Dangerous Toys for Boys

Choking Hazards

• Toys with loose parts pose choking hazards to younger boys. According to W.A.T.C.H., the mini-nursery from Lots to Love Babies comes with a detachable showerhead that poses a choking hazard, and the Junior Musical Instruments from Just Kids has a drumstick that can easily be separated from its drum and be choked on. Screws and uninflated balloons can also be choking hazards. According to Consumer Affairs, PlaySkool tool bench was recalled after two children suffocated when they swallowed toy plastic nails.

Strangulation Hazards

• Toys with long strings or cords attached can pose strangulation hazards. According to W.A.T.C.H., the stuffed Maltese dog from Pucci Pups has a 35-inch-long leash, as compared with the 12-inch length recommended, and could cause strangulation; in addition, its fur comes off easily and could be aspirated by a baby. According to Consumer Affairs, yo-yos and the cords of video game controllers are also hazardous. A boy died after a water yo-yo's string wrapped itself several times around his neck.

Shooting Hazards

• Boys often ask for toys that shoot like guns, but these can be dangerous, posing a hazard to eyes, even if the objects being shot seem soft and harmless. According to W.A.T.C.H., in 2009 the Wall-E Foam Rocket Launcher and the Spy Gear Viper-Blaster were both cited as dangerous because of their potential to harm a child's eyes if the foam objects were shot at them. Toy guns and darts of all types can cause blindness and eye injuries.

Puncture Hazards

• Some toys have sharp edges that can cause puncture wounds. According to W.A.T.C.H, the Dark Knight Batman action figure contains bat ears so sharp that a young boy could be cut if he fell against them, and the Slashin' Action Wolverine action figure has similarly sharp claws. The wheels can come off mini Caterpillar tractor toys, revealing a sharp spike that can cause puncture wounds.

Other Hazardous Toys

• According to W.A.T.C.H., the Moon Pogo Board, a bouncing toy, is full of warnings about the injuries that can be caused even if the toy is used properly. According to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group as reported by Consumer Affairs, toys with magnets pose a particular danger, because if more than one magnet is swallowed, they will attract each other within the body and can cause bowel obstructions or perforations. A boy died in 2005 after swallowing a magnet from a Magnetix toy.