chemistry set or a glassblowing kit.
22:38Hundreds upon hundreds of glassblowers from around the globe
22:42wanted to be right here, right now.
22:44The latter came with several glass tubes,
22:47an alcohol lamp,
22:48and even a small blowtorch
22:49that kids could use to make their own creations.
22:51When left unsupervised,
22:53these materials had the potential to end
22:55in serious injuries and even house fires.
22:57Glassblowing isn't the safest hobby even for adults.
23:01To do it correctly,
23:02you have to bring the temperature up to several hundred degrees.
23:05Giving a youngster access to that level of flame,
23:08no matter the reason,
23:09is just a disaster waiting to happen.
23:14Number 21. Sky Dancers
23:18Who could have thought that such fashionable fairies
23:24would bring so much emotional distress?
23:27Sky Dancers were the perfect whimsical doll for kids of all ages,
23:30with a pull-string-activated base that caused each one to fly.
23:33Unfortunately, the results were anything but magical.
23:37They spun at such high speeds
23:38that the flimsily-covered foam wings
23:41were harming anyone in their path.
23:43The injuries were severe,
23:44and ranged from scratched corneas to broken bones.
23:47After nearly 200 reports from consumers,
23:50the company had to pay a $400,000 fine,
23:53and over 10 million toys were recalled across the country.
23:56A new generation of Sky Dancers
23:58was eventually introduced in the 2000s,
24:00this time with softer, more padded wings.
24:03Okay, get ready.
24:06Get set, here we go.
24:08Whoopee!
24:09Whoa-ho!
24:10Number 20. Polly Pocket
24:12These dolls made a big impression
24:13when they first debuted in 1989.
24:15Despite their modest height of under one inch.
24:19Imagine an entire apartment
24:20shrunk down to fit into a pocket-sized folding dollhouse,
24:24styled as a makeup compact.
24:26Add the equivalent playsets Mighty Max,
24:28and this line of choking hazards
24:30had kids in the 90s
24:31eating out of the palm of their hand.
24:34These toys were already dangerous enough
24:35to warrant teaching your kid the Heimlich maneuver,
24:37but the Polly Pocket Magnetic Playsets
24:40with their magnetic clothing
24:42warranted a full recall in 2006.
24:45These dolls were too large to swallow,
24:48but the small magnets often fell out,
24:50wreaking life-threatening havoc on digestive systems
24:53if multiple were ingested.
24:55Number 19.
24:56Inflatable Baby Floats
24:58Otteru turns bath time into moments of fun,
25:00exploration, and learning.
25:02There's nothing scarier
25:04than a potentially lethal baby product.
25:06Parents always need to be extra careful
25:08with infants around water,
25:10but you can understand
25:11how one might let their guard down
25:12when placing a child in an inflatable device
25:15specifically designed for that purpose.
25:17Sadly, a number of baby flotation products
25:20have ripped,
25:21resulting in the child sinking
25:23or being smothered.
25:24In 2009, some 4 million units,
25:27consisting of various models
25:29of the Aqua Leisure Baby Floats,
25:31were recalled after 31 incidences
25:33of seat strap ripping occurred,
25:35allowing the baby to fall into the water.
25:38In 2015,
25:40Otteru floats were recalled
25:41after some 50 cases of deflation were reported.
25:45Thankfully,
25:45neither specific case resulted in death.
25:49Number 18.
25:49Children's Wood Burning Kits
25:51If the word burning is in the name of your product,
25:54maybe don't market it to kids.
25:56Admittedly,
25:57the various companies manufacturing this product
25:59have always targeted the outdoorsy,
26:01do-it-yourself,
26:02Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America kind of kid.
26:04They're the types who generally
26:05don't need their toys bubble-wrapped.
26:07First outing is right now.
26:09I will be teaching you to dig a proper trench.
26:12Does that sound like something you want to do?
26:15Yes, sir!
26:17This will be no fun at all.
26:19Sets from the 1950s were notorious for Burns
26:21and for trusting in the fact
26:23that kids would learn responsibility.
26:25Modern kits like those
26:27made by educational toy companies
26:29like T.S. Shore and NSI
26:31are more safety-minded.
26:33But no amount of safety recommendations
26:35can mitigate the potential for Burns
26:37or worse,
26:38fires.
26:39If it can burn a pattern into wood,
26:41it can burn plenty of other stuff too.
