Summer is approaching and parents need to know about overlooked, underrecognized, or hidden safety traps that are linked to child injuries and fatalities or historically have been known to pose risks to children.
“10 Summer Safety Traps,” a report by World Against Toys Causing Harm, or W.A.T.C.H., a child safety group, describes the different types of hazards families can avoid to safeguard children during the summer when kids will be spending more hours swimming, riding, climbing, and playing backyard games.
This year’s summer safety traps include:
1. Reusable magnetic water balloons
2. Hidden access risks in above-ground pools
3. Overheated slides and playground surfaces
4. Gel blasters and water bead ammo
5. Swim rings and other inflatable pool toys
6. Backyard trampolines and inflatable bounce houses
7. Hidden backyard shallow water traps such as kiddie pools and pool covers
8. E-bikes and e-scooters
9. Tubes, towables, and boat propeller risks
10. Kid on adult-sized ATVs
“Just because a product is popular or widely used does not automatically make it safe,” Joan E. Siff, president of W.A.T.C.H., said in a statement. “Many everyday summer activities can carry serious risks, especially for children.”
Siff said parents may not always recognize the potential hidden dangers products such as reusable magnetic water balloons, inflatable pool toys, trampolines, e-bikes, and ATVs.
“As families head into the summer season, staying informed and understanding these risks can play a critical role in helping prevent avoidable injuries and tragedies,” she said.
While agencies such as the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, or CPSC, continue to play an important role in consumer safety, they’re often limited by staffing, funding, and the ability to act quickly, Siff said.
“Safety oversight and recall processes are important, but they don’t always move fast enough to keep pace with today’s marketplace,” said James A. Swartz, director of W.A.T.C.H. “In many cases, dangerous products remain in homes and stores long before meaningful action is taken.”
Swartz said families should remember that recalls and safety warnings are only one part of the equation, and not every hazardous product is ultimately recalled or widely recognized as unsafe.
Several of this year’s traps involve water-related hazards. From inflatable swim toys that can create a false sense of security, to shallow backyard water traps such as kiddie pools left filled with rainwater, to above-ground pools with hidden access points, the dangers are often easy to overlook.
As children spend more time around pools, beaches, splash pads, and backyard water play, drowning remains the leading cause of death from unintentional injury for children ages 1 to 4.
Last summer, W.A.T.C.H. highlighted the dangers of inflatable swim rings and similar flotation products that can create a false sense of security around water. This year, that concern remains on W.A.T.C.H.’s list. In 2026, the CPSC issued a warning after a 2-year-old child died while using a swim float that the agency says can flip over and/or submerge the occupant underwater.
“That tragedy is a sobering reminder of why awareness matters – and why prevention efforts must continue,” Siff said.
In 2025, the CPSC approved a new federal safety standard aimed at reducing infant deaths and serious injuries associated with neck floats.
This progress shows that awareness can drive meaningful change – but safety standards and regulations should be viewed as floors, not ceilings, when it comes to protecting children, she said, adding the work isn’t done while hazardous products continue to put children at risk.
Many of these injuries are preventable and that raising awareness is key, W.A.T.C.H. says.
