When shopping for kids’ holiday gifts this year, it’s important to keep an eye out for toys that could potentially take their eye out while playing. But there are so many amazing new children's products that get released each year, it’s hard to keep track of which ones are safe or hazardous for little ones. This is where World Against Toys Causing Harm, or W.A.T.C.H., comes into play. Each year, it releases the "10 Worst Toys" on the market and what parents need to look out for when buying new products for their children.
In this year’s batch, W.A.T.C.H. named Hallmark's “Itty Bitty” Baby Stacking Toy as a hazard because detachable pieces on the mini Disney characters present a potential for choking. It’s also sold without age recommendations and was eventually recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, but still available for purchase online. Fidget spinners were already on notice due to its small pieces posing a choking hazard, and on W.A.T.C.H.’s list, Hand Fidgetz Spinners by Kipp Brothers were spotlighted as an example.
The Pull Along Pony by Tolo Toys Limited features a 19-inch-long cord that could lead to entanglement and strangulation while the Mattel’s Wonder Woman Battle-Action Sword could cause facial injuries from little ones pretending to be the Amazonian warrior. Spider-Man is another beloved superhero featured in questionable toys for kids, such as Marvel’s Spider-Man Spider-Drone Official Movie Edition with high-speed rotating blades that could injure tiny fingers and eyes and get caught in hair.
For the complete list of the 10 worst toys for the 2017 holiday season, visit toysafety.org. Then browse through our holiday gift guide and head to the best baby stores and toy stores in NYC armed with new information on what dangerous features to look out for, product recalls and which items to stay far away from as you shop for kids’ gifts this year.
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