40
CPSC NEISS Data 2010–2024

Toys, Not Elsewhere Classified

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.

Toys & Children's Recreation · CPSC Code 1381

Up 46% over 5 years

The verdict

Toys, Not Elsewhere Classified carry a danger score of 40/100 (moderate risk), driven by roughly 9,129 ER-treated injuries a year that are rising by about 46% over the last five years.

40/100
danger score (moderate risk)
9,129
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 1381 - last data year 2024.

PlainSafety danger score

0/100100/10040/100
PlainSafety danger score

Source: CPSC NEISS danger-score model As of 2024

How this 40/100 score is built

The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for toys, not elsewhere classified - no opinion, no editorializing:

  • Injury volume9,129 ER visits/yr
  • Severity (hospitalization rate)3.0%
  • Fatality rate0.00%
  • 5-year trend+46%

See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.

What the CPSC Data Shows

Toys, Not Elsewhere Classified (CPSC product code 1381, in the Toys & Children's Recreation category) generate an estimated 9,129 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 136,934 ER-treated injuries across the 15-year span from 2010 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 40/100 for this category (moderate risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are rising by about 46% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2024 (15,765 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2019 (6,148 estimated visits).

The single most common ER diagnosis for toys, not elsewhere classified is ingestion to the internal, accounting for approximately 22,152 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by foreign body to the ear (10,050 cases). The 0-4 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 57,502 cases over the NEISS window, and males 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 435 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how toys, not elsewhere classified 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.

9,129
Injuries / Year
3.0%
Hospitalization Rate
0.00%
Fatality Rate

Annual Injury Estimates (2010–2024)

5K10K15K20K 20102012201420162018202020222024 16K
Estimated annual emergency-room visits for Toys, Not Elsewhere Classified, CPSC NEISS

Source: CPSC NEISS national injury estimates As of 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 29,900 27,602 57,502
5-14 27,666 28,729 56,475
15-24 4,622 4,140 8,762
25-34 2,197 2,767 4,964
35-44 1,860 2,032 3,892
45-54 878 1,237 2,115
55-64 458 1,407 1,865
65-74 97 763 860
75+ 163 337 500

Most Common Injuries

Body Part Diagnosis Est. Injuries
Internal Ingestion 22,152
Ear Foreign Body 10,050
Face Foreign Body 8,882
Face Laceration 7,571
All Parts Body Poisoning 6,644
Head Internal Injury 6,453
Eyeball Other 5,279
Eyeball Contusions, Abr. 4,836
Finger Laceration 3,930
Face Contusions, Abr. 3,464
Eyeball Derma/conjunct 2,716
Mouth Laceration 2,488
Head Laceration 2,290
Finger Foreign Body 1,947
Internal Aspiration 1,713

Severity Breakdown

Treated/examined And Released 94.8% (129,925)
Treated And Admitted/hospitalized 2.0% (2,744)
Left Without Being Seen 1.8% (2,425)
Treated And Transferred 1.1% (1,496)
Held For Observation 0.3% (423)

ER Visit Narratives

Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.

Age 8 · Male · Ear · Foreign Body · 2024

8 YOM INTO ER FOR A FROEIGN BODY IN HIS EAR. HE WAS PLAYING TONIGHT WHEN A PIECE OF A *** BULLET BECAMED LODGED IN HIS LEFT EAR. DX: FOREIGN BODY LEFT EAR

Age 2 · Female · Face · Foreign Body · 2024

2 YOF 2 FOAM STARS IN RT NARE AT HOME DX NASAL FB ;

Age 6 · Female · Internal · Ingestion · 2024

6 YOF INTO ER AFTER ACCIDENTLY SWALLOWING AN ***, WHICH IS A WATER BEAD. MOTHER STATES IT IS THE BRAND NAME ***. THE WATER BEAD WAS PREVIOUSLY EXPANDED. THE CHILD GOT INTO THE JAR AND ACCIDENTLY SWALLOWED THE WATER BEAD. DX: ACCIDENTAL INGESTION

Age 223 · Male · Internal · Ingestion · 2024

23MOM TO ED WITH DISTENDED ABDOMEN AND COUCH, PT WAS PLAYING WITH PLASTIC TOYS (PLASTIC PIECE OF FAKE FOOD)WHEN HE ALLEGEDLY SWALLOWED SOME OF THEM, DX CONSTIPATION WITH POSS FB INGESTION

