Safety Recall Issued on Tumblekins Toy Playsets

Well-known New Jersey toy distributor, International Playthings (IP), has recalled about 31,000 Tumblekins vehicles and playsets.  It was discovered that the toys can break into small parts with sharp points which can cause a choking and laceration hazard for young children.  Only one consumer has reported a problem, but to prevent any potential harm to children, IP is conducting this voluntary recall in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC).

The toys are manufactured in China by Lishui Treetoys Trading Co. Ltd. and were sold in  children’s toy stores, mass merchandisers and other  retail stores across the United States and on assorted websites from March 2011 through December 2011.  

The Tumblekins are multi-colored wooden vehicles and play sets that measure from 6-12” in length and 4-9 1/2” in height. The words “Tumblekins” and “Made in China are printed on the toys, along with the UPC Codes 171111461502 or 346101461502. 

The product packaging carries the specific item number and product description.

Fire Station: Item #T05000
UPC 20373050006

Farm Playsey:  Item #T05001
UPC 20373050013

Police Car: Item# T05002
UPC 20373050020

Roadster: Item #T05003
UPC 20373050037

School Bus: Itwm #T05006
UPC 20373050068

Off-Roader:  Item #T05004
UPC 20373050044

Fire Truck: Item#T05005
UPC 23073050051

Customers who identify their Tumblekin as one of the above recalled products should make the toy(s) inaccessible to children and contact International Playthings immediately for further instructions or product replacement.

International Playthings via phone:  (800) 445-8347 

International Playthings via email: recall@intplay.com

Quality & Design Issues force recall of two infant rattle sets

Two collections of infant rattles were recalled from store shelves in Colorado and Dallas last week.  Distributed by Toy Distribution of Los Angeles, one set of five rattles and the other set of nine rattles were sold in toy stores in the two states from December 2009 thru December 2010 at the quality-assuring price of $2.00 a set.

Yes, the facetiousness does seep in here, I admit.  But really folks – how does it make sense that toys that cost less than a cup of coffee can actually be trusted to be safe for an active, teething infant, the most vulnerable of our consumers?  It’s obvious that price alone is not an indication of safety or quality, but certainly it should be one factor that caregivers use to guide their decisions. Quality, toughness and durability built into toys are costly, but for an infant toy, these features should top the list.  Chinese manufacturers, Winning Key Manufacturing and Topwin Toys, HK, produced these sets, and the December 13, 2011 CPSC announcement indicates that only 50 sets are involved.    

In the case of these rattles, small parts can break off creating a choking hazard for children under three years of age.  The plastic handles have a rounded shape at the ends that have the potential to become pushed into the back of the child’s throat, blocking the airway, also creating a choking hazard.  If the child is toddling and falls with the end of the handle in their mouth, this could cause harm to the roof of the mouth or soft pallet. 

Photo: CPSC

• Item name HANDBELL TOYS printed at the top left-hand corner of the boxes. 
• The name "JUNYI" printed on the front top right-hand corner of one box with item number 58083801 on a white sticker on the back of the box.
• The name "XIN DA MEI" printed on the front of the box in the top right-hand corner, with the item number 308363 on a white sticker on the back of the box.

Consumers who think they may possess these sets should remove the toys from  child use immediately and contact the place of purchase for refund or replacement. Toys Distribution can be reached directly at (323) 266-8088, or via email at mailbox@shoptdi.com .