The holidays are approaching, which means it’s peak shopping season for many parents. The promise of new toys is one of the most exciting parts of the holidays for children. But some toys are riskier than others —and others are downright dangerous.
Every holiday season, emergency rooms are flooded with children with injuries related to new toys.
According to a report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC), there were an estimated 231,700 toy-related injuries treated in emergency rooms in 2023, with the majority sustained by kids. Additionally, the CPSC received reports of at least 10 toy-related deaths among children aged 14 and younger last year.
We spoke to emergency medicine physicians and pediatricians about the top toys and gifts that send kids to the hospital during the holidays and tips to keep your family safe.
Water beads
Water beads have exploded in popularity in the last decade, and are often sold as sensory toys for children. The tiny, colorful beads are made of super-absorbent material that expands when wet.
Water beads can be fun for kids to play with, but they pose a risk of serious injury and death, TODAY.com previously reported.
The beads often look like candy, especially to young kids. “We have seen injuries related to both ingestion of water beads and also putting them in noses and ears,” Dr. Sarah Ash Combs, an emergency medicine pediatrician at Children’s National Hospital, tells TODAY.com.
When ingested, water beads can continue to expand in the body and cause discomfort, vomiting, dehydration or life-threatening injuries, according to the CPSC. Surgery may be required.
“These can be very dangerous and cause bowel obstructions. We’ve seen kids not do well after they’ve ingested these,” Dr. Meghan Martin, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, tells TODAY.com.
Water beads put into the ears can damage the internal structures of the ear and cause hearing loss, per CPSC. It’s also possible for children to inhale water beads, which can result in significant lung damage, according to a 2020 report in BMC Pediatrics.
The experts recommend avoiding water beads if possible or keeping them away from children under 5. Older children should always be supervised, and the beads should be stored in a secure place out of reach of kids, says Martin.
Toys with button or coin batteries
Button batteries are tiny, flat, disk-shaped batteries used to power everything from toys to hearing aids and greeting cards, Dr. Danielle Grant, a pediatrician with Texas Children’s pediatrics, tells TODAY.com. Similarly shaped, lithium coin batteries are found in many electronics and household items.
These tiny batteries do not mix well with curious children. A 2022 study found that the rate of children’s emergency room visits for battery-related injuries has more than doubled in the last decade, TODAY.com previously reported.
Button and coin batteries can be a choking hazard and are “extraordinarily dangerous” when ingested, Dr. Shawn Safford, medical director of pediatric services at UPMC Children’sHospital in Central Pennsylvania, tells TODAY.com. About once a month, he performs surgery on a child who’s ingested a button battery, he says.
Swallowing the batteries can cause life-threatening chemical burns to the esophagus and gastrointestinal tract, ruptures, bleeding and death, says Grant.
Batteries lodged in the ears or nose can cause permanent hearing or breathing impairments, per the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Avoid gifting young children toys with button batteries, says Martin, or make sure all battery compartments are tightly secured and always supervise children while using the toy.
Magnets or magnetized toy sets
Another popular gift is toys with magnets or high-powered magnetic toy sets — think small cubes, balls or tiles that connect together to create structures or shapes.
Toys with high-powered magnets were banned by the CPSC in 2014, but the ban was lifted in 2016 —after that, research showed a sharp rise in magnet-related injuries among kids, per the AAP.
“Magnets are small, attractive, and we know that little children love to put things in their mouth,” says Combs. Children may choke on the magnets or swallow them.
When multiple magnets are ingested, they can attract to each other and force though tissues in the body, according to the CPSC. This may result in intestinal blockages, perforations, infections, blood poisoning and death.
“I am very hesitant to give any magnetized toys, even ones that are authorized,” says Combs. While these toys may be appropriate for older children, Combs still encourages parental supervision.
The AAP recommends families with children do not keep high-powered magnet sets in the home.
E-scooters and hoverboards
Electric or e-scooters are increasingly popular. They also send plenty of children to the emergency room with everything from bruises to broken bones and head injuries, says Safford.
Research suggests these injuries are becoming more common and severe. The number of children hospitalized for e-scooter injuries surged between 2011 and 2020, according to the AAP.
Unmotorized scooters already cause a significant number of injuries among children every year, per the CPSC. At least one pediatric fatality in 2023 was due to a collision between a car and an unmotorized scooter.
Adding a motor and more speed only adds more risk, the experts warn. The AAP recommends children under 16 do not ride e-scooters.
Hoverboards also send countless kids to the hospital, says Martin, adding that one Christmas morning she treated seven hoverboard injuries in only a few hours. In addition to being easy to fall off of, hoverboards can also overheat and catch on fire, she adds.
Any outdoor activities involving wheels —motorized or non-motorized —requires the right safety gear, says Combs. This includes helmets, knee and elbow pads, and wrist guards. Combs suggests choosing the child’s favorite color or cool designs to get them excited and encourage use.
Toys should also be appropriate for the child’s age and skill level, says Grant, and parents should teach children about road safety rules before they take their new ride for a spin.
Toys with loose or small parts
About half of the toy-related child deaths reported in 2023 were caused by choking or asphyxiation associated with small toys or parts —two young fatalities involved choking on bouncy balls and another two involved choking on a crayon, per the CPSC.
“Children explore things by putting it in their mouth,” says Combs. Any small toy or part of a toy presents a risk, especially for young children and toddlers.
These include things like balls, balloons, building sets, marbles, doll accessories or any toys that can be taken apart. “Something as simple as the wrapping materials can (even) be a hazard,” says Combs, adding that all packaging should be thrown away after a toy is opened.
“One thing I tell parents is never give (a child) 3 years or younger anything that is smaller or fits through a toilet roll (tube),” says Safford.
Make sure the smallest piece of a toy is age-appropriate not only for the child receiving it but also for any other children in the home who have access to it, Grant advises.
Trampolines
A new trampoline may have kids jumping for joy, but parents should be aware of the risks. “We see a lot of forearm injuries, leg injuries and other injuries,” says Martin. These include sprains, broken bones, concussions, lacerations and spinal cord injuries.
More than 90% of trampoline injuries occur among children, mostly between the ages of 5 and 14, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
These often result from landing incorrectly, flips or stunts gone wrong, falling off and kids bumping into each other. Over 75% of trampoline injuries occur when two or more children are jumping at once and collide, per the AAOS.
In-ground trampolines and ones enclosed in safety nets are safer options. But regardless, parents should always supervise children on trampolines and minimize the number of kids jumping at once, TODAY.com previously reported. The AAOSrecommends children under 6 do not use trampolines.
Knock-offs that don’t meet safety standards
Toy safety standards are a mandatory set of rules toymakers must follow to ensure toys are safe and age-appropriate.
According to the CPSC, all toys intended for use by children 12 and under must be third-party tested and certified as meeting the federal toy safety standard, ASTM F963-17. This means the toy has been tested for toxic chemicals, heavy metals, electrical safety, small parts, flammability and more.
Toys that meet the standard will have labels with the recommended age, safety warnings and instructions for proper use, the experts note. Look for “ASTM” on the toy’s packaging or box.
If toys have these labels, “you’re at least assured that this meets basic minimum criteria,” Combs says.
The boom in knockoffs from online retailers has led to an increasing number of toys that don’t meet these safety standards on the market and in homes, says Combs. The experts recommend avoiding these toys, as they could contain toxic chemicals, lead paint or loose parts that are dangerous for kids.
In addition to safety standards, Combs encourages parents to pay attention to the age guidelines —even if your child likes or wants a toy meant for older children, it’s best to play it safe.
Caroline Kee
Caroline Kee is a health reporter at TODAY based in New York City.
