20 Toys from the ’80s and ’90s That Would Never Be Allowed Today
Here's a shocking look at the dangerously fun toys of the ’80s and ’90s—where playtime often came with a side of burns, bruises, and banned recalls!
- Alyana Aguja
- 6 min read
The ’80s and ’90s were a halcyon period for toys, but they were also downright dangerous, making playtime a hazardous escapade. From action figures that fired projectiles to science kits containing uranium, these toys stretched safety boundaries before regulations clamped down. This list is a nostalgic but sobering tour of the hazardous, the prohibited, and the utterly absurd toys that would never appear on store shelves today!
1. Lawn Darts (Jarts)
Image from Mental Floss
The steel-tipped darts were designed to be thrown into rings on the grass, but they were often lodged in humans. In 1988, the Consumer Product Safety Commission outlawed them after they had been associated with several serious injuries and fatalities. Slightly safer plastic versions are available today, but the classic steel-tipped ones are prohibited for sale in the U.S.
2. Cabbage Patch Snacktime Kids
Image from Google Arts & Culture
This seemingly harmless doll possessed a motorized mouth that “chewed” plastic treats but had no sense of when to quit. Some unfortunate children learned the hard way that it could also devour their hair and fingers, sucking them in with no way to turn them off. Mattel recalled the dolls in 1997 after many injuries were reported.
3. Slap Bracelets (Early Versions)
Image from Pinoyballers
Slap bracelets were a large playground craze, but they were originally produced with cheap metal wrapped in thin plastic or fabric. When the outside covering became worn, the rough metal edges would cut into kids’ skin. Some schools banned them completely, and safer, fabric-covered versions of the original replaced the hazardous ones.
4. Sky Dancers
Image from Toy Kingdom
These fairy-like dolls launched into the air by pulling a string, but they had zero control over where they went. Kids (and parents) were often on the receiving end of painful strikes to the face, eyes, and even teeth. Over 150 injuries were reported, leading to a 2000 recall of 8.9 million units.
5. Moon Shoes
Image from Ubuy Philippines
Sold as “mini-trampolines for your feet,” Moon Shoes guaranteed hours of bouncing fun but usually resulted in twisted ankles. They consisted of hard plastic and rubber bands, providing children with an unstable, injury-promoting surface to bounce on. Schools and parents banned them in many places after too many children wound up in casts.
6. CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit
Image from Reddit
This CSI TV show-based kit included a fingerprint dusting powder made of asbestos—yes, genuine, cancer-inducing asbestos. Following this horrific revelation in 2007, the kits were withdrawn from sale immediately, though thousands had found homes by this time.
7. Creepy Crawlers’ Heating Oven (Original Version)
Image from Reddit
The initial form of this toy involved children pouring liquid plastic into metal molds and heating them in a perilously hot oven. The machine could reach 300°F, and burns were prevalent. Subsequent models included safety features, but the original was a lawsuit waiting to happen.
8. Power Wheels (Models Before 1998)
Image from Ubuy Philippines
These battery-powered ride-on vehicles were a blast until they spontaneously caught fire. A 1998 recall involved almost 10 million units due to defective wiring that would lead to overheating and fires. Some children became trapped inside their burning toy vehicles because of faulty doors.
9. Skip-It (Early Versions)
Image from Wikipedia
A plastic ball encased in a hard plastic ball on a rope around a child’s ankle, Skip-It was a playground hit—but also a leg-breaking risk. Children would trip, slap themselves with the whizzing ball, or launch it into an unsuspecting peer. Later models featured softer materials, but the first ones could inflict serious harm.
10. Battlestar Galactica Missile-Firing Toys
Image from eBay
In the late ’70s and early ’80s, small spring-loaded missile action figures were ubiquitous—until a child choked to death on one. The Battlestar Galactica line was among the worst, prompting a change in toy safety regulations. Companies began adding warnings and making projectile toys safer after this accident.
11. The Original Easy-Bake Oven
Image from eBay.ph
Before safety recalls, the initial Easy-Bake Oven exposed heating element had the potential to burn severely. One recall in 2007 was for models that caught children’s fingers inside the oven, resulting in second and third-degree burns. The newer versions contain much safer heating systems.
12. Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab
Image from Wikipedia
This kit from the 1950s still persisted in some homes deep into the ’80s and ’90s. It held actual radioactive materials so children could “experiment” with uranium. Not surprisingly, this was one of the most hazardous toys to be sold, and it ultimately was taken off the market.
13. Super Elastic Bubble Plastic
Image from Reddit
This kit enabled children to blow plastic bubbles with a toxic, highly flammable chemical goo. The vapors contained volatile organic compounds that could make one dizzy, nauseous, or even cause neurological damage if inhaled excessively. It was silently phased out once individuals became aware of how hazardous it was.
14. Pogo Ball
Image from Marchants.com
A hybrid of a pogo stick and rubber ball, the Pogo Ball got children bouncing wildly out of control. Unfortunately, it didn’t have much in the way of safety features, resulting in hundreds of sprained ankles, broken wrists, and concussions. By the late ’90s, it had largely vanished from shelves.
15. Toy Crossbows and BB Guns (Old Models)
Image from Wikipedia
Before tighter laws, toy BB guns and crossbows looked like genuine firearms and were remarkably powerful. Certain versions shot projectiles at unsafe velocities, producing serious wounds. Numerous countries and states within the U.S. have now legislated stricter toy gun policies in an attempt to stop accidents.
16. Yo-yo Water Balls
Image from Product Safety Australia
These rubber balls filled with liquid contained stretchy cords that could encircle children’s necks, causing strangulation. The CPSC sent several warnings, and a few nations banned them outright. Their soft, combustible composition also made them a fire hazard.
17. Sit ’n Spin (Original Version)
Image from eBay.ph
This spinning toy was a favorite among kids who loved getting dizzy, but early versions had stability issues. Some children would fly off, hit their heads, or crash into furniture. Later versions improved balance and safety, but the originals were concussion machines.
18. Talkboy and Talkgirl Recording Devices
Image from Wikipedia
These Home Alone-style voice changers were innocent fun—until children began using them to prank call strangers and tape people without their permission. Some schools even prohibited them after students used them for bullying and mischief. With today’s more stringent privacy regulations, a toy like this would not pass.
19. Slip ‘N Slide (For Older Kids and Adults)
Image from Wham-O
Initially created for children, the Slip ‘N Slide became a risk when adults and teenagers attempted to use it. Due to its design, heavier frames had the potential to crash into the ground with injurious force, causing neck and spinal injuries. Following several lawsuits, the item was relabeled exclusively for kids below a particular weight.
20. Water Bead Toys
Image from Journal Online
These small beads swell when immersed in water, but they were hell to ingest. Some kids experienced serious intestinal obstruction since the beads continued to swell within their stomachs. There were many recalls after serious medical emergencies were reported.