Critical Recalled July 2, 2001 About 6,000 units Updated March 10, 2026

CPSC, Chicco USA Inc. Announce Recall of Preschool Toys

Toys & playPreschoolSuffocation

The hazard

Some of the larger-sized ball halves can become stuck on a young child's face, covering the nose and mouth, and causing suffocation.

Incidents reported: CPSC received a report of a 2-year-old boy who had a ball-half stuck on his face, covering his nose and mouth. A nearby adult was able to pull the toy from his face. No injury to the child was reported.

What to do now

Parents and caregivers should take these balls away from young children immediately and return the toys to the store where purchased for a refund.

Contact: For more information, consumers should call Chicco USA Inc., toll-free at (877) 424-4226 between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the company's website www.chiccousa.com

About this recall

The Build-A-Ball toy consists of five multi-colored and various-sized plastic balls that can be taken apart to be stacked on top of each other or placed inside each other. The five balls in the toy set range in size from about 2 inches to 4 inches in diameter. One-half of the balls are white, green, blue, red or yellow, and the other half is clear. "chicco" is written inside the balls. The balls are packaged in a box labeled "chicco," "Build-a-Ball," "Cod. 66167," and "Made in China." The packaging also indicated the toy is for children ages 1-3 years or 1-4 years. The text on the packaging is written in 11 languages.

Product photos

Recalled Build-A-Ball toy
Recalled Build-A-Ball toy
Recalled Build-A-Ball toys
Recalled Build-A-Ball toys

Photos: U.S. CPSC