Banned Trivia Quiz

Answer: Baby walker

Baby walkers originated in Europe in the 15th century. Today, they usually take the form of a handle with or without a seat, surrounded by wheels, which babies and toddlers can grip while walking. However, baby walkers can cause injuries or even deaths due to bumping and falling. While using the walkers, babies can fall into pools or down stairs.

While parents are warned against using baby walkers in the United States, they were outright banned in Canada in 2004. This included not just selling them, but possessing them as well; violators can be jailed for up to 6 months or fined $100,000.00 Canadian dollars.

So: killing trap or justifiable transportation device? You decide.

Answer: Kinder Surprise

Kinder Surprise eggs are little chocolate eggs with a small toy inside, that usually requires assembly. They have actually never been legal in the United States, due to a law from the 1930s which bans any sort of a toy or treat being encased in candy. Since Canadians just across the border are so used to seeing Kinder Surprises in grocery stores, misunderstandings naturally arise. Border agencies have mentioned that a fine for bringing these eggs into the United States may be as much as $2,500.00 Canadian - per egg!

Kinder Surprises have also been banned in Chile since 2016. In 2000, there was also an effort to see them banned in the United Kingdom, after three children died by choking on the small parts contained in the eggs. After being discussed in Parliament, however, the campaign was turned down after the Department of Trade and Industry noted, "If we were to start banning every product that could be swallowed by a child, there would be very few toys left in the market".

So: dangerous choking hazard or innocent chocolate and toy? You decide.

Answer: Lawn darts

Lawn darts have an incredible history, stretching back to around 500 B.C. After they were manufactured commercially starting in the 1950s, however, their reputation for being a little lethal began. Lawn darts usually consist of a set of large darts that players throw across their yard, with various amount of points given depending on how close to the target the dart lands. Unfortunately, however, the darts had metal tips that could very easily pierce unsuspecting onlookers.

A campaign to ban the toys in the United States in 1970 was unsuccessful, but after several deaths, usually those of children who had been hit in the head with the darts, they were finally banned in 1988. Canada followed suit in 1989. The darts continued to be available in Europe, however, and soft-tipped lawn dart variants became available in the United States in 2020.

So: innocent outdoor game or lethal weapon? You decide.

Answer: They are "excessively noisy"

Yes, Capri has a ban on "excessively noisy" footwear, and that includes flip-flops. Flip-flops, which are a flat shoe with a thong that holds the shoe on between the big toe and the rest of the toes, were in use in ancient Egypt since at least 4000 B.C. They became popular in North America as beach wear following World War II.

Don't bring your pair to Capri, though! A hefty fine can accompany the wearing of flip-flips. Tourists are allowed to carry flip-flops, just not to put them on their feet.

So: aggravating noise maker or trendy shoe? You decide.

Answer: Furby

Furbies were developed by Tiger Electronics and first sold in 1998. They have been so popular as to have been updated and re-released several times since then. A fluffy doll resembling a furry owl, Furbies spoke, originally in Furby (a created language) when first purchased, then slowly developing English words after they have been owned for some time.

However, these language skills made several intelligence agencies worried. They were concerned that they toys had the ability to record what they heard around them, making them prime suspects for spies! Because of this, they were banned from many federal offices. Several schools also banned the toys - not because of suspected espionage, but because they were too distracting.

So: super secret agent tool or harmless electronic animal? You decide.

Answer: Chewing gum

Chewing gum has been illegal in Singapore since 1992. More specifically, it is legal to chew it, and for travelers to bring in small amounts, but it is illegal to import or sell it. Since 2004, it has also been legal to sell health-related gum.

This interesting ban was brought into effect after repairs due to vandalism with gum reached astronomical levels. Tired of finding gum stuck to bus door sensors, keyholes, doorknobs, and operating buttons, officials finally banned it once and for all. Users of it can also be fined, depending on where they spit the gum.

So: master destroyer utensil or harmless jaw exerciser? You decide.

Answer: Bindeez/Aqua Dots

Sold in Australia as Bindeez, elsewhere as Aqua Dots, Aquabeads, Beados, and PixOs, this was an apparently harmless toy that involved placing small beads together that fuse to make an image. However, the beads were a little more than harmless - the Chinese factory in Shenzhen had actually used a cheap sedative drug in the beads that, when swallowed, caused children to fall into comas.

By November 2007, the product had been recalled and banned across Australia, North America, and Europe. Fortunately all the children who swallowed the beads survived, but the short-lived toy was gone for good.

So: toxic sedative or easy picture-maker? You decide.

Answer: Clacker Balls

Clacker Balls, also known as Clackers, originated in 1968, and soon became a fad in North America. Clacker Balls consisted of two balls made of acrylic plastic connected by a string, that users could swing around and use to create noise. However, these balls could easily shatter and injure users, flying into their faces.

In 1976, the law suit known as "United States v. Article Consisting of 50,000 Cardboard Boxes More or Less, Each Containing One Pair of Clacker Balls" was ruled that the United States was allowed to seize the dangerous toys. They were banned shortly afterwards. They have been recently re-issued made out of safer materials, and are popular in Southeast Asia.

So: combustible weapon or blameless noisemaker? You decide.

Answer: Whistles

In 2004, Guatemala decided to ban whistles. This was not because they were dangerous in and of themselves, but because they claimed that too many people were using whistles to impersonate police officers. The law was created to crack down on those who were trying to abuse the police.

So: simple instrument or wicked imitation device? You decide.

Answer: No one really knows

That's right, no one really knows why pencils are illegal in Tunisia. More specifically, the importation of pencils is illegal; tourists who have packed one may be allowed to bring it into the country. Because of this, writing is a bit more permanent in Tunisia!

So: innocent scribbling tool or...not so innocent scribbling tool? You decide.