About 9,000 child walkers sold at Toys R Us have been recalled following multiple reports of the bolt and spacer detaching from the front wheels, posing a choking hazard to young children.
An Imaginarium Activity Walker recall was announced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on March 13, after Toys R Us received five reports of the front wheels detaching, allowing small bolts and spacers to be left around children who could put them in their mouth and choke. No injuries have been reported from the five known incidents.
The CPSC is recommending that consumers put the walkers out of small children’s reach immediately to prevent them from choking on pieces from the walkers. Small children have tendencies to place small objects in their mouth, and if a child attempts to swallow the bolt or spacer it could lead to hospitalization or suffocation.
The recall consists of Imaginarium Activity Walkers with model number “Toys ‘R’ Us 5F5E972″ and barcode number 3700217300319 printed on the bottom of the walkers. The child walkers have four multi-colored wooden wheels and a round wooden push handle above the triangular wooden walker base. The walkers measure about 19 inches tall and 13 inches wide and have a multi-colored xylophone with 2 triangle mallets, a multi-colored abacus, and a scratch noise maker.
The Activity Walkers were manufactured in China and imported by Toys R Us Inc., of Wayne, New Jersey. They were sold exclusively at Toys R Us stores nationwide and online at www.toysrus.com from August 2011 through January 2013 for about $ 30.
The CPSC is asking consumers to stop using the recalled walkers immediately and place them out of reach of small children. Consumers can return the recalled walkers to any Toys R Us for a full refund or store credit, and may also contact Toys R Us at (800) 869-7787 or visit them online at www.toysrus.com and navigate to the “Safety Information and Recalls” link.