Christmas can be fraught with injury. A combination of sleep-deprived kids who have woken up at the crack of dawn, a solid, day-long injection of sugar and adrenalin combined with new toys they don’t know how to use properly – there’s a reason a lot of people have Christmas stories that include a trip to the emergency room.

Sometimes, however, it’s no fault of the user – it’s the toy that is at fault.

Throughout the years there have been several toys taken off the market for various reasons, mostly related to the fact that, quite unintentionally, they create the very real possibility that a child will be injured or killed in the course of playing with it.

We’ve put together a list of some toys that have been recalled or banned over the years – from the much-loved Slip’n Slide (which admittedly wasn’t so much banned as restructured to include warnings against adult usage) to the what-were-they-thinking-when-they-made-this cork gun that could be modified into a very real weapon.

Thankfully, none of these will be making it underneath the tree this year!

Next »
Clackers
Clackers
Clackers were the kind of product that is so simple but so popular. Two acrylic balls on the end of a string were swung together to make an almighty 'clacking' sound, but the problem was, when swung too hard, the balls could shatter on impact, sending shrapnel flying everywhere. They were banned in 1985, and the clacking sound was heard no more.
Next »

Have you ever had a Christmas Day toy-related injury?
Toys, toys toys: