New Year is on the doorstep and you probably already bought New Year gifts for yourself and loved ones (and if not, you will have time before the chiming clock!). But there are gifts in the world that you should stay away from if life is dear to you. And the saddest thing is that many dangerous New Year gifts are intended for the most vulnerable, fragile and defenseless creatures - children.
Here are the top 10 most dangerous kids' New Year gifts of all time.
10. Orbeez balls
These hydrogel balls are very popular with Russian children due to their beautiful translucent appearance and the ability to grow in size. In order for the orbits to "grow" they need to be placed in water and wait a while.
For teenagers, these balls are common entertainment, but for young children they can be deadly. In a swollen state, the orbis can be easily mistaken for a candy appearance, and since the balls are very slippery, it is not difficult to swallow them.
Here is a photo of a hydrogel ball extracted by the surgeons of the Filatov Children's Hospital from the stomach of a one-year-old girl. Who would want such a toy to be inside their child?
9. Play set Gilbert U238 Lab
A toy that develops cognitive abilities of children is a wonderful New Year's gift. But giving a child a Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab was not the best idea on the part of American parents. After all, it contained four samples of uranium ore, which are sources of weak radiation.
According to the idea of the creator of the set, inventor Alfred Gilbert, with the help of this toy, children were supposed to carry out and observe chemical reactions.
8. Children's toy stove Easy-Bake Oven
This miniature oven and hob from Hasbro was meant to help little chefs realize their abilities. Instead, in 2007, several children burned their fingers after being placed inside a toy. And no wonder, because inside the oven there was a heating element that could heat up to a temperature of 350 degrees.
One girl even had to amputate part of her finger. Since then, the company has released a new version with an electric heating element instead of a light bulb.
7. Giroskuter
One of the most coveted New Year's gifts for children, it helps develop coordination and is a subject of admiration from peers. How can he be dangerous?
The fact is that earlier these devices often caught fire due to low-quality batteries. One 3-year-old child even died after a malfunctioning hoverboard caused a fire in a Pennsylvania home. In 2015, American airlines and the post office even banned the transport of hoverboards due to fears that they could explode in transit.
Modern models are much safer, but do not try to save money and buy a cheap Chinese brand name if your child's safety is dear to you.
6. Game set Magnetix
The popular play set, released in the mid-2000s, became a parenting nightmare in 2007 when one child died and 28 others were seriously injured after swallowing magnets that had fallen from plastic parts.
The manufacturer ultimately recalled most of the 4,000,000 Magnetix kits, but still sells a redesigned and safe version.
5. Polly Pocket doll with Quik Clik
The heyday of the popularity of this doll came in the nineties, but the kits released later will be remembered for a long time not so much by children as by the manufacturer himself.
A few years after launching the Quik Clik line in 2004, Mattel recalled 7.3 million playsets due to the frequent dropping of small parts that clicked onto the doll. And because of their small size, they could easily be swallowed by a child.
4. Flying fairy doll
These flying fairies act more menacing than they look. Just pull the trigger and the doll will begin to spin its bladed skirt and soar into the air. And maybe right in your face.
After numerous reports of eye injuries, broken teeth, lacerated facial wounds, and even mild concussions, one of the largest flying fairies, Galoob Toys Inc, has forever landed its toys, recalling about 8.9 million copies in 2000.
3. Toy weapons
Many boys (and some girls too) will be happy to receive a toy pistol or other weapon for the New Year. But some handguns for children could do real harm. Sad examples of this are Austin Magic Pistol and Mattel’s Belt Buckle Derringer, popular in the USA in the 50s of the last century.
The first shooting toy used "magic crystals" composed of calcium carbide. If water hit such bullets, they exploded.
The second toy also fired calcium carbide bullets and was a pistol buckle that was supposed to be worn on a belt.
2. Magnetic cube
Interesting entertainment for a teenager or adult can turn into a danger to the life of a small child. In 2012, magnetic cube maker Buckyballs withdrew the toy from sale. The reason was 1200 cases of hospitalization of children who swallowed parts from a magnetic cube.
1. Pyrotechnic items
Last year, in Moscow alone, during one New Year's Eve, 23 people went to hospitals with complaints of injuries and burns from pyrotechnics. And seven of them are minors.
Of course, firecrackers, "firecrackers" and "rockets" are spectacular, beautiful and noisy. However, children, who are often unaware of basic safety rules when handling pyrotechnics, become victims of explosions of firecrackers and fireworks more often than adults. Therefore, if you want to happily celebrate the New Year, do not give your son or daughter such a dangerous toy.