Parents often disagree when it comes to what toys are appropriate for their children. But if there’s one thing that they can agree on, it’s that Bunchems is one of the worst children’s toys ever created.
These teeny tiny bur-like balls will stick to almost anything — especially a young child’s hair. After years of pleading and protesting, it appears that parents are finally getting their wish and Bunchems have officially been taken off the market.
Just what are Bunchems, anyway?
Bunchems are colorful little toys that have become incredibly popular over the last five years, especially with toddlers. These colorful little balls can be stuck together in order to build everything from cute little penguins to bright beautiful rainbows.
The whole point behind Bunchems is to help encourage active minds and imaginations. They’re somewhat similar to Lego blocks in this sense, as both toys allow the child to become the architects of their own mind.
But unlike Lego, Bunchems possess a giant inherent flaw.
If you look closely at the tiny barbs of each Bunchems ball, you’ll notice that they’re actually hooked at the ends. The technology works similarly to a velcro shoe: the tiny hooks latch onto one another and form a tight bond.
This means that just like velcro, Bunchems will stick and try to grab hold of almost anything they come into contact with. They’ve become especially well known for getting caught in the long flowing hair of young children.
A fact that this young mother knows all too well.
TikTok user veezybaby13 recently posted a video of her young daughter, whose hair was completely covered in Bunchems. She was left with no other choice but to take her daughter to the salon and attempt to have the stylist comb and cut the toys out.
This was an incredibly slow and painstaking process. The young girl was forced to sit and wait for a total of seven hours before the stylist was able to remove the last Bunchem.
Her experience was eerily similar to that of fellow parent, Lisa Hoelzle.
Earlier this year, Lisa made headlines when pictures of her seven-year-old daughter’s hair began circulating the internet. Lisa’s daughter somehow managed to get more than 150 Bunchems stuck in her hair at once.
While Lisa was quick to point out that she didn’t necessarily blame the toy company for what had happened, she did stress the importance of spreading awareness and her desire to help parents avoid a potential hair disaster.
As news spread, more and more parents began coming forward with their own Bunchems horror stories.
All of the negative reports and bad publicity resulted in Bunchems being named one of the worst consumer products on the market by World Against Toys Causing Harm, inc. (W.A.T.C.H.).
They determined that not only was the Bunchems’ small warning label insufficient at communicating the inherent risks of the toy, but they also pointed out how under the right circumstances — the small balls could become a dangerous choking hazard.
That’s right, Bunchems’ could potentially become lodged in your child’s throat, or even worse — your puppy’s!
It doesn’t help that the little things look like delicious tiny pieces of candy — what impressionable young mind or dumb dog would be able to discern the difference?
In no time at all, the chips were stacking up against Bunchems. Due to the ever-increasing public outrage, the manufacturers could no longer sit idly by and pretend that they weren’t aware of what was going on with their product.
Earlier this year, toy manufacturer Spin Master broke the silence on their product, and issued an official apology to all parents.
In a statement issued via Good Morning America , a representative from Spin Master said “We have been in contact with this customer and have expressed our sincere apologies for the inconvenience this has caused for both her and her daughter.”
It took time and plenty of tears, but finally Spin Master agreed to stop manufacturing Bunchems for future use. They also advised any parents who may have the toy in their homes to be extra cautious and read the warning label.
