12 Kids Toys That Definitely Were Not Safe To Play With
Millions of toys are recalled every year that we're not even aware of. The only ones that really matter are the ones that had some kind of hype associated with it.
For example, do you remember the CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit based off the hit crime scene investigation show? It was one of the coolest things to hit the market a decade ago and every child wanted it, but the fingerprint powder was found to contain asbestos!
This is how these toy companies crush our souls, when they bring out an awesome product but they don't make it safe enough to play with.
Here's a list of 12 dangerous toys that seemed like a good idea to play with when we were kids.
1. Moon Shoes
Trampolines are dangerous enough, so why do kids need tiny trampolines strapped onto their feet? Nickelodeon started marketing these in the '80s, and God forbid if you didn't own something everyone else did.
If you thought those imaginary astronaut shoes were a bad idea, take a look at these original moon shoes...made out of metal.
2. The Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab
This little science kit may not have been the worst thing to purchase back in its time, but these days you can't be anywhere near something called "atomic" and not be deemed a terrorist. Besides, what interest do children have in nuclear physics and learning about "prospecting for uranium."
3. Sky Dancers
Anything that flies was cool in our eyes, but usually things that were super cool were super dangerous. So when Sky Dancers or Dragon Flyz were released in the early '90s, every girl was crazy about them. All you had to do was pull the ripcord and watch that beautiful Barbie tear into someone's skin or eyes.
4. Aqua Dots
In 2015, a jury awarded almost $500,000 to a family in an Aqua Dots trial because they claimed the beads were coated with a date-rape drug. Can you believe it was considered the "Toy of the Year" in the mid-2000s?
5. The original Creepy Crawlers Oven
The first Creepy Crawlers toy was released in the mid-1950s, and it resulted in a lot of burns. The '90s version had some safety improvements, like a heat-triggered door that remained closed until the newly-made bugs were cool enough, but that still didn't make it much safer. Also, once these were made you always stepped on them and it hurt like hell.
6. Blowgun Darts
There are dozens of reasons for why this should never be sold to kids. Blowing sharp metal objects is not a good idea, but some kids have accidentally inhaled these too!
Get out your hazmat suit for these next ones.
7. The Austin Magic Pistol
You won't be surprised to hear that a toy gun that spits fire was taken off the market. It was first released in the late '40s, and the pistol used calcium carbide, a chemical that explodes when mixed with water, which causes the ping-pong balls to shoot out the muzzle. Good riddance.
8. Socker Boppers
It's not so much as a bop but a smash. There's no way kids lightly bump each other. We had no sense of restraint or mercy when these bad boys were in our hands. It was the most painful balloon fight ever.
9. Mini Hammocks
Hammocks are meant to induce relaxation, but for kids, they're more like death cocoons. There have been more than a dozen cases of children dying from asphyxiation or suffering permanent brain damage from getting strangled in these ropes.
10. Bird of Paradise Slingshot
This slingshot was one of the first products that the Consumer Product Safety Commission wanted to ban in the late '60s. I'm sure our ancestors used a similar contraption to knock out enemies.
11. Chinese Finger Trap
I'm not sure why these finger traps are considered a practical joke. There's nothing funny about dislocating your finger.
12. Lawn Darts
Lawn darts was what everyone wanted to own during the '80s. These sharp metal-tipped darts were eventually banned in that same decade, and for good reason. Who really thought throwing these around was a good idea?
Did you own any of these toys? Let us know!