The 1960s were a golden age for toys—back when kids played with real metal, sharp edges, and chemicals no one thought twice about. Safety standards were looser, and the idea of childproofing hadn’t quite caught on yet. If a toy could shoot sparks, get dangerously hot, or be swallowed, it probably made it onto store shelves. Looking back, it’s a miracle we all survived! Today’s kids are used to safety labels, recalls, and plastic everything, but in the ‘60s, playtime had an element of danger. These toys were fun, no doubt, but they also came with some serious risks. Here are 13 toys from the ‘60s that wouldn’t stand a chance of passing today’s safety tests.
1. The Gilbert Atomic Energy Lab
Yes, you read that right—a toy that included real radioactive materials. The Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab was designed to teach kids about nuclear science, and it came with actual samples of uranium ore. The kit encouraged children to experiment with radiation using a Geiger counter, completely unaware that exposure to radioactive materials probably wasn’t the best way to spend an afternoon.
Needless to say, this toy didn’t last long. While it wasn’t on every kid’s wish list due to its high price, the fact that it ever made it to market at all is mind-blowing. Today, a science kit like this would set off alarms at every safety agency in the world, but in the ‘60s, it was just another way to get kids excited about science.
2. Lawn Darts
Ah, lawn darts—the backyard game that was basically horseshoes but with heavy, sharp, metal-tipped projectiles. The goal was to toss them into a target ring on the grass, but let’s be honest, most kids just hurled them as high as they could, hoping to dodge them before they landed. It wasn’t long before the injuries started piling up, and by the late ‘80s, these were officially banned.
There’s a reason modern versions have soft, rounded plastic tips—because the original lawn darts were practically designed to impale someone. It’s hard to imagine a toy company today even considering selling something like this, but back in the ‘60s, no one batted an eye at giving kids heavy, pointed metal objects to throw around the yard.
3. Clackers
Clackers were the ultimate playground status symbol—a pair of hard acrylic balls attached to a string that kids would swing up and down until they made a satisfying clack-clack sound. The trick was getting the rhythm just right so they’d smash together at high speed. The problem? Those balls weren’t made to last. After repeated impact, they had a nasty habit of shattering into flying shards, sending sharp plastic shrapnel into the faces of nearby children.
Eventually, the original version was banned due to the risk of eye injuries and cuts. Later versions were made of softer materials, but they never had the same satisfying whack as the originals. Kids today might think they look like a harmless fidget toy, but back in the day, a rogue Clacker ball could leave a bruise that lasted for weeks.
4. The Creepy Crawlers Thingmaker
What could be more fun than making your own rubbery bugs? The Creepy Crawlers Thingmaker let kids pour liquid plastic, called Plasti-Goop, into metal molds and then heat them up on a special hot plate. After a few minutes, the rubber bugs would harden, and kids could peel them out and start playing. Sounds innocent enough, right? Except for the fact that the Thingmaker heated up to hundreds of degrees and had zero safety features to prevent burns.
It wasn’t uncommon for kids to accidentally touch the scalding metal molds and end up with blistered fingers. Eventually, the toy was redesigned with safer, lower-temperature heating elements, but the original version was basically an invitation for burns. Today’s kids would never be allowed to play with something that got this dangerously hot, but back then, minor burns were just part of the fun.
5. The Johnny Seven OMA Gun
If you were a kid in the ‘60s, the Johnny Seven OMA (One Man Army) gun was the toy to have. It was a massive, multi-function plastic weapon that could fire bullets, rockets, grenades, and even a bayonet—because why stop at one dangerous feature? The sheer size and number of projectiles made it every kid’s dream, but also a safety nightmare.
With small plastic bullets flying at high speeds, it wasn’t uncommon for a sibling or friend to take a painful hit. While toy guns are still around today, they’ve been toned down significantly. The Johnny Seven OMA would never make it past modern safety regulations—partially because of its many moving parts, but mostly because parents would have a fit if their child brought home a gun the size of a bazooka.
6. The Vac-U-Form
The Mattel Vac-U-Form was another toy that let kids use actual heat to make their own plastic creations. The device softened plastic sheets using a built-in heating element and then allowed kids to mold them into different shapes. It was a creative concept, but it came with one glaring issue: the machine got incredibly hot, and there was nothing stopping kids from accidentally burning themselves.
While it technically worked, many kids ended up with singed fingers or even melted plastic stuck to their skin. The idea of giving a child their own little industrial plastic-molding factory seems ridiculous now, but back then, it was just another cool way to pass the time.
7. The Swing Wing
Think of a combination of a hula hoop and a neck brace, and you’ve got the Swing Wing. It was a plastic helmet with a long tethered weight attached to the side, and kids were supposed to twirl their heads around to make it spin. Sounds fun, right? Except for the very real risk of whiplash, dizziness, and potential head and neck injuries.
Most kids who played with it probably ended up with a sore neck or a headache, and the toy didn’t last long before disappearing from store shelves. These days, any toy that encourages rapid head movement in multiple directions would get shut down immediately, but in the ‘60s, it was just another way to burn off some energy.