Age 16 · Male · Mouth · Dental Injury · 2024

16YOM PATIENT WAS AT A LOCAL RESTAURANT PLAYING AIR HOCKEY WHEN HE GOT HIT IN THE FACE BY A PUCK, DENTAL INJURY DX: OPEN FRACTURE OF TOOTH

Age 214 · Male · Head · Internal Injury · 2024

14MOM FELL BACKWARDS OFF SMALL TOY DESK AT HOME, HITTING HEAD, DX FALL, HEAD INJURY

Age 209 · Male · Internal · Aspiration · 2024

9MOM, WAS PLAYING WITH A LARGE FIDGET SPINNER AND A SMALL PLASTIC PIECES DETACHED AND PATIENT SWALLOWED IT AND STARTED SHOCKING GRANDMOTHER GAVE BACK BLOWS AND SUCCESSFULLY VOMITED AND SAW REMOVAL OF THE PLASTIC PIECE OF THE FIDGET SPINNER, DX: CHOKING EPISODE

Age 209 · Male · Head · Fracture · 2024

9MOM FELL OFF OF A PLASTIC FARM TOY STRIKING HIS HEAD ON THE FLOOR DX: SKULL FRACTURE

Age 3 · Male · Internal · Ingestion · 2024

3YOM PRESENTED TO ED FOR EVALUATION OF POSSIBLE FOREIGN BODY INGESTION. MOTHER REPORTS PATIENT BROKE OPEN BALL CONATINING *** GEL BEADS AND BELIEVES PATIENT MAY HAVE INGESTED. ED DX: FOREIGN BODY INGESTION

Age 47 · Female · Lower Arm · Other · 2024

47YOF, STARTED USING *** *** YESTERDAY AND WOKE UP TODAY WITH PINS AND NEEDLES SENSATION IN LEFT ARM AND LEG,DX: PINS AND NEEDLES SENSATION

Age 8 · Male · Internal · Ingestion · 2024

8YOM INGESTED IN *** WATER BEAD DX FOREIGN BODY INGESTION

Age 3 · Female · Face · Foreign Body · 2024

3YOF STUCK IN *** WATER BEAD IN RIGHT NOSTRIL DX FOREIGN BODY NOSE

Consumer Incident Reports

Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.

9/8/2011 · No Incident, No Injury · The Maya Group Inc · Virginia

Orbeez (via The Maya Group in CAl has taken an agricultural/floral industry product and has marketed it as a child's toy. My grandson received it for his 3rd birthday. Being unusal, I took it to read and understand before "dumping" it among his other toys. The one he got is with a water tank in which the pellets grow. Yes, they grow in size according to instructions, but are still very small and very slippery. The box it is packaged in says for 3+,' the instruction booklet says 5+. Even at that age, I feel the "blobs" are extremely dangerous the young kids. I actually see no use for this toy. Maya (or actual person responsible for converting to a toy) just exploited this technological advancement purely for profit. Though that is a way of life and part of our freedom, putting a dangerous toy out is against all safety concerns of many for years now. I did advise my son (his father) and when he saw what it was and did, he told me to trash it. Please look ito it, please. A young child could so easily swallow these miniature, slippery pellets, or slip on them. They ultimately would just be looked at then thrown around, leaving a potential accident to happen. I have never reported any concerns I may have had about a product. But, when it comes to my grandkids (and all children), then I must be as proactive as possible. Thank you for listening to my concerns.

9/8/2011 · Injury, Emergency Department Treatment Received · WOWWEE · New Jersey

My 9yr old son was playing with a disney princess cinderella slap bracelet with his 9yr old friend. He was holding it with his right hand and my son's friend decided to pull on the slap bracelet to take it away from him. When he did that the slap bracelet cut the right palm of my son's hand. It began to bleed a lot. I heard my son screaming and I go investigate. There was a cut from the thumb to the pinky on his right palm. I put some warm water on it to see what the damage was and I had to take him to the hospital. He had to get 9 stitches on his right palm. When I got home from the hospital I found out that the slap bracelet had a piece of metal sticking out of it. I will mail the necessary paperwork to what ever address I need to.

