List of Summer Safety Hazards for Kids Includes Popular Toys
Even simple-looking toys can be hazardous. A consumer safety group has issued its summer safety list. Widget spinners made the list.
The group World Against Toys Causing Harm (WATCH) is cautioning parents about the popular new toy. It can fall apart, leaving small pieces. The Pioneer Press of St. Paul reports that children in Oregon and Texas were taken to hospitals after choking on pieces. One required surgery.
WATCH president Joan Siff is quoted in an online news release, "Do not be lulled into a false sense of security that a toy is safe simply because it it popular." Many schools have outlawed the toys because of the distraction they can cause. German customs officials recently destroyed thousands of the spinners.
The group also raises a concern about hover boards, which have had a problem with batteries catching on fire. They also advise parents to be cautious of any toy with small parts or little batteries.
Water safety takes on multiple angles, from hazards around baby pools and pool covers to electrical shock accidents and drowning dangers. WATCH's safety list includes blunt, shaped toy weapons modeled after television shows and movies. See the full list of safety concerns.
The group is also concerned about the number of toys that have been recalled that are still available over the internet from private sources.