Doll Houses And Other Play Scenes
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment · CPSC Code 5018
Down 19% over 5 years
The verdict
Doll Houses And Other Play Scenes carry a danger score of 31/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 1,425 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 19% over the last five years.
- 31/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 1,425
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 3.0%
- end in hospital admission
- 0-4
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 5018 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 31/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for doll houses and other play scenes - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume1,425 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)3.0%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-19%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Doll Houses And Other Play Scenes (CPSC product code 5018, in the Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment category) generate an estimated 1,425 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 21,380 ER-treated injuries across the 15-year span from 2010 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 31/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are declining by about 19% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2016 (1,874 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2020 (932 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for doll houses and other play scenes is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 3,210 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by internal injury to the head (2,130 cases). The 0-4 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 9,768 cases over the NEISS window, and females appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 3.0% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 72 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how doll houses and other play scenes fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2010–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 3,643 | 6,125 | |
| 5-14 | 2,899 | 3,848 | |
| 15-24 | 157 | 329 | |
| 25-34 | 412 | 701 | |
| 35-44 | 649 | 311 | |
| 45-54 | 315 | 473 | |
| 55-64 | 86 | 457 | |
| 65-74 | 310 | 144 | |
| 75+ | 167 | 353 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Face | Laceration | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Mouth | Laceration | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Head | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Arm | Fracture | |
| Internal | Ingestion | |
| Ear | Laceration | |
| Head | Concussion | |
| Foot | Laceration | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Pubic Region | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Foot | Contusions, Abr. |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
2 YOM MOM REPORTS HE CUT HIS LIP ON A TOY *** HOUSE. DX: LAC OF LIP
2 YOM CUT EYEBROW ON A DOLLHOUSE DX: LAC
13 MOM CLIMBED ON A DOLL HOUSE FELL OFF HIT HEAD ON FLOOR DX: HEAD INJURY
5YOF CHILD WAS CLIMBING ON A KIDS PLAY FURNITURE PIECE AND IT FELL OVER AND FELL ONTO THE BACK OF HER NECK, NECK PAIN DX: CONTUSION OF NECK
2YOM CHILD WAS PLAYING ON A FORT WHEN HE FELL OVER LANDING ON A OUTSTRETCHED HAND DX: CLOSED FRACTURE OF LEFT FOREARM
19 MOM PLAYING HIT HEAD ON DOLL HOUSE DX SCALP LACERATION
8YOM,AT HOME IN DOLLHOUSE WHEN FELL FROM TOP AN LANDED ONTO HAND,DX:CONT HAND
2YOF FELL STRIKING HEAD ON A *** PLAYHOUSE DX: CLOSED HEAD INJURY
3YOM WAS AT DAY CARE WHEN HE FELL INTO A DOLL HOUSE DX: LACERATION TO FACE
3YOF PT TRIPPED &I FELL INTO A WOODEN DOLL CRIB, LAC TO RT EYEBROW DX: FACIAL LAC
10YOM PT STRUCK RT ARM ON A TOY HOUSE, IMMEDIATE PAIN,SEVERE DX: FRACTURE RADIAL SHAFT WITH ULNA, CLOSED
4YOF PRESENTS AFTER SWALLOWING A TOY OF OF HER DOLL HOUSE. IT WAS IN THE BACK OF HER THROAT AND THEN THE CHILD SWALLOWED IT. DX: FOREIGN BODY, SWALLOWED
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
Before removing the toy from the box, I was showing my husband what the toy did. I used the plastic keys to open one of the doors. When I opened the bottom right door (yellow one) the latching mechanism fell off. It was a cylindrical plastic piece about 1 cm in diameter and about .5 cm high. If my son had been playing with that, it would have promptly gone in his mouth and he could have choked. The toy is rated 18 months and up, and an 18 month old could likely choke on a part that small. I'm thankful I broke the piece instead of my son or it could have been a much worse incident. We returned the toy to Walmart the next day.
Cocomelon Petting Farm Playset 18 mo+ toy no choking hazard warning The barn doors are not fully attached/are easily pulled off. The barn doors are small, fitting easily down a toilet paper roll. These doors pose a significant choking hazard if left on. Thankfully I caught the issue when opening the toy, so no injuries occurred.
I had gotten my toddler a toy from the the Dollar tree. It is a plastic doctor kit. He had the twin her mouth and the mere part fell off and was lodged in her throat. I had to give her the Heimlich to unblock her airway.
We received the janod fishing set as part of a citrus lane box. Our "worms" easily come apart and the magnet is smaller than the head of a nail. It isn't glued or fastened inside the worm halves. Luckily I found ours by using a magnet to attract that magnet piece. Other people I heard could not find the magnet they lost. It does pose risk of choking or swallowing by a child. The ages on the product say 2-5 I believe.
4 year old son was playing with Matchbox Cliff Hangers Fire Station Playset. Top piece of playset broke off. This piece is an "elevator" with a long string attached. Son got string tangled around neck and could have choked. Child was not able to get string off by himself. Child was able to call for help and his father was able to get the string untangled from neck. This product is marketed as age 3 and up. This product should not be marketed for such young children. Here is link on amazon to what product is http://www.amazon.com/Matchbox-Cliff-Hangers-Station-Playset/dp/B005XTLPAC
Hello, I'm writing this to inform you of potential dangers the LOL Winter Chalet causes to children, specifically the foam "snowballs" that are included with the product. I just had to have TWO snowballs removed from my child's ear canals, one in each ear. Luckily she was able to tolerate the procedure and did have to be sedated. Per the doctor it is highly likely that these balls ended up in her ears due to static electricity of some other non-intentional matter. I am a very upset consumer as this product put my child's health and safety at risk and now I have medical bills as a result.
My 7 year old son was playing at my 10 year old nephew's house and they were battling tops in the Beyblade stadium when one of the metal battle tops spun out of the stadium and hit my son in the mouth. It chipped off a quarter of his front permanent tooth. While this is a lifelong injury, I am grateful that it did not hit his eye. Spinning metal blades are not safe toys for kids. The Beyblades are a dangerous toy and more serious injuries are likely to occur.
Our son was given the Disney Pixar Cars Ultimate Piston Cup Garage Electronic with 4 Levels for Christmas in 2010. Ever since he has had it whenever he tries to move the elevator his finger gets pinched. At time this is so bad that he needs me to actually move the elevator to get his finger unstuck. I am worried that even though he has not had a serious injury one day he might.
Showing 8 of 72 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to doll houses and other play scenes on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are doll houses and other play scenes?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, doll houses and other play scenes have a danger score of 31/100 (low risk). An estimated 1,425 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from doll houses and other play scenes?
The most common injury is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 3,210 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from doll houses and other play scenes increasing or decreasing?
Down 19% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for doll houses and other play scenes injuries?
The 0-4 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 9,768 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by doll houses and other play scenes?
Of all ER visits involving doll houses and other play scenes, approximately 3.0% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (97.0%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with doll houses and other play scenes?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 31/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 0-4 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.