26:43If you guys ever have kids
26:45and one of them,
26:47when he's eight years old,
26:48accidentally sets fire
26:50to the living room rug,
26:52go easy on him.
26:53Okay.
26:56Number 17.
26:57Creepy Crawlers
26:58It might not exactly be playing with fire,
27:03but this creation station
27:05still involves high temperatures
27:06and, in early models,
27:08toxic fumes.
27:10Mattel first began producing
27:11Creepy Crawlers in 1964.
27:13Sets included die-cast creature molds,
27:16a liquid chemical that kids poured
27:17into the mold,
27:18and a small oven or hot plate
27:20to heat the plastic-goop
27:22into hardened, rubbery shapes.
27:24It's a joke.
27:25You've got funds.
27:26Creepy Crawlers got a lot safer
27:28in the 1990s,
27:29but the early versions
27:31consisted of an open-face hot plate
27:33that rose to 390 degrees Fahrenheit.
27:36It might not be liquid magma,
27:38but that's still blisteringly hot,
27:40especially if you touched the creature
27:42before it solidified.
27:43Although marketed as non-toxic
27:45at the time,
27:46that was before we knew
27:47the dangers of PVC fumes.
27:50Number 16.
27:51Austin Magic Pistol
27:52Works on magic crystals.
27:55Doesn't it suck
27:55that all the most dangerous toys
27:57are also the coolest?
27:58This toy gun actually uses combustion.
28:01Flames shoot out of it.
28:03It's made of metal
28:04and totally looks like a ray gun
28:06from early sci-fi.
28:08While the Austin Magic Pistol
28:09might make for a wicked awesome vintage toy
28:11when you're in your 20s or older,
28:12this circa-1950s toy gun
28:15is absurdly dangerous.
28:17Its magic crystals
28:18are composed of a mixture
28:19of calcium carbide and water,
28:21which, with a little help
28:23from the sparking trigger,
28:24combusts violently.
28:26Even in the wild and crazy 50s,
28:28it quickly became apparent
28:29that this was no toy,
28:31resulting in a number of bans.
28:35Number 15.
28:36Science Whiz Bottle Rocket Party.
28:38The big one.
28:39Listed in the Top 10 Unsafe Toys of 2014 list
28:45from Parental Safety Group Watch,
28:47this kit gives children
28:48everything they need
28:49to have a bottle rocket party.
28:51It includes the rockets themselves,
28:53stoppers,
28:54and fun caution tape
28:55so you feel like you're
28:56at a real rocket launch.
28:57Rockets explode!
29:00What the kit does not include
29:02are the safety goggles
29:03they recommend on the packaging.
29:05The baking soda
29:06and vinegar-propelled rockets
29:07are not going to explode,
29:08but the projectiles
29:09still present
29:10a significant risk
29:11of eye or facial injury.
29:13Pretty easy, right?
29:16The kit is labeled 8 and up,
29:18but you'd be hard-pressed
29:19to find any 8-year-old
29:21that's going to wait
29:21until they can track down
29:22safety goggles
29:23before playing with
29:24something this cool.
29:29Number 14.
29:30Easy Bake Oven.
29:31The Little Lady Empire Stove,
29:33with its metal frame
29:34and up to 600 degrees of heat,
29:36might have been
29:37the more deadly children's stove.
29:39But the Easy Bake Oven
29:40has had a much more
29:41significant impact
29:42since Kenner launched
29:43the product in 1963.
29:45Slide them in,
29:46slide them in,
29:47let them bake now.
29:48Slide them in,
29:49slide them out,
29:49Easy Bake.
29:50Wow!
29:51Over 25 million units
29:54have been sold since,
29:55meaning that the average kid
29:56likely interacted with one
29:58at some point.
29:59Most of the 11 models
30:00have been totally safe,
30:01but one or two
30:03got the recipe wrong.
30:04The 2006 version
30:06was recalled
30:06after 29 reports surfaced
30:08of kids getting their fingers
30:09caught in the front-loading oven door.
30:11Despite the recall,
30:13another 249 incidents
30:15were reported,
30:16one of which ended
30:17with a little girl
30:18needing a partial finger amputation.
30:20Number 13.
30:21Stats 38 Quick Folding Trampoline.
