The Recall Desk
CriticalCPSC·80020·Announced 1980-05-23

Creative Playthings Recalls Indoor Gym Houses Due to Strangulation Hazard

Creative Playthings is recalling approximately 400,000 Indoor Gym House sets because a design flaw allows young children to trap their heads, posing a strangulation risk.

What this means for you

Highest-severity recall. Risk of serious injury or death is documented or strongly suspected. Stop using the product now and follow the agency's instructions.

Our severity reasoning: The source text explicitly reports that one incident resulted in the strangulation of an 18-month-old baby girl, which constitutes a known fatality. Per the rubric, reported deaths mandate a score of 5 (Critical).

Plain-English summary

Creative Playthings, a division of CBS, Inc., is voluntarily recalling approximately 400,000 "Indoor Gym House" gym sets in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The recall was initiated because the product design includes a space between the upper rung of the wooden ladder and the platform that is small enough for young children to trap their heads, creating a potential strangulation or asphyxiation hazard.

The recalled gym houses were manufactured between 1962 and 1979 and sold nationwide in toy stores and other retail outlets for approximately $29 to $50. The product is intended for children ages 18 months through 3 years old. CPSC staff has been informed of two incidents since October 1979 where children entrapped their heads in this space. One incident resulted in the strangulation of an 18-month-old baby girl, and the other caused a 16-month-old boy to asphyxiate, resulting in irreversible brain damage.

Because the Creative Playthings company no longer exists and the replacement ladder is no longer available, consumers should discard or destroy the ladder if they still possess this product.

The recalled product

Product
Creative Playthings Indoor Gym House gym sets

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.