Are toys on your holiday shopping list? New report lists most dangerous items for kids this year

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA -- If toys are on your holiday shopping list this year, there are a handful of products that may put your child in danger.

CALPIRG Education Funds, an Oakland-based nonprofit that specialized in consumer issues, released its annual Trouble in Toyland report on Thursday.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has recalled 13 toys so far this year, according to the report.

Two other products many would consider toys were also recalled, including a hoverboard and a children's watch accessory.

"The recalled toys posed risks including high levels of lead, potential foreign-body ingestion by a child and choking because of small parts from easily broken toys," read the report.

CALPIRG consumer advocate Sander Kushen told Eyewitness News its annual report has led to more than 150 recalls of unsafe toys.

The report says it's estimated that there were 198,000 toy-related injuries treated at emergency-rooms in 2020.

Kushen said another toy hazard to look out for this holiday season is toys containing small parts.

CALPIRG is encouraging parents to read warning labels before purchasing a toy with small parts, especially for toddlers.

Here are the main categories of the report:

Fake toys: Knockoff and counterfeit toys can be purchased online, often from overseas, where manufacturers don't always follow U.S. regulations.

Researchers found knockoff toys on the marketplace and the safety concerns they can pose to kids. The group compiled a guide to help you spot them.

Second-hand toys: People often sell their used goods online without checking to see whether they have been recalled and some previously recalled toys were found for sale on eBay.

Choking hazards: CALPIRG said their researchers found discrepancies between website descriptions and warning labels for toys with small parts. Toys advertised for "age 2" had small parts that are unsafe for kids under three.

Noisy toys: Toy researchers found five noisy toys and tested the noise levels replicating how a child would use the toy.

Smart toys: CALPIRG found privacy issues concerning smart toys looking at three categories: cameras and recording devices built into toys, unsecure mobile apps used to control toys and personalized online accounts that store data specifically about the toy and the user.

"It's easy when you're thinking of how fun a toy can be to overlook how dangerous it can be. We all want kids to have fun, but we also want kids to be safe. When it comes to holiday shopping, ignorance is not bliss," Kushen said.