Consumer Safety Group Unveils 10 Worst Toys For 2019 Holiday Season
BOSTON (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — Ice cream-scented Nickelodeon slime, a plastic Power Rangers claw and a realistic toy machine gun are among the toys topping a consumer safety group's list of worst toys for the holidays.
World Against Toys Causing Harm unveiled its annual list Tuesday at a Boston children's hospital.
A "pogo trick board," a yeti teddy bear, a pull-along caterpillar toy for infants and a Nerf dart gun also made the list.
The Massachusetts nonprofit has been releasing the list for more than 40 years.
It says many of the products present choking, eye and other safety hazards frequently found in poorly designed toys. It also cites the products for having inconsistent and inadequate warnings labels.
For the Anstoy electronic toy gun, the group warned about giving children a toy that looks like a real gun, saying "detailed replicas mistaken for lethal weaponry have resulted in numerous deaths over the years and should never be sold as toys." The toy is marketed for children ages 14 and over.
The organization says the Nerf Ultra One gun, which is billed as firing soft darts up to 120 feet (37 meters), shoots the projectiles with enough force to potentially cause eye injuries.
It also says the warning label on Flybar's Pogo Trick Board tells children to wear protection, but the product's packaging features a child using the device without a wearing a helmet or other protection.
And the association notes that Nickelodeon's Frozen Treats Slime includes mint chocolate chip, berry smoothie, and snow cone-scented versions of the goo even as it warns the products are made of harmful chemicals and shouldn't be eaten.
The Toy Association, a toy industry trade group that represents most of the toy makers named on the list, dismissed the annual list as misleading. It suggests parents always purchase toys from reputable stores and online sellers.
"By law, all toys sold in the United States must meet 100+ rigorous safety tests and standards," the organization said in a written statement. "On the other hand, W.A.T.C.H. does not test the toys in its report to check their safety; their allegations appear to be based on their misrepresentation or misunderstanding of the mandatory toy standards."
Complete list:
- Nerf Ultra One
- Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog
- Bunchems Bunch'n Build
- Yeti toy from Douglas Company, Inc.
- Nickelodeon Frozen Treats Slime
- Anstoy Electronic Toy Gun
- Diecast School Bus
- Pogo Trick Board
- Power Rangers Electronic Cheetah Claw
- Viga Pull Along Caterpillar
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
