Just when parents are knee deep in holiday shopping, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued an urgent recall for a popular toy.
About 9,400 sets of Crayola-branded “pip‑Cubes” are being recalled after federal safety regulators warned the toys contain high-powered magnets that can detach — posing a potentially deadly risk to children.
If swallowed, the magnets can attract to each other or metal inside the digestive tract, potentially causing intestinal blockages, perforations, or even death, according to the CPSC.
A Crayola magnetic toy has been recalled.
What’s being recalled
- Product: CreateOn Crayola pip‑Cubes (magnetic building cubes)
- Set types: Bold Colors and Glitter, 24‑piece and 27‑piece sets
- Model numbers:
1000199, UPC 850067300199
1000243, UPC 850067300243
1000205, UPC 850067300205
100250, UPC 850067300250
- Where sold: Michaels stores, Michaels.com, Amazon.com
- Sale period: May-July 2025
Why this Crayola toy recall is urgent
The CPSC warns that the internal magnets in Crayola pip‑Cubes can become loose if the seams separate. If swallowed, the magnets can stick together inside a child’s digestive tract, causing serious injury or death.
Even trusted brands like Crayola can issue recalls when third-party manufacturers introduce defects. This underscores the critical importance of checking toys, even from well-known companies.
“At CreateOn, safety is our top priority. We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience and are committed to resolving it quickly and transparently,” according to an announcement from CreateOn, the company that manufactures the pip-Cubes.
What parents who bought pip-Cubes should do now
- Stop use immediately — remove the cubes from children’s reach.
- Check packaging — confirm the model and UPC numbers against the recall notice on the CPSC website.
- Do not attempt repair — even intact cubes may contain loose magnets.
- Return for replacement — CreateOn provides prepaid labels for free replacements.
Why magnetic toys like Crayola pip-Cubes are dangerous
Experts have long warned that magnetic products such as Crayola pipCubes are hazardous to children, including in a 2022 study in the journal Pediatrics.
“These data suggest that high‑powered magnets are among the most dangerous consumer products available today,” Emergency Medicine Physician Dr. Leah Middelberg said about the Pediatrics study she led.
“Because damage caused by magnets can be serious, it’s so important to keep these kinds of magnets out of reach of children, and ideally out of the home.”
Related: Voluntary vs. mandatory food recalls: what you should know
High-powered magnet toy recalls have increased in recent years. Inexpensive building kits sold online or at discount retailers often bypass rigorous safety testing.
With the holiday season approaching, families may have purchased these sets as gifts — increasing the urgency of inspecting and returning recalled toys.
If you have purchased or been given Crayola pip‑Cubes purchased in 2025, make sure the toy is out of reach of young children.
Other dangerous toys recalled
Recent high-risk toy and children’s-product recalls:
- KidKraft Farm to Table Play Kitchens: About 192,000 recalled after a toddler’s death was linked to a hook inside the toy that poses a strangulation risk. Source: CPSC
- Imported magnetic‑ball toy sets (5 mm magnet balls sold online or via third‑party marketplaces): Multiple recalls in 2024-2025 over ingestion hazards violating federal safety standards. Source: CPSC
- Battery‑operated pet or children’s Petmate laser/LED balls: Recalled in 2025 for coin‑battery ingestion risks, which can cause internal chemical burns or poisoning. Source: Safe Kids Worldwide
Many hazards arise not from obvious defects but from small internal parts (magnets, batteries, hooks) with serious health risks.