On June 11, 2026, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a lead risk safety alert for Darice “Timeless Minis” decorative toys, specifically the miniature watering cans, red wagons, and chairs. These products exceed the lead paint limit and violate the federal lead paint ban. The toys were packaged with the labels including “Darice” and “Timeless Minis” on the brown label. The red wagons, watering cans and chairs were sold separately. These toys are no longer being manufactured, and the entity that imported these products, Darice, Inc. of Strongsville, OH is no longer in business. CPSC reports that the toys were sold by various retailers through 2016, but have been resold by various third-party sellers and other websites through April 2026. No injuries or incidents have been reported to date.
Images Sourced from: CPSC
Why Is This a Concern?
There is no safe level of exposure to heavy metals. Small amounts of lead in a child’s body can lead to permanent health and developmental effects, such as learning disorders, developmental delays, and other long-term health problems. Lead can build up in the body over time, which can lead to kidney dysfunction, hypertension, and neurocognitive effects in adulthood. Pregnant people who are exposed to lead are also at a heightened risk for adverse health effects. Lead can cross the placenta through the bloodstream and reach the unborn baby or transfer to the baby during breastfeeding due to low calcium levels.
The federal lead paint ban restricts the amount of lead acceptable in paint used on children’s products to 0.009%, or 90 parts per million (ppm)*. ¹ Because these toys violate the federal lead paint ban, they present a toxic hazard of lead that can have serious health effects. Children, whose systems are most vulnerable to the adverse health effects of lead toxicity, are especially at risk for this product hazard. Darice Timeless Minis toys may be given to children to play with, who then might put these toys in their mouths and ingest trace amounts of lead.
What Should You Do?
- Call your healthcare provider if you are concerned about potential lead exposure and ask about a blood lead level test.
- Safely dispose of these toys, and do not give them away or sell them.
- Report any incidents involving injury or product defect to CPSC at www.SaferProducts.gov.
*What’s a “ppm”?
“Parts per million” refers to a unit used to measure tiny amounts of a substance in food, water, or the environment. It can be tough to picture. Imagine 1 ppm as:
- 1 penny in $10,000
- 31 seconds in 1 year
- 1 drop of water in a 55-gallon barrel
Read the official CPSC announcements below:
References
- Lead in Paint. (n.d.). United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. Retrieved https://www.cpsc.gov/FAQ/Lead-in-Paint