30:24Anything that goes up
30:26must come down,
30:27and the higher you launch
30:28a child into the air,
30:29the greater the risk for injury.
30:31This specific trampoline
30:35might be mini,
30:36but it packs a huge risk factor.
30:39Marketed to children 6 and up,
30:41it has some serious bounce to it.
30:43No safety,
30:44no padded handlebar.
30:45Turned out to be too dangerous.
30:48The likelihood of your child
30:49losing control
30:50and flying into furniture
30:51is high.
30:53On the packaging,
30:54you find the following warning.
30:55Landing on the head or neck
30:57can cause serious injury,
30:59paralysis,
30:59or death.
31:01Duh.
31:01If, as a manufacturer,
31:03you feel the need
31:04to put that on a product
31:05you're selling to 6-year-olds,
31:07you might have missed
31:08the point of age restrictions.
31:10Number 12.
31:11Mini Hammock.
31:12Inflatable baby boats
31:13might be prone to malfunction,
31:15but mini hammocks
31:16seem as if they were designed
31:17specifically to endanger
31:19young children.
31:20Made from a fine nylon mesh
31:22and lacking any sort
31:24of spreader bar,
31:24these child-sized hammocks
31:26were prone to entangling
31:27their young users.
31:28Most often,
31:29this would occur
31:30when the child
31:30was attempting to get in
31:31or out of the hammock.
31:32In 1996,
31:34the Consumer Product Safety Commission
31:36issued a recall
31:37and safety warning
31:38on 10 different
31:39mini hammock brands
31:40and models.
31:41Most notably,
31:41the Easy Sales hammock brand
31:43deemed unsafe for use
31:45due to a lack
31:46of spreader bar.
31:47Between 1984 and 1995,
31:50there were 12 separate cases
31:51of kids becoming trapped
31:53in the hammock
31:53and dying from asphyxiation.
31:56Number 11.
31:56Aqua Dots
31:58Aqua Dots
31:59Aqua Dots are small,
32:04colorful balls
32:04that you arrange
32:05into patterns or images.
32:07Spray the design with water
32:08and they solidify together
32:10into a single piece of art
32:11to show off to mom or dad.
32:13But as we've learned,
32:14anything a kid can swallow,
32:16they will swallow.
32:18These small toy beads
32:19when ingested
32:20caused vomiting,
32:21respiratory failure,
32:22seizures,
32:23and comas.
32:24Why?
32:25Aqua Dots contained a compound
32:26that, when consumed,
32:27breaks down into GHB,
32:30also known as liquid ecstasy.
32:32The product was pulled
32:33from shelves
32:34after three separate toddlers
32:36fell into comas.
32:37The parents of one toddler,
32:39who suffered
32:39permanent brain damage,
32:40won their court case
32:42against the manufacturers,
32:43distributors,
32:44and toy designers,
32:45each company being assigned
32:46partial blame
32:47for the tragedy.
32:48You'll also get
32:49150 Aqua Glow Dots!
32:51Number 10.
32:51Hannah Montana Pop Star Card Game
32:54Before she became
32:55the pop star
32:55we all know and love today,
32:57Miley Cyrus was America's
32:58sweetheart and role model
33:00Hannah Montana.
33:01Little girls around the world
33:02wanted anything and everything
33:03with her name on it,
33:05including this awesome card game.
33:07I'm just worth
33:08your set of
33:09Hannah Montana cards.
33:11Um, never been open.
33:12Parents trusted
33:13that smiling face,
33:14making it a huge surprise
33:16that the carrying case
33:17contained over 75 times
33:19the level of lead
33:20legally permitted
33:21in consumer goods.
33:22Hannah Montana
33:23slowly poisoning children?
33:26It's a party in the USA!
33:28Even scarier,
33:30the card game
33:30avoided a recall
33:31thanks to a legal loophole,
33:33since the lead
33:34was found in its vinyl
33:35and not its paint,
33:36meaning it stayed on shelves
33:37and in the hands of kids.
33:40Number 9.
33:41Cabbage Patch Snack Time Kids
33:42She really chews!
33:44Step aside,
33:45hungry, hungry hippos.
33:46Here comes the
33:47Cannibal Cabbage Patch Kids.
33:49Snack Time dolls
33:49were a must-have gift
33:51for Christmas 1996.
33:52They could bite
33:53and swallow plastic food.
