Magnetic toy ball sets are often sold in department stores in the toys or puzzles sections. They are usually comprised of pea-sized magnetic spheres that attach together to create 3D shapes like cubes. In some sets, the magnetic spheres are painted bright colors.

While a magnetic toy ball set might seem harmless based on its appearance and packaging instructions, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has warned that parents should immediately stop using and dispose of such magnetic toy ball sets. If a child or pet ingests one or more of these small spherical magnets, it could cause severe injury or death.

In July 2024, the CPSC issued a press release to warn about the ingestion injury risks posed by the magnetic ball set sold by Dongguan Qihangren Trade. After CPSC testing, it was “determined the magnets do not comply with the requirements of the mandatory federal regulation for magnet toys because they contain one or more strong magnets that fit within CPSC’s small parts cylinder.” However, it is worth noting that several magnetic toy ball sets fit this unsafe product definition, not just the Dongguan Qihangren Trade product.

If a child eats one small magnetic sphere, it can cause intestinal perforations, twists, and blockages, as well as infection and blood poisoning, all of which can be severe or fatal if untreated. The risk of severe or fatal injury can increase significantly if two or more small magnetic spheres are ingested because they can attract one another inside the gastrointestinal tract, which can cause even larger perforations, twists, or blockages.

At the time of the press release, the CPSC announced that around “2,400 magnet ingestions” required emergency room treatment each year between 2017 and 2021. Several deaths were reported during the same period, but it is not clear how many of those involved children who ate small magnetic toy balls. Still, the risk is great enough to prompt the CPSC to call for a recall and advise parents to dispose of any such products that could be accessible to children.

If you own a magnetic toy ball set, you should view the CPSC recall for more information by clicking here. If you own such a magnetic toy ball set, you should discard it immediately if you have children who might try to play with it.

Lastly, if your child was injured after ingesting a magnetic toy ball piece, call (310) 231-9717 to speak with the product liability attorneys of McGee Lerer Ogrin in Los Angeles. We can review your situation to determine if you have the grounds to file an injury claim or lawsuit against the product maker. We offer free consultations to parents throughout the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area, so request yours today.