Every year, the Boston consumer group World Against Toys Causing Harm (WATCH) puts out its top 10 list of worst toys to buy during the holiday season. The group had a lot to choose from this year, and settling on 10 seems, as The Consumerist notes, kind of pointless.
Still, the more information, the better for parents who are trying to find safe toys for their children, so the list is worth checking out. Top on the WATCH list (bringing it to 11 with this alert) is Aqua Dots, one of the most recently recalled toys of 2007, which saw 25 million toys under 70 brands recalled for safety issues, including lead paint and other toxic materials.
Aqua Dots, colored beads used in kids' craft projects, were found to contain toxic chemicals that convert to a dangerous date-rape drug when ingested. There have been at least two reports of children swallowing the beads and slipping into a temporary comatose state.
You'll find some familiar names on the list: a Dora the Explorer lamp, Go Diego Go Animal Rescue Boat, Jack Sparrow's Spinning Dagger, Spiderman 3 New Goblin Sword. But there are also some lesser-known toys, like Sticky Stones, magnetized iron ore stones that WATCH warns can be choking hazards.
Check out the full list on the WATCH web site, and proceed with care and caution down the toy aisles this holiday season.