Dunecraft Recalls Water Balz, Skulls, Orbs and Flower Toys Due to Serious Ingestion Hazard

Source: CPSC Recall #13071
Recall Date
2012-12-17
Manufacturer
Dunecraft Inc., of Cleveland, Ohio
Units Affected
About 94,700 in the United States and 600 in Canada

Products Involved

Water Balz, Growing Skulls, H2O Orbs "Despicable Me" and Fabulous Flowers toys

Hazard

When the marble-sized toy is ingested, it expands inside the body and causes a blockage in the small intestine, resulting in severe discomfort, vomiting, dehydration and could be life threatening. The toys do not show up on an x-ray and require surgery to be removed from the body.

Remedy

Consumers should immediately take this recalled toy away from children and contact Dunecraft for a free replacement toy.

Reported Injuries

The firm received one report of an 8-month-old girl from Humble, Texas who ingested a Water Balz and suffered an intestinal obstruction in August 2011. The Water Balz had to be surgically removed.

Sold At

Water Balz and Growing Skulls were sold at Bed Bath & Beyond, Five Below, Hobby Lobby, Lakeshore Learning Materials, Microcenter, Urban Outfitters Direct, Wegmans and other stores nationwide, and online at amazon.com, incrediblescience.com, keyporthobbies.com, americantoystores.com and other websites from September 2010 through November 2012 for about $3 per package. The H2O Orbs "Despicable Me" were sold exclusively at Universal Studios stores during June 2012 for about $3 per package. Fabulous Flowers were sold exclusively at Milaeger's in Racine, Wis. from June 2012 through November 2012 for about $3 per package.

Manufactured In

ChinaUnited States

Full Recall Description

This recall involves marble-sized toys that absorb water and grow up to 400 times their original size. They were sold as Water Balz (round-shape), Growing Skulls (skull-shape), H2O Orbs "Despicable Me" (round-shape) and Fabulous Flowers (flower-shape). They were sold in packages of six in green, yellow, red, blue and black colors. "Dunecraft," the name of the toy and the model number are printed on the toy's packaging. Name Model Number Amount Recalled Water Balz BC-0338 81,000 Growing Skulls BC-0320 11,850 H2O Orbs "Despicable Me" DM-0447 1,800 Fabulous Flowers BC-0440 36
View on CPSC.gov →

Data source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) via SaferProducts.gov.

For the most current recall information, check directly with CPSC or the manufacturer.

Last verified: 2026-03-28