CPSC Recall in 2023: Buffalo Games Recalls Chuckle & Roar Ultimate Water Beads Activity Kits Due to Serious Ingestion, Choking and Obstruction Hazards; One Infant Death Reported; Sold Exclusively at Target

Updated on January 18, 2026.

See the recall details below. You can also see similar information for other consumer product recalls in 2023.

Data Source: CPSC.
Recall Number: 23-286
Date: September 14, 2023
Product Name: Chuckle & Roar Ultimate Water Beads Activity Kits
Recall Description:

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Buffalo Games LLC, of Buffalo, New York, are announcing the recall of about 52,000 Chuckle & Roar Ultimate Water Beads Activity Kits due to ingestion, choking and obstruction hazards. The water beads pose a risk of serious injury or death if ingested. When ingested, the beads grow in size, which can cause intestinal obstruction. Buffalo Games received one report of a 10-month-old child’s death from swallowing the recalled water beads in July 2023 in Wisconsin. Buffalo Games also received a report that a 9-month-old child was seriously injured in November 2022 in Maine from swallowing the water beads which caused an intestinal obstruction requiring surgery to remove them. Consumers should immediately stop using and take the recalled Chuckle & Roar Ultimate Water Beads Activity Kits away from children. Contact Buffalo Games for a full refund and instructions on how to return the product in a prepaid mailing package supplied by the firm or return the product to any Target store. This recall involves the Chuckle & Roar Ultimate Water Beads Activity Kit. On the front of the purple container, the label states Ultimate Water Beads Activity Kit. It includes: 2 ounces of “jumbo” water beads and 6 ounces of “regular” water beads. Along with a clear container and lid, there are five small toy fish, a scissor scoop, tweezers, a scoop with a handle, 10 activity cards and instructions. The activity kit was sold in a purple box with UPC Number 079346627035 on the back. The recalled Chuckle & Roar Ultimate Water Beads Activity Kits were sold exclusively at Target stores nationwide and online at Target.com from March 2022 through November 2022 for about $15. The products were manufactured in China and were imported by Target Corporation of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Hazard Description:

If a water bead is ingested, it expands and can pose ingestion, choking and intestinal obstruction hazards inside a child’s body, resulting in severe discomfort, vomiting, dehydration and a risk of death to a child.

Consumer Action:

Remedy Type:

Refund

Units: About 52,000
Incidents:

Buffalo Games received one report of a 10-month-old child’s death from swallowing the recalled water beads in July 2023 in Wisconsin. Buffalo Games also received a report that a 9-month-old child was seriously injured in November 2022 in Maine from swallowing the water beads which caused an intestinal obstruction requiring surgery to remove them.

Sold At:

The recalled Chuckle & Roar Ultimate Water Beads Activity Kits were sold exclusively at Target stores nationwide and online at Target.com from March 2022 through November 2022 for about $15.

Manufactured In:

China