Parents and caregivers are being urged to check their homes after a nationwide recall of Crayola-branded pip-cubes due to serious safety concerns.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced on Thursday, December 4, that approximately 9,400 CreateOn pip-cube sets sold under the Crayola name may pose a life-threatening ingestion hazard to children. The recalled toys contain small magnetic building cubes that can detach if the seams separate.
According to the CPSC, swallowing high-powered magnets can lead to severe internal injuries.
“When high-powered magnets are swallowed, the ingested magnets can attract to each other, or other metal objects, and become lodged in the digestive system,” the agency explained. Potential consequences include intestinal blockage, twisting or perforation, blood poisoning, and even death.
The sets, priced around $20, were available at Michael’s Stores nationwide and online at Michaels.com and Amazon.com between May and July.
The affected products were sold in 24- or 27-piece packs, including “Bold Colors” sets featuring red, green, blue, and yellow cubes, as well as “Glitter” packs with purple, pink, blue, and green cubes.
Each cube carries the Crayola brand imprint on its side, while the model and UPC numbers are listed on the bottom of the packaging for easy identification.
The CPSC is advising all consumers to immediately stop using the recalled cubes and return them using a pre-paid shipping label provided by CreateOn. Replacement pip-cubes are available for those who participated in the recall program.
So far, no injuries have been reported in connection with the magnetic cubes, but experts emphasize that small children are particularly at risk if the magnets are ingested. Parents and guardians are encouraged to inspect any Crayola pip-cube sets in their homes and follow the recall instructions promptly to prevent potential accidents.
