With the Christmas shopping season kicking off today, parents are being warned about safety hazards associated with 10 popular toys being sold this year.World Against Toys Causing Harm, Inc. (W.A.T.C.H.) has released its nominees for the “10 Worst Toys of 2016” which put children at risk of injury.
Toy dangers are a very real threat to children. According to WATCH, every three minutes a child is treated in a U.S. emergency room for a toy-related injury.
“Since January 2015, there have been at least nineteen (19) toys with recognized safety defects recalled in the United States. These recalls involved over eight hundred thousand (800,000) units of toys—five hundred thousand this year alone— and prove the inadequacy of existing standards,” the organization states.
“Although parents have a right to expect that toys they give to their children are safe, unsafe toys remain an ongoing problem. Due to poor design, manufacturing and marketing practices, there are toys available for purchase today with the potential to lead to serious injury and even death. W.A.T.C.H. urges parents and caregivers to take precautions when buying toys— especially during the upcoming 2016 Holiday Season, which accounts for more than 65% of all toy sales.”
This year’s toy report, announced by Consumer Advocates Joan E. Siff, President of W.A.T.C.H., and James A. Swartz, a nationally known trial attorney and Director of W.A.T.C.H., demonstrated the types of toy hazards available online and in retail stores so parents know what traps to avoid when buying toys.
To follow is the list of the top 10 toys, who manufactures the toys, where they are sold, and what risks they pose to children:
1. Peppa Pig’s Muddly Puddles Family from Jazzwares LLC is sold at Target and Amazon and poses a choking hazard for children.
2. Kids Time Baby Children’s Elephant Pillow from Kids Time US/Appease Toys and sold by Amazon poses a suffocation risk.
3. Slimeball Slinger from Diggin Active, Inc. and sold at Toys R Us and Amazon can cause eye injuries.
4. Banzai Bump N’ Bounce Body Bumper by ToyQuest and sold at Sears, Amazon, eBay and Walmart has the potential for serious impact injuries.
5. Nerf Rival Apollo XV-700 Blaster by Hasbro and sold at Amazon, Walmart, Target and K-Mart has the potential for eye injuries even though the packaging carries no warning.
6. The Good Dinosaur Galloping Butch by Tomy and sold by Amazon, Walmart and Toys R Us poses the potential for puncture wounds due to pointed tail. The only warning on the packaging is about small parts.
7. Peppy Pups by TPF Toys, Ltd. and sold at Toys R Us comes with the risk of strangulation due to the pup’s long leash.
8. Flying Heroes Superman Launcher by I-Star Entertainment LLC and The Bridge Direct Inc is sold at Amazon, Toys R Us, Walmart, Sears, BigW and Ebay and comes with a risk of eye and facial injuries.
9. Baby Magic Feed and Play Baby from New Adventures LLC, Ltd. and sold by Toys R Us, Amazon and Sears includes a spoon that has the potential to block a child’s airways. The packaging contains no warning.
10. Warcraft Doomhammer by Jakks Pacific, Inc. and sold by Amazon and Toys R Us comes with the risk of blunt impact injuries.
As WATCH explains, the 10 Worst Toys list highlights dangers in certain toys, but parents and other consumers should know that these are not the only potentially hazardous toys on the market.
