Back in Time Today
The 1960s and 1970s were a time of innovation and creativity, but also a period when safety standards were not as stringent as they are today. This led to the production of toys that, while exciting and imaginative, posed significant risks to children.
In this article, we explore 26 toys from that era that would raise eyebrows today, reminding us of the importance of safety in play.
1. Clackers
Clackers were a popular toy in the 1970s, consisting of two acrylic balls connected by a string. Children would swing them up and down, causing them to hit each other with a loud “clack”. Despite their popularity, Clackers were notorious for their potential danger. The balls could shatter on impact, sending sharp shards flying.
While they were thrilling to use, they often left kids with bruised arms or worse. Today, Clackers serve as a reminder of how far toy safety has come, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that fun doesn’t come at the cost of safety.
2. Easy-Bake Oven
The Easy-Bake Oven was a staple in many households, allowing children to bake small cakes using a light bulb. While it was an exciting way to engage kids with cooking, the toy often reached dangerously high temperatures. This could lead to burns if mishandled.
Despite its educational value, the toy’s safety issues highlighted the importance of proper supervision and design in children’s products. It’s an interesting reflection on the balance between practicality and playfulness in toy manufacturing, ensuring that learning tools are safe for young users.
3. Creepy Crawlers
Creepy Crawlers allowed kids to create their own rubbery insects by pouring “Plastigoop” into metal molds. These molds were heated, baking the goop into creepy, crawly forms. While imaginative and fun, the hot metal plates posed burn risks.
The toy required careful handling and supervision, underscoring the need for clear safety guidelines in creative play. This product serves as a historical example of the delicate balance between encouraging creativity and maintaining safety standards, ensuring that innovative ideas don’t compromise children’s well-being.
4. Sky Dancers
Sky Dancers were enchanting flying dolls that launched into the air with a pull-string mechanism. While magical to watch, their unpredictable flight paths often resulted in injuries, as they could hit faces or eyes. Despite their mesmerizing appeal, the lack of control made them dangerous.
This toy illustrates the importance of ensuring that interactive toys provide both wonder and safety. A balance between innovation and user safety is key, reminding manufacturers to consider potential risks in seemingly harmless designs.
5. Battlestar Galactica Colonial Viper
This toy spaceship from the beloved Battlestar Galactica series featured a spring-loaded missile, a thrilling addition that unfortunately posed choking hazards. The small missiles could easily be swallowed by young children, leading to dangerous situations.
The recall of this toy emphasized the importance of assessing small parts in children’s products. It serves as an early lesson in the need for stringent safety testing, ensuring that excitement doesn’t overshadow the necessity of keeping kids safe during playtime.
6. Slip ‘N Slide
Summer fun was epitomized by the Slip ‘N Slide, a long plastic slide that children would run and dive onto. While exhilarating, it was not without risks. The lack of cushioning on hard surfaces often led to injuries like bruises or even concussions.
This toy serves as a reminder of the need for proper safety measures in outdoor play equipment. It highlights the importance of creating a safe play environment, balancing thrill and caution to prevent accidents while keeping the fun intact.
7. Atomic Energy Lab
The Atomic Energy Lab was an educational kit designed to teach children about nuclear energy. It included actual radioactive materials, which, although low in radiation, posed a health risk if mishandled. The kit’s ambitious goal of education was overshadowed by safety concerns.
This product exemplifies the critical need for safety prioritization in educational toys. It underscores the importance of ensuring that learning experiences do not compromise health, balancing educational value with the paramount need for safety precautions.
8. Belt Buckle Derringer
The Belt Buckle Derringer was a toy gun cleverly disguised as a belt buckle. With a flick, it would spring out, imitating a real firearm. While it was intended for imaginative play, the realistic design raised safety and ethical concerns.
This toy serves as a reminder of the need for responsible design in play weapons, highlighting the importance of distinguishing play from reality. It emphasizes the need to ensure toys foster creativity without encouraging dangerous or violent behavior in children.
