90s toys that were banned for being too dangerous

There have been dozens of Barbie products released since the iconic doll launched all the way back in 1959. However, despite some duds, there has been nothing as infamous as the Rollerblade Barbie, which was released in 1991.

The quirky toy featured a unique selling point, in that the wheels could create actual sparks. While this sounds cool in theory, it quickly became clear that this was a massive fire hazard. Mattel quickly discontinued the toy, although the original doll can still be brought from collectors.

Although it took until 2000 for these toys to be phased out, this 1994 product was all the rage. Just pull the string and they would pirouette through the sky in the most graceful manner. But it turned out that having plastic toys flying around wasn’t the best of ideas, with plenty of injuries being reported.

During its six years on the market, over 100 injuries were reported, including incidents that caused temporary blindness and others that saw children taken to hospital requiring stitches. Over 8.9 million products were returned when it was finally recalled.

This next item is from another long-running toy brand that seemingly got it all wrong with their product. Released back in 1996, this variation of the Cabbage Patch Kids was designed to eat snacks, including plastic chips. The doll was equipped with a mechanical jaw, however, it turned out the accompanying plastic wasn’t the only thing the dolls had a taste for…

The toy was only available in the United States and just a year after its release, it was recalled following several incidents of children getting injured after their fingers or hair got stuck inside the jaw mechanism.

At the time, Mattel’s chief executive, Jill Barad said: “Our job is to bring joy to children’s lives. If any of our products are causing concerns, we are committed to responding in a responsible manner.”

Kids everywhere in the 1990s wanted these fun water yo-yo balls, a water-filled ball that functioned exactly like a yo-yo. Children would often show off their brightly coloured toys on the playground, but they ended up coming with hidden hazards.

Several children ended up injured thanks to a strangulation risk from the cord, while others received a nasty black eye after the cord snapped. It’s unsurprising that schools eventually started banning these from being brought in.

Australia’s ACCC entry on the toy reads: “There is a permanent ban on yo-yo water balls because of the risk of strangulation from the long cord. The balls can also break open with the liquid risking allergies, skin irritation or infection.”