Unsafe Summer Toys to Beware of in Central New York

Our recent story about the New Hartford family whose child was burned by a color grenade is timely--especially with the hot temperatures we're heading into, the July 4th holiday looming, and the release of the list of 2018's most dangerous summer toys for kids. One toy, The Big Wheels cycle, was a big seller in the 70s and 80s and is still widely available in Central New York stores and online in the pages of eBay.

The plastic cycles are such low riders that it's tough for motorists to spot the children using them. That's the main reason the cycle landed on the list published by ToySafety.org. The rest of the consumer advocate organization's list contains some other familiar suspects, including:

Water Slides. A father was paralyzed in 2017 while using a Slip 'n Slide at home.

Backyard pools. Olympic skier Bode Miller's young daughter died earlier this year in a tragic backyard pool drowning.

Water balloon slingshots. These devices can be hazardous to eyes and can produce serious blunt force trauma injuries.

Lawn darts. It's really amazing that these were invented, approved and marketed in the first place.

If there are other dangerous summer toys we should know about, please send us an alert.