A quarter-million toddler toys recalled for violating small parts ban

Esjay US is recalling about 276,000 toddler busy board Montessori toys after federal regulators found the product violates the small parts ban and poses a serious choking risk to young children. 

What we know:

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said the toy’s red knobs can detach, creating small pieces that could be swallowed by children under three. The agency warned the defect could lead to serious injury or death. 

Dig deeper:

The recalled busy boards are made of blue felt, featuring cartoon dinosaurs on the front, and include five pages of activities. The second page contains the detachable red knobs. The back of the board displays 26 alphabet squares, each paired with a cartoon animal. 

Big picture view:

The toys were sold online at Amazon from March 2023 through July 2026. 

Remedy:

Consumers are asked to stop using the toys immediately and follow Esjay’s repair instructions. You can receive a replacement by removing the page with the red knobs, writing "RECALLED" on both sides and sending a picture of it to esjay-service@outlook.com. 

Small parts ban

Why you should care:

Children's products for kids under 3 years old that can present a choking, aspiration or ingestion hazard from the small parts are banned under the U.S. code of federal regulations. 

Small parts are defined as any object approximately the size of the fully expanded throat of a child under three years old. It can be a whole toy, part of a toy or a piece of a toy that breaks off. 

There are some items excluded from the small parts ban. They are"

• Balloons
• Books and other articles made of paper
• Writing materials such as crayons, chalk, pencils and pens
• Children’s clothing and accessories
• Grooming, feeding and hygiene products
• Phonograph records
• Modeling clay and similar products
• Fingerpaints, watercolors and other paint sets
• Rattles 
• Pacifiers

 

Recalls