This list is hilarious! According to Radar Magazine these are the worst and most dangerous toys of all time, as defined by their ability to kill, maim and generally be hazardous to the well being of the children to which they were given.
Each toy is linked to the complete page on the Radar website that has a more complete description of the mayhem wreaked by the particular weapon toy.
Here goes then:
10.) Fisher-Price Power Wheels Motorcycle
Eager youngsters who gunned the throttle found that it often stayed gunned, stuck in a petrifying state of perma-acceleration. Presumably, the child on the motorcycle was then taken on a hellish, intestine-twisting scream ride.
9.) Battlestar Galactica Missile Launcher
It takes just a few jabbed eyes, some torn intestines and the death of a child to bring down a party, and that’s just what happened in January 1979, when the battle cruiser missiles were finally recalled.
The Reb fired hard, plastic cannonballs with a spring mechanismâ€â€the aspiring secessionist need only pull a lanyard. No word on exactly how fast the cannonballs flew, but they traveled up to 35 feet and seemed perfectly sized to lodge into an eye socket, down an open mouth…
7.) Creepy Crawlers
Nothing says safety like an open hot plate. And nothing says fun like using that open hot plate to create molten, rubbery insects you can throw at your sister while narrowly avoiding setting the house ablaze.
At least those who dodged serious injury or disfigurement could safely eat their creation. Oh wait, the critters were toxic, too.
6.) Bat Masterson Derringer Belt Gun
According to SafeKids USA, “Caps can be ignited by friction and cause serious burns.” Every young boy needs to learn the valuable lesson of always protecting his nether regions, with force if necessary, but given the positioning of the Derringer, the owner’s greatest enemy might have actually been puberty.
5.) Sky Dancers
Injuries included scratched corneas and temporary blindness, mild concussions, broken ribs and teeth, and facial lacerations that required stitches. Nearly nine million Sky Dancers were eventually recalled, leaving aspiring ballerinas to earn their battle scars the old fashioned way, with an eating disorder.
4.) Snacktime Cabbage Patch Dolls
With no mechanism to turn off the munching should trouble arise, it was only a matter of time before some cherub’s long blonde hair got caught in the doll’s rabid jaws. After 35 fingers and ponytails fell victim, the Snacktime Kids were removed from retail shelves forever, and 500,000 customers were offered a full $40 refund.
3.) Mini-Hammocks from EZ Sales
Unfortunately, children seeking to spend an afternoon like Gilligan became entangled in the net and strangled to death.
CPSC reported in August 1996 that the product had resulted in the fatal and near-fatal asphyxiation of dozens of kids ages five to 17 and recalled three million of them.
2.) Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab
For a mere $49.50, the kit came complete with three “very low-level” radioactive sources, a Geiger-Mueller radiation counter, a Wilson Cloud Chamber (to see paths of alpha particles), a Spinthariscope (to see “live” radioactive disintegration), four samples of Uranium-bearing ores, and an Electroscope to measure radioactivity.
1.) Lawn Darts!
During their brief (and generally awesome) reign in 1980s suburbia, Jarts racked up 6,700 injuries and four deaths.
I blame the Spinthariscope for my cataracts! I had a spring dart gun as a kid that i could only load by putting dart on floor and puhsing gun down on it as hard as I could. I hadbtarget on front door and one day missed it and hit the small window pane on door. The dart went right through it and my parents took away my dart gun!
Of course i still had my chemistry set complete with saltpeter, sulpher,charcoal,etc.,and my BB gun.
I loved Evel Knievel on that motorcycle. It would tear your hand off if you tried to stop the wheel.
Does anyone remember the Evel Knievel wind up motorcycle? That was a bad one for me.
This is stupid,i mean really,a kid died from plastic missiles!
Funny I am still alive….after my childhood born 1966….! :-)
I also don’t like the motorcycle, thanks for very valuable information :)
Sky dancers were recalled? My sisters and I still have some of those but we haven’t played with them in years.
Creepy Crawlers did actually “spawn” a version you could eat: Incredible Edibles. Pretty much the same setup but no heat and some kinda sugary stuff in a squeeze bottle you’d put in the the molds: http://www.samstoybox.com/toys/IncredibleEdibles.html
i`m agree the motorcycle is very dangerous. My daughter and my son will never have it. they have so many funny toys, that they dont miss more dangerous.
What! No reference to lawn darts?! Or did I miss it? Lol
Great article. You provide very valuable information.
Thanks
Better throw out my sister’s old Skydancers.