33:55In the eyes of children,
33:56they were as good
33:57as human pets,
33:58but with no mess
33:59on the other end.
33:59And when you think
34:01she's through
34:01look inside
34:04a rock pack
34:04and like magic!
34:06Unfortunately,
34:07the dolls couldn't
34:08differentiate between
34:09plastic food,
34:10fingers,
34:10and ponytails.
34:12Over 100 reports
34:13were filed
34:14claiming the jaws
34:15clamped down on fingers
34:16and hair,
34:16slowly pulling them in.
34:18In one case,
34:19a girl's hair
34:20was allegedly ripped
34:21down to the scalp.
34:22Mattel offered
34:23a $40 refund
34:24and took these little monsters
34:26off the shelves.
34:26Number 8.
34:27Sky Rangers Park Flyer
34:29Radio-Controlled Airplane
34:31Let's be honest.
34:37Remote-controlled planes
34:38are dangerous
34:39even when functioning properly.
34:41There's always a risk
34:42of them crashing
34:42into a window,
34:43car,
34:44or innocent bystander.
34:45Forget with great power.
34:47With remote-controlled airplanes
34:49comes great responsibility.
34:50This plane has a good
34:51amount of power.
34:52You can launch it
34:53at half or three-quarters
34:54throttle,
34:55and it takes off
34:56and climbs with no trouble.
34:57Well, apparently
34:58no one told Estes Cox Corp.,
35:00the makers of the Sky Rangers,
35:02who upped the ante
35:03by releasing a toy airplane
35:04that was prone to
35:05spontaneously combusting
35:06during takeoff,
35:07mid-flight,
35:08and while landing.
35:09Anytime, really.
35:10And did we mention
35:11that you have to
35:12throw the plane on takeoff?
35:13Its breakaway design
35:15prevents you
35:15from breaking the prop
35:16or bending the motor shaft.
35:18Burns,
35:19temporary hearing loss,
35:21wounded eyes,
35:22facial lacerations,
35:23and a mandatory recall ensued.
35:26When you're ready
35:26to have fun,
35:28make sure you take along
35:29today's best and fast,
35:31easy RC flying.
35:33Number 7.
35:34Zulu Blowing Game
35:35When it comes to toys,
35:40the phrase choking hazard
35:41holds the title
35:42as the biggest buzzword
35:44in child safety.
35:45But toys from the 1930s
35:47through to the 1960s
35:48seemed like they were designed
35:50to weed out and kill
35:51all but the smartest kids
35:53before they reached adulthood.
35:54The Zulu blowgun
35:55from the Zulu blowing game
35:57was no exception.
35:58These toys essentially
35:59streamlined asphyxiation.
36:01A number of versions
36:02were sold between 1920 and 1960,
36:05but they all consisted
36:06of a long straw
36:07and small sharp darts.
36:09Put a dart in the straw,
36:10inhale,
36:11put it to your lips,
36:12and blow.
36:13Hey, you guessed it,
36:14tons of kids got that order wrong
36:16and inhaled the darts.
36:18Ouch.
36:19Number 6.
36:20Battlestar Galactica Colonial Viper
36:22Remember a simpler time
36:29when companies didn't have
36:30to cover their products
36:31and warnings?
36:32The people at Mattel sure do.
36:33In the late 70s,
36:34there were three reported cases
36:36of children
36:36accidentally shooting themselves
36:38in the face
36:39with the spring-loaded missile
36:40of the Colonial Viper,
36:41inhaling or swallowing
36:43the missile and choking.
36:44Reset catapult.
36:48Viper's on target.
36:50One of these incidents
36:51sadly resulted in the death
36:52of a four-year-old child.
36:54Let's go in.
36:58Following a recall,
36:59Mattel began to place
37:00choking hazard stickers
37:01on all of their toys
37:03with small parts,
37:04a precaution that would go on
37:05to become mandatory
37:06for all toy manufacturers.
37:08I find your reasoning logical.
37:11Number 5.
37:12CSI Crime Scene Investigation
37:13Fingerprint Examination Kit
37:15Before we get into
37:21what makes this toy dangerous,
37:22let's just acknowledge
37:23the fact that
37:24Toys for Children
37:25should have never been made
37:26based on the CSI
37:27television franchise
37:28considering the grisly
37:30subject matter.
37:31Looks like the planet Krypton.
