Families in Sharjah have been warned about potential safety risks linked to popular squishy and slime toys, particularly products purchased from unknown or unverified sources.
The Child Safety Organisation, affiliated with the Sharjah Family and Community Council, issued the advisory, urging parents and caregivers to check the source, age guidance, safety information and contents of toys before allowing children to use them. The organisation also highlighted risks associated with social media videos that encourage children to use toys in ways for which they were not designed.
One of the main concerns highlighted by the organisation is a social media trend encouraging children and teenagers to place squishy toys inside microwave ovens to watch them expand, change texture or burst.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has separately warned about the trend. According to the agency, heating squishy toys can cause them to burst and release hot material that may stick to the skin and cause serious burns. The toys can also become dangerously hot when left in direct sunlight, inside a hot vehicle or near a heater.
The CPSC said some squishy toys can contain gels, liquids, powders, sand or water beads. If the outer covering is damaged or bursts, children may come into contact with the contents.
The agency has advised consumers never to microwave or intentionally heat squishy toys and to stop using products that are leaking, punctured, unusually sticky, damaged or easily torn apart.
Water beads are another concern identified in the advisory. These small, water-absorbing polymer balls can expand substantially when exposed to water.
The CPSC has warned that swallowed water beads can expand inside the body and cause choking, intestinal blockages and other serious injuries. The agency reported that an estimated 6,300 water-bead-related ingestion injuries were treated in US emergency departments between 2017 and 2022. At least one death was also reported during that period of concern, involving a 10-month-old child in 2023.
In 2026, the CPSC introduced a federal safety standard for water beads manufactured after March 12, requiring limits on expansion size, restrictions on acrylamide levels and stronger warning labels.
The Sharjah advisory also urged families to be cautious when purchasing toys from unfamiliar sellers, particularly products that lack clear manufacturer or importer information.
The CPSC has warned that counterfeit squishy toys may fail to meet safety requirements relating to water beads, small parts, lead, phthalates and other hazardous substances. Such products may also lack required age recommendations, safety warnings and manufacturer identification.
Families have been advised to inspect packaging and avoid products that do not provide adequate information about their manufacturer, importer, intended age group or safe use.
Parents are also advised to regularly inspect squishy toys. Products with cracks, holes, leaks, unusual stickiness, strong chemical odours or signs of deterioration should not be given to children.
The advisory also covers slime, which children handle directly and may accidentally bring into contact with their eyes or mouth.
Families have been urged to exercise caution with homemade slime recipes circulating online and to prevent children from mixing cleaning products, household chemicals or unknown substances. Only materials intended for slime-making should be used, with adult supervision.
The Child Safety Organisation also highlighted the role of social media in influencing how children use toys. Children may copy experiments or challenges shown in online videos without understanding that the activity could involve heat, cutting, puncturing or mixing substances.
The organisation said families should explain that toys should be used according to their intended purpose and that viral online challenges should not automatically be considered safe.
The advisory ultimately encourages families to consider toy safety before purchase and during use, including checking the product’s source, contents, age suitability and safety instructions.
