Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
BOSTON (AP) — A Boston-based consumer watchdog group has warned of the dangers to children of water balloon slingshots, lawn darts and other summer toys.
Those playthings top a list of 10 questionable toys issued Thursday by World Against Toys Causing Harm, better known by its acronym, W.A.T.C.H.
Others include low-riding wheeled toys; swimming pools; all-terrain vehicles; toys with small parts; baby pools and garden buckets; backyard water slides; high-powered water guns; and bounce houses and backyard trampolines.
- Trap 1: Water balloon sling-shots Hazard: Potential for eye and choking injuries
- Trap 2: Lawn dartsHazard: Potential for blunt impact injury
- Trap 3: Low riding wheeled toys (Big Wheels and other plastic tricycles)Hazard: Potential for fall, head and impact injuries
- Trap 4: Backyard in-ground and above-ground swimming poolsHazard: Potential for drowning
- Trap 5: All-terrain vehicles (ATVs)Hazard: Potential for head, bone and other impact injuries
- Trap 6: Toys with small partsHazard: Potential for choking injuries
- Trap 7: Shallow water: baby pools, garden buckets, pool coversHazard: Potential for drowning
- Trap 8: Backyard water slidesHazard: Potential for neck, spine, head and other life-threatening injuries
- Trap 9: High-powered water guns and guns with projectile ammunitionHazard: Potential for eye injury
- Trap 10: Bounce houses and backyard trampolinesHazard: Potential for impact and other serious injuries
Source: ToySafety.org
The group says more than 2.5 million American children are injured each summer. It says many of those accidents are preventable.
Last summer, the organization singled out fidget spinners — those popular plastic and metal toys that users spin around a finger — saying they pose a choking hazard.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
