Today's Edition
(THE NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE)
About 192,000 children's play kitchens that pose “a risk of serious injury or death” are being recalled after the shirt of a 23-month-old boy got caught on one of its hooks and he asphyxiated, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission said this week.
The play kitchens, which were marketed as the KidKraft Farm to Table Model Play Kitchens, have three hooks intended to hang accessories. They can pose a strangulation and asphyxia hazard, the commission said.
According to the recall notice from the commission, issued in conjunction with Canada's health agency, Health Canada, children who crawl onto the kitchen set could get caught on the hooks and asphyxiate or suffocate themselves.
The product was sold by Backyard Kids of Plano, Texas, and previously KidKraft. In a statement, KidKraft said safety is its “first priority.”
It warned customers of the danger, adding that they “should immediately stop using the recalled play kitchens.”
Anyone who owns the kitchen toy set should remove the hooks and contact Backyard Kids for free replacement hooks, the consumer agency and the brand's statement said.
A representative for Backyard Kids could not be immediately reached Friday.
A photo released with the recall shows a children's kitchen with a small fridge, sink and oven measuring 43 inches tall and 44 inches long.
The area behind the sink and oven is backless with a rod that holds three hooks meant to hold play pots and pans. The promotional image for the product shows some toy kitchen utensils hanging from it.
In February 2023, the clothing of the 23-month-old boy in Oregon got snagged on one of the hooks leading to his death, the commission said.
The recalled kitchens were sold online at KidKraft.com, Amazon.com and Walmart.com from 2018 through July 2025. The model number 53411 is found on a sticker on the back of the play set, the commission said.
KidKraft filed for bankruptcy in 2024, the commission said. KidKraft is a brand under Backyard Kids, according to the company's website.
More information about the recall is available on the company's website.
