News

Actions

Popular fidget spinner toy poses danger to young children

Engineers put fidget spinners to test
Posted at 5:57 PM, Jun 01, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-01 17:57:00-04

Fidget spinners exploded onto the toy scene this year taking over 43 of the top 50 toy rankings on amazon. But what about safety?

When put to the test some spinners pose a danger to younger children. Engineers at Good Housekeeping tested dozens of name brands and knock off fidget spinners. Some of them broke in to small pieces that could be a choking hazard.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, any item that drops easily thru a toilet paper roll poses a potential choking hazard for kids under the age of 3.

Good Housekeeping Chief Technologist Rachel Rothman found several spinners fail posting a recommended age on the label. And that should be a red flag.

Learning Express Toys which sells the gadgets online and in over 125 stores nationwide posted a warning on its website. 

"Choking hazard - small parts. Not for children under 3 years."

While these toys aren't marketed to kids as young as 3 it's the younger siblings these testers worry about. In Texas a six-year-old wound up hospitalized after swallowing a fidget spinner part.

To practice spinner safety you want to get rid of broken toys, check the recommended age rating, always supervise younger children who have access to a spinner and register your product. By doing so, you'll be alerted if your toy has been recalled. Consumers can also sign up for a recall alert at recalls.gov.

Good housekeeping says efforts to contact the makers of the spinners that broke apart were not successful.