37:33Kids should not be fans
37:35of this series, period.
37:36Turns out this toy set
37:37was not only inappropriate
37:39but also poisonous.
37:40The powder used
37:41for fingerprinting
37:42was proven to contain
37:43asbestos,
37:44which, when inhaled,
37:45can cause deadly
37:46respiratory issues
37:47and even cancer
37:48later on in life.
37:49This resulted in
37:50a class-action lawsuit
37:51against CBS,
37:52the network that
37:53licensed the toy.
37:54In the wake of
37:55the public relations nightmare,
37:57the manufacturer
37:58Planet Toys
37:59filed for bankruptcy.
38:00This is an outrage.
38:02I demand an investigation.
38:03Number 4.
38:04Moon Shoes
38:05Nothing compares
38:06to new Nickelodeon
38:07Moon Shoes.
38:07Not so fast.
38:08You don't know
38:09what you're missing
38:09until you've tried
38:10sponge shoes!
38:12Swings,
38:12trampolines,
38:13it seems like childhood
38:15is all about trying
38:16to launch your body
38:17as high as possible.
38:17The first generation
38:23of Moon Shoes
38:24was released in the 1950s,
38:26made of a type of metal,
38:27and used springs
38:28to help you reach the stars.
38:30They were also
38:31incredibly heavy,
38:32resulting in
38:33a lot of property damage
38:34when kids landed
38:35on household items,
38:36and injuries
38:37when kids botched a landing,
38:39rolled an ankle,
38:40or broke mom and dad's toes.
38:46Nickelodeon released
38:47a much safer
38:48plastic version
38:49in the 90s,
38:50but sprained
38:50and broken ankles
38:52continued,
38:53minus the fun.
39:02Number 3.
39:02Gilbert U-238
39:04Atomic Energy Laboratory
39:05This year at Gilbert
39:06we present
39:08the finest
39:08point line
39:09in our history.
39:11This
39:11is our story.
39:14Between 1910
39:15and 1950,
39:16the A.C.
39:17Gilbert Company was a big name in toys. Their 1913 Erector set was one of the best-selling toys
39:22the world had ever seen, and over the next 40 years, the company continued to put out a wide
39:27variety of scientific play sets that were quite dangerous by modern standards. Gilbert has made
39:32this exciting science available in safe and easy-to-understand form. The chemistry set taught
39:38young kids to make explosives. The glass-blowing kit involved temperatures close to 1,000 degrees
39:44Fahrenheit. But the Atomic Energy Lab wins for the most absurd, with multiple kinds of uranium,
39:49a Geiger counter to measure radioactivity, and a cloud chamber to observe alpha particles in action.
39:55Russell, don't touch that. It could be radioactive or something.
39:58Number 2. Toy Guns, Including BB Guns
40:02Guns. It doesn't matter if kids are raised by registered NRA members or in strictly anti-gun
40:10households. They love playing with toy guns. Maybe it's the speed of the projectiles, the loud
40:20noises, the influence of popular TV characters, or all of the above. BB and airsoft guns can take
40:27an eye out. Paintballs leave a serious bruise, and cap guns often lead to burns. There are over 200
40:34incidents of toy guns being mistaken for real firearms per year in the States.
40:38What does it look like to you? While many toy guns are not inherently dangerous,
40:43they often look like the real deal, and can lead to serious injury or death.
40:49Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about
40:54our latest videos. You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
40:59If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
41:05Number 1. Lawn Darts.
41:07When we were kids, there weren't that many dumb kids. Because we had toys that would kill
41:12you. Remember lawn darts?
41:15Across between horseshoes and darts, these oversized projectiles have plastic fins and big, rounded,
41:22weighted metal or sometimes plastic tips that ensure they fly true and land point first.
41:28Simple outdoor fun for the whole family. Until somebody gets seriously or fatally wounded by
41:34a stray dart. Also known as jarts or yard darts, they were popular in the 1950s, but were later
41:40banned because of injuries. The ban was lifted in the 1970s under the condition that they never be
41:46marketed to kids.
41:47When a 7-year-old girl was killed by one, it proved that the regulation couldn't keep them out of the
41:55hands of kids, so this led to a strict ban in the United States. Which of these toys do you think
42:01would be worth the risk? Let us know in the comments below.
42:04Hey, watch it with that ding!
42:06My skull is egg-shell thin!