Why Water Balloons Are Actually Dangerous for Children

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In the movie Trolls Together, there is a scene where Poppy and Branch visit Wakai Island. The water around the island looks like mounds of wavy, sparkling water balls. They are so adorable that you want to dive into the sparkling, soothing, soft balls. Then you remember that in real life, these water beads would be covered in sand and would feel more like sandy snot than a refreshing spa experience. I’ve personally become annoyed with water beads—tiny beads of super-absorbent polymer that, when wet in liquid, swell into soft balls—after a bad experience scooping a spilled basket of dirty beads out of my driveway.

You don’t need a reason to ban an annoying toy from your home, but there are real health and safety reasons to avoid using water balloons when purchasing sensory play for your child.

Water balloons are actually dangerous

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has warned parents to keep water balloons away from any environment with children 3 years of age or younger. The commission reports that water balloons have caused thousands of emergency room visits per year, serious injuries requiring surgery, and death.

Why so serious? The tiny colorful beads come in bright colors and packaging that makes them look just like cupcake sprinkles or candy. When swallowed, inhaled, or lodged in any body orifice, the pellets slowly swell to hundreds of times their original size, causing intestinal obstruction, airway obstruction, or ear damage. Water beads are not always visible on x-rays or during physical examination, so a child may be seriously injured without doctors discovering the cause.

The CPSC provides the following water balloon safety tips:

  • Never allow children to play with water beads without supervision.

  • If you have them at home, keep them in a safe container and out of the reach of small children.

  • Since water beads can easily spill, roll off, and get lost in the home, the only way to reduce the danger is to remove them from the home.​​

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics , signs that a child has swallowed water balloons include:

  • I don’t eat

  • Lethargy

  • drooling

  • Vomit

  • Wheezing

  • Complaints of something stuck in the throat or chest.

  • Abdominal pain

  • Constipation

  • Bloating and tenderness of the abdomen.

Because dehydrated water beads can get lost in cracks in floorboards, carpet, or among toys, children can bump into them and swallow them even if they haven’t been played with recently.

One final concern: While water beads are often labeled as “non-toxic,” Consumer Reports said the labeling is “meaningless.” They tested 14 brands of water beads and found that two of them had levels of acrylamide.

The best options for sensory play

Sensory stimulation through play is important for children (and adults), but there are safer alternatives to water balloons. Instead, try the following sensory play options (some of them are even less confusing ):

Remember, sensory play is any activity that engages a child’s senses . We focused on activities that required manipulating objects of varying textures, sizes, and temperatures with hands or other tools. Sensory play can also include activities such as listening to music, watching the sunset, tracking ants in the yard, or smelling foods and spices.

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