Parents warned as popular squishy toys could cause airport security chaos
Topics: Travel
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Photo
Topics: Travel
Parents traveling with children this summer are being urged to reconsider taking popular squishy toys onboard over fears it could cause chaos at TSA checkpoints.
There's no doubt that particularly for less experienced travelers, airport security can be a stressful experience, so any advice to minimise the risk of a travel disaster occurring is hugely welcomed.
And in the middle of the busy vacation season, parents have been warned about packing popular squishy toys over fears they fail to meet basic safety standards.
The Isle of Man Office of Fair Trading (OFT) have seized a number of items in recent weeks, including squishy dumplings and fidget toys.
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Experts say there are a number of safety concerns surrounding the toys, which include: chemical hazards, labelling issues, choking hazards, and a lack of age warnings.
There is a way to tell if your squishy toy is fake, with experts saying packaging that only states where the product made is a major red flag.
Official packaging often includes details of the supplier and importer of the product
Tim Glover, chairman of the Isle of Man Office of Fair Trading (OFT), said: "These seemingly fun products may look harmless, but if they haven't been made to the right standards, they can pose a real risk to children. We would urge parents to check any squishy toys they may have."
Apparently, there's even official toys which have caused problems at TSA security checkpoints, including stress relief toys NeeDohs.
These toys have apparently been causing issues at airport security, with parents saying the toy, which contains liquid, is showing up on scanners and causing unwanted delays.
In the US, you are 'allowed to bring a quart-sized bag of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes in your carry-on bag and through the checkpoint', the TSA explains.
These must be in containers of 100ml or less, otherwise they should be placed in checked-in luggage.
As such parents are being urged to check the contents of liquid in their children's squishy toys, though that is not so easy...
A spokesperson for Manchester Airport told the Manchester Evening News: "Things like squishy toys contain liquid - this includes NeeDohs which use malt syrup.
“Smaller versions of the toy are under 100mls but larger versions are not. The problem is that as they don't have measurements printed on them security staff have to estimate their size.
“Our advice is that all but very small squishy toys should be placed in hold baggage.”