Trouble in Toyland: A Toxic Toy List

As the holiday shopping season gets underway, 24 toys are on the annual toxic list released by the California Public Interest Research Group (CALPRIG). The list reveals toys that are choking hazards or have high levels of lead and chromium.

A few of the items making this year’s list include a shopping cart with fake fruit small enough to cause a child to choke if ingested.

The list also includes toys that are too lough that could cause eardrum damage, and dangerous magnets that could cause serious problems if swallowed.

“Choking hazards are pretty straight forward,” says CALPIFG spokesperson, Jennifer Griggs. “We recommend that folks bring like a little toilet paper roll with them. Anything that fits in there is too small for kids under the age of 3.”

Griggs says the 24 toys on the list do not present all of the toxic toys being sold. She says when parents shop for toys it’s important to ask questions such as “could my child choke on this?”

You can download the complete report of Trouble in Toyland here.