World Against Toys Causing Harm, Inc. (W.A.T.C.H.), a Massachusetts charitable non-profit corporation, was founded by Edward M. Swartz (1934-2010), who was a nationally known trial lawyer and child safety consumer advocate. Beginning in 1968, Swartz worked to educate the public about life-threatening toys and other children’s products, including children’s furniture, clothing and playground equipment. His first book on the subject, Toys That Don’t Care (Gambit, distributed by Houghton Mifflin, 1971), was acclaimed as an informative and meaningful expose. Swartz’s second book, Toys That Kill (Vintage/Random House, 1986), relates with detail his fight to force changes in the then 15 billion-dollar-a-year toy industry.
Realizing the need for a national organization that would more fully educate the public to the dangers lurking in many toys and children’s products, Swartz organized a grass roots national crusade for children’s safety. “W.A.T.C.H.” was founded as a non-profit organization dedicated to children’s causes and committed to the creation of multi-dimensional educational programs. The goal of the programs is to teach children in elementary school classrooms, through cooperative learning, how to develop the critical thinking and participation skills necessary to becoming responsible consumers in a consumer-oriented society.
W.A.T.C.H. developed a bi-lingual (English/Spanish) school curriculum called “Toys, You And The Real World”. Based on children’s interest levels in toys and the amount of time children spend playing with them, toys were chosen as the springboard from which children could be enlightened to matters about the world. Included in these matters are democracy, our legal system, safety, economics, advertising, differences in culture and gender, how to express their opinions and confidence in the belief that their voices can make a difference. “Toys, You and the Real World” was successfully launched in Newton, Massachusetts where it was hailed by school administrators, teachers, and city officials alike, as an important and effective program. Its success has been evidenced by its implementation at some New York City bi-lingual schools and in Wisconsin elementary schools. It has been taught at Boston’s John F. Kennedy Public Elementary School, and we are hopeful that these teaching materials will be made available to all grade schools across the nation, once funding is obtained.
Since 1973, the annual “10 Worst Toys” list has identified toys with the potential to cause childhood injuries, and even death. W.A.T.C.H.’s annual “Toy Conference” has generated extensive national press and media coverage. Because of its efforts, and the positive response from both the media and the public, there have been many toy and product design changes.