8. Sky Dancers
Sky Dancers looked innocent enough—beautiful fairy dolls with foam wings that launched into the air with a pull-string base. The idea was that they’d spin and glide gracefully like magic. The reality? They shot off unpredictably at high speeds, crashing into walls, furniture, and, more often than not, people’s faces. Kids quickly learned that standing too close could result in a Sky Dancer smacking them right in the eye or getting tangled in their hair.
The problem was that once they took off, there was no controlling where they’d go. Some went straight up, but others veered wildly in any direction. Reports of scratched corneas and even broken teeth eventually led to Sky Dancers being recalled in later years. The toy was redesigned to be safer, but by then, the damage was done. Today’s kids might think they’re missing out, but trust me, after one too many surprise aerial attacks, most parents were happy to see them go.
9. Fireball XL5 Rocket Gun
If you loved Fireball XL5, then you probably begged your parents for the toy rocket gun that let you fire foam projectiles like a space-faring hero. The problem? Those “foam” projectiles were attached to a stiff, spring-loaded mechanism that shot them out with way too much force. If you weren’t careful, you could easily end up launching one directly at someone’s face—or worse, an unsuspecting pet.
While the toy was marketed as a harmless way to live out sci-fi adventures, it quickly became clear that “harmless” was a bit of an exaggeration. Kids had a blast (literally), but safety standards eventually caught up, and toys with high-velocity projectiles became a thing of the past. These days, any projectile-based toy has to be nerfed—literally. But back in the ‘60s, if you weren’t dodging flying plastic rockets, were you even playing outside?
10. Fuzzy Pumper Barber Shop
The Play-Doh Fuzzy Pumper Barber Shop was an innocent-looking toy that let kids grow Play-Doh “hair” out of little plastic figures, then give them a trim with a tiny pair of scissors. Sounds fun, right? Well, for one, Play-Doh was nearly impossible to fully clean out of the toy, so after a few uses, the “hair” started looking like something out of a horror movie. But the real issue was that some kids got the brilliant idea to try cutting their own hair after getting inspired by their Play-Doh creations.
Many an unsuspecting parent walked into the room to find their child proudly holding a fistful of real hair, their brand-new bangs hacked down to the scalp. The toy itself wasn’t exactly dangerous, but it did lead to more than a few home hair disasters. It’s still around in modified form today, but if you grew up in the ‘60s, chances are you—or someone you knew—ended up with an unplanned buzz cut thanks to this “harmless” toy.
11. Moon Shoes
Moon Shoes were marketed as mini trampolines for your feet. They were essentially metal or plastic platforms with industrial-strength rubber bands stretched underneath, designed to let kids bounce around like astronauts. In theory, this sounded amazing. In reality, it was an ankle injury waiting to happen.
The problem was that the rubber bands had a tendency to snap, and even when they didn’t, they offered just enough bounce to make kids feel overconfident before sending them tumbling to the ground. Twisted ankles, bruised knees, and faceplants were all part of the Moon Shoes experience. They were eventually re-released in the ‘90s in a slightly safer plastic version, but no amount of redesigning could fully fix the fact that strapping trampolines to your feet was a terrible idea.
12. Snacktime Cabbage Patch Doll
The Cabbage Patch Kids were a toy craze all on their own, but the Snacktime version took things to a horrifying new level. This doll was designed to “eat” plastic snacks by actually chewing them with mechanical jaws that pulled the food (or anything else) into its mouth. The problem? Those jaws didn’t know the difference between a plastic carrot and a child’s finger.
It didn’t take long before reports started coming in of kids getting their hair, fingers, and even clothing caught in the doll’s unrelenting bite. And since there was no off switch, there was no way to stop it until the battery ran out. After enough complaints, Mattel yanked the Snacktime Cabbage Patch Doll off shelves, and the world collectively breathed a sigh of relief. Modern toys have built-in safety sensors to prevent this kind of thing, but back in the ‘60s, if your toy decided to eat you, you were on your own.
13. Wham-O Air Blaster
Wham-O had a knack for making toys that were both incredibly fun and incredibly dangerous. The Wham-O Air Blaster was a plastic gun that shot a blast of compressed air strong enough to knock over small objects. The idea was that you could “safely” shoot your friends with an invisible puff of air. The reality? If you aimed it too close, that air blast could actually damage someone’s eardrum.
Kids quickly figured out that if you loaded the Air Blaster with talcum powder or flour, you could turn it into a real weapon, firing choking clouds of dust at unsuspecting victims. It wasn’t long before parents started complaining, and the Air Blaster disappeared from store shelves. Wham-O has since released safer versions of air-powered toys, but nothing quite compares to the sheer chaotic energy of the original.
The ‘60s were a wild time for toys—before parents worried about choking hazards, burn risks, or flying projectiles. Sure, some of these toys led to more than a few injuries, but they were also fun in a way modern toys just aren’t. Today’s kids may have safer playthings, but they’ll never know the sheer excitement (and occasional terror) of launching a lawn dart into the sky or heating up a batch of Plasti-Goop. Maybe we were a little tougher back then—or maybe we were just lucky to make it out of childhood in one piece.
