Consumer safety group unveils its 'worst toys' list

BOSTON -- Fidget spinners, a plastic Wonder Woman battle sword and a remote-controlled Spider-Man drone are among the toys topping a consumer safety group's annual list of worst toys for the holidays.

World Against Toys Causing Harm, or WATCH, unveiled the top 10 list Tuesday at a Boston children's hospital. The not-for-profit organization has been releasing the lists for more than four decades.

WATCH claims fidget spinners contain small parts that can be a choking hazard, Mattel's Wonder Woman sword has the potential to cause blunt-force injuries, and Marvel's Spider-Man drone has rotating blades that can lead to eye and other bodily injuries.

The Toy Association, an industry trade group, dismissed the list as "needlessly frightening" to parents because all toys sold in the U.S. meet "rigorous" safety standards. It criticized the organization for not testing the toys on which it focuses.

National toy-safety standards are "inadequate," as can been seen by the high number of recalls each year, WATCH president Joan Siff said.

James Swartz, director of World Against Toys Causing Harm, or W.A.T.C.H., displays Nerf's "Zombie Strike" crossbow during a news conference Tuesday in Boston, where the child safety group released its annual holiday list of the 10 most hazardous toys. (AP Photo/Philip Marcelo)

The organization said there have been at least 15 recalls representing nearly 2 million units of dangerous toys since December.

Siff said the toys named each year have common hazards the group sees year after year. She pointed to the "Pull Along Pony" by Tolo Toys that's marketed for children over age 1 but has a 19-inch cord.

"We don't need a testing lab to know that's a strangulation and entanglement hazard," she said.

With consumers increasingly doing their holiday shopping online, it's more important than ever to have the most current information about the safety of a toy online, Siff said.

For example, Hallmark's Disney-themed Itty Bittys plush stacking toy for babies was recalled over the summer because of fabric pieces that posed a choking hazard. But the toy remains readily available online because many web sales are rarely monitored for recalls, Siff said.

A remote-controlled Spider-Man drone is displayed during a news conference Tuesday in Boston, where the child safety group World Against Toys Causing Harm, or W.A.T.C.H., released its annual holiday list of the ten most hazardous toys. (AP Photo/Philip Marcelo)

Among the other toys that made this year's list is Nerf's Zombie Strike crossbow, which the organization said poses the risk of eye and face injuries because it uses a pressurized pull-back lever to shoot soft projectiles.

Razor's Heel Wheels are strapped onto children's shoes to turn them into improvised roller skates but pose a burn risk because they include "real sparking action."

Slackline is a tightrope-like device by Brand 44 meant to be anchored between two trees WATCH said can lead to severe injury and death.