Shrinky Dinks

What Is It?

It's a craft kit wherein you color special sheets, then bake in the oven and they become plastic shrunk designs.

What Happened?

When they were baking they would emit highly toxic fumes making Kids everywhere sick (that dared to watch their creations shrink).

Aftermath?

These are still made, I'm not even sure a warning was issued

Links:

http://www.businesspundit.com/10-toxic-toys-that-kids-actually-played-with/

I-Tattoo Electric Tattoo Pen

What Is It?

It is a "realistic vibrating pen" that works with markers...it even comes with stencils!

What Happened?

There was outrage from Parents because this product is encouraging Children to coat themselves in colorful permanent tattoos when they get older (like oh say 10 haha). 

Aftermath?

These are still being sold

Links:

http://www.amazon.com/SpinMaster-6006830-i-Tattoo-electronic-tattoo/dp/B000EULZ50

Flubber

What Is It?

It's a Disney tie-in toy for the movie Flubber of course.  It's a synthetic rubber substance made of butadiane.

What Happened?

An outbreak of rashes in schools all over where Flubber was sold.  The company that made this substance denied a tie-in, but a warning was issued. 

Aftermath?

The outbreaks of dermatitis continued until 1963 when they finally banned this product.  The recalled product was of no use so it was buried in a hole somewhere.

Links:

http://progresscityusa.com/2011/09/06/the-fatal-flubber-fiasco-of-63/

Poo-Dough

What Is It?

Sadly, it's just what you'd think.  It's basically Play-Dough only...it's brown and created with the purpose of having Children shape poo out of it.  It does come with yellow so you can try to make pee or corn chunks.

What Happened?

Well Parents weren't exactly thrilled at the idea of a toy encouraging Kids to grab a log and play with it.

Aftermath?

Nothing happened...in fact it was apparently an extremely popular toy

Links:

http://www.skyrockettoys.com/products/prankstar/poo-dough

Creepy Crawlers

What Is It?

It's an activity toy made by Mattel starting in 1963 which allows Kids to make creepy worms and so forth.

What Happened?

In order to make these worms and creatures, Kids needed to handle a chemical compound and an oven heated to 390 degrees.  So even if you didn't burn your fingers messing with a hot hot oven, you still got to inhale toxic fumes from the chemical compound and it was toxic if eaten. 

Aftermath?

The chemical compound was changed to a non-toxic formula, and the ovens now locked until the compound was done cooking. 

Links:


http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/10-classic-toys-could-kill.htm#page=5

Concentration Camp Lego

What Is It?

In 1996 Polish Artist Zbigniew Libera created this set (which yes was actually available for sale from what I can find out).  What is in this particular set?  Why it's a concentration camp complete with skeletons, armed guards and wire everywhere. 

What Happened?

Lego gave Zbigniew the bricks to use without knowing his clear purpose so one can imagine they were rather ticked off when they say the result of his toil was...oh say a concentration camp for children. 

Aftermath:

Lego claims they do not in any way endorse this product. 

Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zbigniew_Libera

Powermite Working Power Tools

What Is It?

Why these are mini replicas for Children to learn to drill things and cut through wood.

What Happened?

Unlike the toys of today...these were made in the late '60s and made of actual metal...and they actually work.  The good news is that the power tools operate on batteries...so you might run out of juice before you completely saw off an appendage.

Aftermath?

I'm not sure anything was done about this as this toy came out during a time when people didn't complain so much about toys.  This must also explain why I can find no reports of injuries related to these products because c'mon....really?

Links:

http://www.trendzified.net/dangerous-toys/

Buckyballs

What Is This?

Marketed as an Adult desk toy, they are a bunch of very powerful magnets that you can build shapes with.

What Happened?

Despite being marketed as an "Adult Toy", Kids have been known to get their hands on these and swallow them.  More than one powerful magnet in the stomach means they will rip through your insides in order to reattach. 

Aftermath?

The CPSC demanded a recall which the Buckyballs company tried as hard as they could to fight as these were not marketed to Children.  The CPSC won, the recall was issued and they have been pulled.

Links:

http://mom.me/fun/4697-tragic-toys/#!/fun/4697-tragic-toys/item/buckyballs/

Magnetix

What Is It?

Magnetix are a nifty building set that use little magnetic balls to hold the little magnetic plastic pieces together.

What Happened?

The plastic pieces broke easily exposing swallowable little magnets.  The bigger issue (not choking) is that if more than one was swallowed....they would rip through the Child's stomach in order to connect as the magnets were that strong.  In 2005 Kenny Sweet died at the age of 22 months from swallowing 9 pieces and they reconnected in his bowels.  There are reports of at least 34 other Children who were injured from this same problem.

Aftermath?

In 2006 they recalled the toy (note a year after the death), and in 2008 it was rereleased as "MagNext" which is supposedly safe.

Links:

http://www.takejusticeback.com/news/10-most-dangerous-toys-all-time
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetix

Aquadots

What is it?
Sure...this "seems" like an innocent fun time activity for your children...heck it was awarded "Toy Of The Year" in Australia in 2007.  Aqua Dots were little beads that kids would arrange on a board, then spritz with water to set. 

What went wrong?
Little could Australia have known that these little beads would cause some problems (and actually choking hazard isn't what we are talking about here).  Aqua Dots were recalled in November 2007 after reports of a 2 year old Boy, a 19 month old Toddler and a 10 year old Girl injesting a fair quantity of these dots and becoming seriously ill.  As it turned out, they were not made with the harmless compound that they had anticipated, in fact they contained the substance "GHB" which is also known as the "Date Rape Drug".

Aftermath?
It did apparently cause some seizures but there were no long term effects found from this mishap.  The company issued a recall, and replaced the beads with a non-drug related substance.  They are still sold as "Bindeez", "Aqua Dots", "Beados" and  "Pixos"

Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bindeez
http://www.foxnews.com/story/2007/11/08/report-aqua-dots-recalled-for-possibly-containing-date-rape-drug/