9. Fisher-Price Medical Kit
The Fisher-Price Medical Kit allowed children to engage in imaginative doctor play. However, earlier versions included a stethoscope with long cords, posing a strangulation risk. This oversight in design underscored the need for careful consideration of every component in children’s toys.
This case serves as an example of the importance of ongoing safety evaluations in toy manufacturing. It emphasizes ensuring that playsets are safe for young users, fostering imagination without compromising safety standards.
10. Cabbage Patch Kids Snacktime Kid
The Snacktime Kid, a Cabbage Patch doll with mechanical chewing action, was intended to mimic eating. However, its automatic jaws could accidentally munch on hair or fingers, leading to painful situations. Despite its innovative concept, the toy’s design flaw highlighted safety oversights.
This product serves as a reminder of the importance of testing toy mechanisms thoroughly. Ensuring that interactive features are safe and user-friendly is crucial, preventing unintended injuries while enhancing the play experience.
11. Aqua Dots
Aqua Dots were colorful beads that adhered together when sprayed with water, allowing for creative designs. Unbeknownst to many, the coating on the beads contained a toxic chemical that metabolized into GHB if ingested, posing serious health risks.
Their recall underscored the critical need for non-toxic materials in children’s toys. It serves as a stark reminder of the responsibility manufacturers have to ensure safety, focusing on the harmlessness of every component in craft and play products.
12. Hoppity Hop
The Hoppity Hop was a large rubber ball with handles, providing endless bouncing fun. While exhilarating, the lack of stability often led to falls and injuries. Its simple design, although entertaining, failed to consider the risks of erratic bouncing.
This toy highlights the importance of stability in design, especially for active playthings. Ensuring that toys are both fun and safe is paramount, reminding designers to account for potential hazards in seemingly straightforward products.
13. Johnny Reb Cannon
The Johnny Reb Cannon allowed children to engage in historical reenactments by firing rubber cannonballs. While intended for educational play, the forceful projectiles could cause injuries. This toy’s design overlooked the potential dangers of launching objects.
It serves as an example of the importance of evaluating the impact of toy projectiles. Ensuring that toys foster learning without risking safety is crucial, highlighting the need for careful consideration in educational play sets.
14. Lawn Darts
Lawn Darts, also known as Jarts, were a backyard game that seemed harmless but had a dangerous twist. They were essentially giant darts with metal tips, meant to be thrown at a target on the ground. Unfortunately, their weight and sharp points made them lethal projectiles.
Numerous injuries, including some fatal, led to their ban in the late 1980s. These darts highlight the critical need for assessing potential hazards in outdoor toys, particularly those involving projectiles. It’s a sobering reminder of the balance needed between fun and safety.
15. Cabbage Patch Dolls with Real Hair
These dolls featured real human hair, which led to unexpected safety issues. The hair could easily become tangled or snagged, posing risks of choking or entanglement. Although the dolls were highly sought after, the design raised concerns about material safety.
This serves as a reminder of the importance of considering all aspects of a toy’s design, ensuring materials are both safe and suitable for children. It highlights the need for thorough evaluations of every component in toy manufacturing.
16. Toy Crossbows
Toy crossbows were designed to emulate archery in a child-friendly manner. However, the realistic firing mechanism posed risks of injury, especially to the eyes. Despite their appeal, the potential for harm was significant.
This toy serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of limiting projectile force in toys. Ensuring that play weapons are safe requires careful design considerations, balancing entertainment with the need to protect young users from accidental injuries.
17. Swing Wing
The Swing Wing was a helmet-like toy with a weighted tassel, worn while spinning around. Although fun, it often led to neck injuries due to its awkward design. This toy highlights the consequences of not fully evaluating physical safety in dynamic toys.
It emphasizes the need for comprehensive safety assessments in toy design. Ensuring that all aspects of a toy’s use are considered can prevent accidents, maintaining enjoyment without risking harm to children.
18. Power Wheels Barbie Dream Jeep
The Power Wheels Barbie Dream Jeep was a battery-operated ride-on toy, offering young children a taste of driving. While exciting, it had issues with overheating and faulty wiring, posing fire risks. This flaw highlighted the importance of electrical safety in toys.
