Sky Dancers

Associated With

Galoob Toys, Inc. - creator or operator

Defining Feature

A hard-plastic doll launched feet-first from a pull-cord base using foam-covered wing arms

Status

Recalled in the United States — about 8.9 million units recalled on 27 June 2000; wider discontinuation date unverified

Overview

Sky Dancers were small winged dolls that spun into the air from plastic launchers when a cord was pulled.

Placed feet-first into handheld or tabletop bases, the dolls rose with their arms and wings extended. The mechanism turned a small doll into a flying toy whose direction could be difficult to control.

Galoob sold multiple styles across the United States from November 1994 to June 2000. A recall followed after reports that the hard-plastic dolls had struck users and caused injuries.

Why It Mattered

The same spinning flight that made Sky Dancers exciting also made their movement difficult to control.

Around 8.9 million were recalled after reports of the dolls striking users and causing injuries, turning one of the toy’s defining features into its defining safety problem.

Pull-Cord Launch

• The doll was placed feet-first into a moulded-plastic launcher.
• Pulling the cord sent the doll’s stiff, foam-covered wing arms spinning into flight.

Recorded Hazard

• CPSC said the hard-plastic dolls could travel rapidly in unpredictable directions.
• The recall record lists 170 strike reports and 150 injury reports.

Recall and Settlement

• The 27 June 2000 recall covered about 8.9 million units and offered replacement products.
• Galoob later agreed to a $400,000 civil-penalty settlement without admitting a violation.
• The settlement followed CPSC allegations that Galoob had failed to report the hazard promptly.

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