Health, Wellness: 22 Popular and Unusual Gifts Ranked From Least To Most Dangerous

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Toys, for all ages, bring excitement, pleasure and hours of fun! For the gift giver nailing that one perfect gift, can be worth the angst of hours of searching. That perfect gift makes all the misses, simply minuses.

If baubles are on the list, one needn’t worry. Generally, any one will do. For the rest of us although holiday shopping is generally an exciting time, it can also cause anxiety — especially when buying for little ones.

So as the gifts are unwrapped, holiday boxes are suddenly race cars, and the stage for funny cat video’s, hopefully the time (and money) spent browsing the toy aisle, paid off as both the number one gift (beyond the empty box) and the many questions that nagged the giver are silenced.

In addition to all the questions of pre-Christmas gift giving we now have what is considered the number one day for post-holiday shopping and returns, December 26 which also happens to fall on the weekend.

As we head out with Auntie Sam’s age inappropriate gift some questions that may come to mind: Is the toy age appropriate? Is it high-quality without breaking the bank?

In addition to these concerns, safety is top priority. Not all toys are created equally; some types of toys are far more dangerous than others.

According to Newsweek, a study published in the journal Clinical Pediatrics reported that every three minutes a child is treated in the emergency room for a toy-related injury. The researchers used information from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance Survey (NEISS), which compiled data from approximately 100 hospitals nationwide between 1990 and 2011.

With this in mind, the experts at HealthGrove used data from the same source (NEISS) to rank 22 categories of toys from least to most safe. If you’re looking for safe, kid-friendly gifts this holiday season, you might want to steer clear of the list’s chart-toppers.

#22. Stilts

Average Annual Injuries: 139
Percent of Injuries to Males: 67.6%
Percent of Injuries to Females: 32.4%
Most Common Body Part Injured: Ankle

#21. Kites

Average Annual Injuries: 265
Percent of Injuries to Males: 75.8%
Percent of Injuries to Females: 24.2%
Most Common Body Part Injured: Ankle

#20. Slingshots

Average Annual Injuries: 275
Percent of Injuries to Males: 74.5%
Percent of Injuries to Females: 25.5%
Most Common Body Part Injured: Eye

#19. Pogo Sticks

Average Annual Injuries: 1,358
Percent of Injuries to Males: 60.5%
Percent of Injuries to Females: 39.5%
Most Common Body Part Injured: Head

#18. Marbles

Average Annual Injuries: 1,496
Percent of Injuries to Males: 59.4%
Percent of Injuries to Females: 40.5%
Most Common Body Part Injured: Internal

#17. Toy Vehicles

Note: Our data source changed its product categorization scheme in January 2010, resulting in the spike seen in the visualization.

Average Annual Injuries: 3,040
Percent of Injuries to Males: 78.5%
Percent of Injuries to Females: 21.5%
Most Common Body Part Injured: Finger

#16. Blocks and Other Building Toys

Average Annual Injuries: 3,127
Percent of Injuries to Males: 70.6%
Percent of Injuries to Females: 29.3%
Most Common Body Part Injured: Face

#15. Dolls

Note: Our data source changed its product categorization scheme in January 2010, resulting in data for this product beginning in 2010.

Average Annual Injuries: 3,316
Percent of Injuries to Males: 43.3%
Percent of Injuries to Females: 56.7%
Most Common Body Part Injured: Face

#14. Wagons

Average Annual Injuries: 4,268
Percent of Injuries to Males: 56.5%
Percent of Injuries to Females: 43.4%
Most Common Body Part Injured: Head

#13. Frisbees

Average Annual Injuries: 5,563
Percent of Injuries to Males: 75.0%
Percent of Injuries to Females: 25.0%
Most Common Body Part Injured: Face

#12. Waterslides

Average Annual Injuries: 5,721
Percent of Injuries to Males: 48.1%
Percent of Injuries to Females: 51.9%
Most Common Body Part Injured: Head

#11. Fireworks and Model Rockets

Average Annual Injuries: 6,274
Percent of Injuries to Males: 72.3%
Percent of Injuries to Females: 27.7%
Most Common Body Part Injured: Eye

#10. Snow Mobiles

Average Annual Injuries: 7,766
Percent of Injuries to Males: 77.7%
Percent of Injuries to Females: 22.3%
Most Common Body Part Injured: Lower Trunk

#9. Go Carts

Average Annual Injuries: 10,716
Percent of Injuries to Males: 71.2%
Percent of Injuries to Females: 28.8%
Most Common Body Part Injured: Head

#8. Sleds

Average Annual Injuries: 19,118
Percent of Injuries to Males: 57.0%
Percent of Injuries to Females: 43.0%
Most Common Body Part Injured: Head

#7. Toy Guns

Average Annual Injuries: 20,604
Percent of Injuries to Males: 79.1%
Percent of Injuries to Females: 20.9%
Most Common Body Part Injured: Face

#6. Scooters

Average Annual Injuries: 32,887
Percent of Injuries to Males: 60.4%
Percent of Injuries to Females: 39.6%
Most Common Body Part Injured: Face

#5. Rollerblades

Average Annual Injuries: 41,501
Percent of Injuries to Males: 35.6%
Percent of Injuries to Females: 64.4%
Most Common Body Part Injured: Wrist

#4. Fishing Equipment

Average Annual Injuries: 46,759
Percent of Injuries to Males: 80.9%
Percent of Injuries to Females: 19.1%
Most Common Body Part Injured: Finger

#3. Trampolines

Average Annual Injuries: 64,554
Percent of Injuries to Males: 52.2%
Percent of Injuries to Females: 47.7%
Most Common Body Part Injured: Ankle

#2. Skateboards

Average Annual Injuries: 67,647
Percent of Injuries to Males: 87.4%
Percent of Injuries to Females: 12.6%
Most Common Body Part Injured: Ankle

#1. Bicycles and Tricycles

Average Annual Injuries: 416,052
Percent of Injuries to Males: 73.8%
Percent of Injuries to Females: 26.1%
Most Common Body Part Injured: Head

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