The 10 Worst Toys Of The Year

(AP)  A U.S. toy safety group released its annual "10 Worst Toys" list Tuesday, highlighting both hidden dangers like lead paint on a bathtub boat and more obvious hazards, such as a spinning plastic pirate's dagger.

World Against Toys Causing Harm has released the list around the holidays for 35 years, but this year it came amid a number of recent high-profile recalls, particularly of toys made in China.

Most recently, millions of the "Aqua Dots" toy beads were recalled and the Chinese government confirmed they contained a substance that can turn into a "date-rape" drug after ingestion.

Among the toys identified on the list as hazardous were Sticky Stones - magnetized stones that, if swallowed, could stick together inside a child's stomach - and the Rubber Band Shooter, which could cause eye injuries, according to the group.

One toy on the WATCH list, Go Diego Go Animal Rescue Boat by Mattel's Fisher Price, was recalled last month because it contained lead paint, but the rest are for sale.

WATCH officials said the list showed that the undermanned U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which regulates the toy industry, does not do enough to ensure that toy makers sell safe toys and that the industry has failed to police itself.

"Why are toys being made with known toxins?" said attorney Joan Siff of WATCH. "The best interests of children need to be put before the best interests of toy companies."

Julie Vallese, spokeswoman for the U.S. safety commission, called WATCH's claims insulting, citing a 50 percent rise in the number of recalled toys this year - from 40 in 2006, to 61 in 2007 - that resulted from a commitment to tougher inspections

"Toys that are for sale right now have gone through more investigation and more scrutiny than any year past," Vallese said.

Joan Lawrence of the Toy Industry Association questioned the usefulness of WATCH's list, saying such lists often lack context about who the toy is aimed at and how it should be used.

For instance, "Jack Sparrow's Spinning Dagger," a toy from the popular "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie trilogy, clearly is not right for small children, but is fine for older kids, Lawrence said.

"In general, the products are safe as intended to be used," she said.

WATCH, whose directors and founder are civil attorneys, does not conduct tests on the toys, but rather shops with an eye toward features such as small, detachable parts or hard, pointed edges it says are not safe.

Vallese said federal inspectors cannot inspect every toy, and clearly some present possible hazards. She said as inspectors look for problems, parents should be vigilant.

"There is a shared responsibility in making sure the toys that are being used are being used by the right aged child and have the proper supervision," she said.

The toys on the 2007 WATCH list and the companies that make them are:

Go Diego Go Animal Rescue boat, by Fisher Price. Contains lead paint.

Sticky Stones, GeoCentral. Magnetized stones that, if swallowed, could "stick together across the intestines, causing serious infections and death."

Jack Sparrow's Spinning Dagger, Zizzle. Viewed as eye hazard.

Dora The Explorer Lamp, Funhouse. Potential for electric shocks and burns.

Lil "Giddy Up" Horse - Sassy Pet Saks, Douglas. Contains fibers and small parts that could be a choking hazard.

Spider Man 3 New Goblin Sword, Hasbro. Rigid plastic could cause injuries.

Hip Hoppa, by Spin Master Ltd. and Vivid Imaginations, Ltd. A combination footboard and bouncing ball that children jump on has the potential for head and other injuries.

B'Loonies Party Park, Ja-Ru, Inc. Children blow balloon-like toy out of substance squeezed from tube. Has potential for chemical ingestion.

My Little Baby Born, Entertainment, Inc.; Zapf Creations AG. Baby doll comes attached to tiny pacifier that could be swallowed.

Rubber Band Shooter, Simple Toys LLC. Shoots rubber bands and presents eye hazard.

[rushman71]

allunknowing: Don''t leave out Star Wars and the 100''s of different figures and ships and all the parts that came with ''em. Today, it all would be outlawed to sell such things by the health freak society we live in.

[allunknowing]

I remember Leggos and GIJoes and Transformers when I was a kid. They were fun. I don''t recall any recalls of any of them. Can someone go back in time and check those toys out? Maybe I''m in line for a million dollar civil suite from Mattel for lead paint in the 80''s.
Oh and don''t for get the ole'' Leggo in the nose and ear tricks. Those were priceless. I didn''t die....yet.

Thank your god for liberal media and the internet, without it, we might not be such nanny-state wusses.

My favorite quote I heard today, "We''re one election away from a naiton-wide bedtime."

[ookkaayy-2009]

Btw, I am not sure why there are three stars on my blog. I did not type any profanity there. Though it may appear that way, I did''nt.

[ookkaayy-2009]

Ok. Granted the lead paint on toys and the ghb in Aqua Dots is ridiculous and SHOULD have been caught by the trades regulators. I should be able to buy my children (ages 3 and 4) toys that are appropriate for their ages that won''t kill them. C''mon government trade regulators and groups who are supposed to catch this ***, where are ya? Secondly, I agree. We as PARENTS, are supposed to be providing supervison to our children to make sure they don''t kill themselves with the toys AND make sure what they have is age appropriate and developmentally appropriate for our kids. C''mon people. We all share the responsibilities here.

[mmistyq_aol]

Welcome to the continuing dumbing down of America!
Growing up, we got burned on stoves, by candles, and even by radios and television sets.We rollerskated, rode bicycles and played without helmets, chin and shin guards.Yes we got hurt, got up, brushed ourselves off and did it again and again!
We were allowed to be kids, Moms & Dads actually watched and played with us too. Unheard of today, isn''t it?

[sjw0314]

Why dont we all take our childeren and crawl in a hole....geesh..

[newmar3]

What does the American public expect to get when the toy companies( and other product manufacturers) outsource their manufacturing to another company. The public and Congress was warned by the unions that this was what would happen, now they want someone to blame. Well, blame yourself and the companies for being greedy, instead of leaving the jobs here,where quality could be checked at once. You are getting what you asked for.

[somerkate]

I am really upset about reading that Simple Toys LLC''s Rubber Band Gun was listed as one of the 10 worst toys of the year. It is one of the simplest and least dangerous of all of the other rubber band guns that I checked out on the internet. Just how this watchdog group decided to put this one on the list of worst toys, I''ll never know. I''ve given this gift to so very many of my friend''s children as well as my own grandchildren. None have ever been injured with the elastics, which are very narrow and light weight. And it''s made in the U.S.A. as well. What on earth are these watchdogs trying to prove. I wonder how many of those other rubber band guns were checked out before they put the kibosh on this simple one!

[fibonacci_]

Awww, I thought rubber band guns were cool when I was a kid and I never "put my eye out". Althought I agree with some of the toys listed here being dangerous I think Americans are a bit too fanatical about all that. The first thing I always notice when I come home from Germany once a year when I arrive at American airports is all the warning signs, for example on a conveyer belt "warning, walkway ends in 10 feet". What a joke.

[j-whitman]

bm6005,,,, It''s good for WalMart -- They now give some of their employes limited health care -- As long as they don''t put the merchandise in their mouths & don''t lick them