It underscores the necessity for rigorous testing of all electronic components. Ensuring that ride-on toys are both thrilling and safe is vital, preventing accidents and ensuring that enjoyment doesn’t come at the expense of safety.
19. CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit
The CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit encouraged budding detectives to explore forensic science. However, it contained asbestos in the fingerprint powder, posing significant health risks. This oversight in material safety was alarming.
The recall of this kit underscores the critical need for ensuring non-toxic materials in educational toys. It highlights the importance of thorough testing and safety certifications, preventing hazardous substances from entering children’s play environments.
20. Hoverboards
Hoverboards captured imaginations with their futuristic design, allowing users to glide smoothly. However, they were prone to overheating and spontaneous combustion, posing serious safety risks. Despite their allure, these issues led to widespread recalls.
This serves as a reminder of the importance of electrical safety in modern toys. Ensuring that technological advancements are matched with rigorous safety standards is crucial, preventing innovative products from becoming hazards.
21. Johnny Seven OMA (One Man Army)
The Johnny Seven OMA (One Man Army) was one of the most ambitious toy weapons of the 1960s. It was an all-in-one combination of seven different weapon attachments, including a grenade launcher and a cap gun. Children loved the toy for its versatility and realistic action-packed features.
However, the toy was heavy and cumbersome, often leading to injuries as kids swung it around in mock battles. The small parts could easily snap off, posing choking hazards. Despite its popularity, safety concerns eventually led to its disappearance from the market.
22. B.B. Guns
B.B. guns were popular among young boys in the 1970s, offering a sense of adventure and realism in play. However, their realistic design and firing capability made them extremely dangerous, leading to numerous injuries.
The potential for eye injuries and accidents prompted closer scrutiny. Over time, stricter regulations and safety gear requirements were implemented to mitigate these risks. Today, such toys are subject to rigorous safety checks to ensure they are suitable for children.
23. Magnetic Mystery Set
The Magnetic Mystery Set promised endless creative possibilities. Children could construct shapes and figures using powerful magnets. These magnets, however, were notorious for their strength and could easily snap together, pinching fingers and even trapping skin.
Ingested magnets posed even greater risks, potentially causing serious internal injuries. Parents were often unaware of these hazards, and children were left to play unsupervised.
Though they sparked creativity, the dangers outweighed the benefits, leading to their eventual decline. The set remains a cautionary tale of balancing innovation with safety, a lesson still relevant today.
24. Exploding Cap Rockets
Exploding Cap Rockets combined the thrill of rockets with the excitement of explosions. These toys utilized small explosive caps to launch plastic rockets into the air. The loud bangs and flying projectiles were a delight for thrill-seeking children.
Unfortunately, the dangers were just as explosive. Mishandling could result in burns or eye injuries from flying debris.
Parents often overlooked the potential for harm, focusing on the fun aspect. However, the risk of serious injury led to tighter regulations. This toy serves as a reminder of the hidden perils in seemingly innocent fun.
25. Whirlybird Helicopter
The Whirlybird Helicopter captivated children with its spinning blades and thrilling flight. Powered by a pull-string mechanism, this toy could soar impressively high. While the design was innovative, the spinning blades posed a clear danger.
Children often got too close, risking cuts and bruises. The plastic blades were sharp enough to cut skin, leading to minor but painful injuries.
Despite its popularity, the Whirlybird’s hazards eventually grounded it. It highlights the importance of considering the safety of all moving parts in toy design, ensuring that fun doesn’t come at the expense of safety.
26. Shrunken Head Kit
The Shrunken Head Kit was a macabre yet intriguing craft toy. It allowed children to create realistic-looking shrunken heads using rubber molds and hair. The kit’s eerie appeal attracted many young horror enthusiasts.
However, the materials involved were often toxic and messy, posing health risks. The use of sharp tools increased the chance of injury, especially without proper supervision.
Though it offered a unique creative outlet, safety concerns soon overshadowed its novelty. This kit is a testament to the need for non-toxic, child-friendly materials in craft toys, ensuring safe and enjoyable crafting experiences.