9/7/2018 · Injury, Level of care not known · EastPoint Sports · Maryland

Bought a Foosball table from Walmart.com. Really bad smell and fumes from the table. Smelled like dead chicken or fish. My entire basement smelled horrible, Made us sick and gave us a headache. I moved it out on the deck. It even smelled bad after a few days in the sun. Complained to Walmart, but wanted to inform you all also. Thx [REDACTED] [REDACTED]

9/7/2013 · Incident, No Injury · GREENBRIER INTERNATIONAL · Minnesota

We purchased Noise Putty Mastic Snore from the Dollar store a couple of weeks ago. I noticed the covered container looked odd this morning and found that the contents is full of mold. There is no description of what this stuff is made from.

9/5/2025 · No Incident, No Injury · Target · California

Playing with 10 mo old when I noticed a screw was loose on the toy. I just received the toy in the mail today.

9/5/2014 · Incident, No Injury · MANLEY TOYS (TOY NETWORK) · Tennessee

I am writing regarding an experience that we had on 8/29/14 at Chuck E Cheese, Franklin, TN. Towards the end of our visit (my 6 year old [REDACTED] and I), we visited the prize counter. [REDACTED] wanted to use some of his money to buy a gum ball machine that he saw on display. Upon coming home, [REDACTED] ran to his room and began un-boxing the gum ball machine. A few minutes later, I came to check on his progress of assembling the toy. When I saw he was struggling with putting it together, I stepped in and inspected the toy. While inspecting the toy, I found it to be in a dirty condition, where some type of substance was caked upon it. Additionally, there were cuts and burrs in the plastic that was obviously from fabricating. The defects and conditions in this product made it unsafe for my child to play with. My son [REDACTED] did not damage the toy in any way. Today, 9/5/14, I was able to make a trip back to the Franklin, TN location where we had gotten the gum ball machine from. I explained the circumstances to the manager and also showed her the gum ball machine. The manager agreed to a refund of money spent towards the item and offered to give [REDACTED] another "on-the-house" because she felt bad. Before accepting the other gum ball machine, I told her that I wanted to inspect the item. Again, there were burrs in the plastic ring around the gum ball machine where the gum ball is intended to slide down. Additionally, the toy had a generally dirty appearance, whereas it looked like it was covered in a black substance. I brought this to the attention of the manager and refused to accept the second gum ball machine. My issue lies in the product safety for the receiving audience: children. As a professional advocate for child safety, I believe it is paramount for venues such as yours to ensure the safety of the products put out and received by children. This letter comes as a concerned parent, concerned for the safety of other children.

9/5/2012 · Incident, No Injury · Edushape ltd · Kentucky

The end that snaps into the other bead came off. This is the Edushape Click N Link 24 pc set. Purchased from S & S Worldwide.

9/30/2025 · Injury, Seen by Medical Professional · RPG Souvenirs · Indiana

We purchased a liquid motion bubbler toy as a souvenir at the Mount Rushmore gift shop this summer. Yesterday our son woke up with bright red rashy cheeks and ears. They felt hot to the touch and looked slightly swollen. I smelled kerosene on him and his pillow. Upon searching for the source if found the motion bubbler toy by his bed and it had broken and leaked. It also smelled like kerosene. No warning was on the toy.

Showing 8 of 435 reports.

Product Recalls

Search for active and past recalls related to toys, not elsewhere classified on the CPSC website.

Frequently Asked Questions

How dangerous are toys, not elsewhere classified?

Based on 20 years of CPSC data, toys, not elsewhere classified have a danger score of 40/100 (moderate risk). An estimated 9,129 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.

What are the most common injuries from toys, not elsewhere classified?

The most common injury is ingestion to the internal, accounting for approximately 22,152 injuries over 20 years.

Are injuries from toys, not elsewhere classified increasing or decreasing?

Up 46% over 5 years.

Who is most at risk for toys, not elsewhere classified injuries?

The 0-4 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 57,502 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.

What happens when someone is injured by toys, not elsewhere classified?

Of all ER visits involving toys, not elsewhere classified, 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 toys, not elsewhere classified?

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.

Safety Guides

What this means for you

Treat the 40/100 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.