UK recalls Crayola craft boxes over asbestos-contaminated sand concerns

Parents and caregivers should stop using the Crayola Touchy Feely Craft Box and the Crayola Discovery Craft Box immediately and keep them out of reach of children. The UK Office for Product Safety and Standards said the kits present a risk to health because the sand may be contaminated with a small quantity of asbestos, a banned substance that can harm health even at low levels of exposure.

The recall covered two children’s craft products made in China and sold through a wide retail network. The Crayola Discovery Craft Box was sold between August 2025 and April 2026 by retailers including Argos, Asda, BargainMax, CJS Trade Limited, Sainsbury’s, Scottish Midland Co-Operative, The Works and Vape-Superstore Limited. The Crayola Touchy Feely Craft Box, which The Works sold as the Sensory Craft Box, was sold between March 2025 and April 2026 through Argos, Asda, BargainMax, CJS Trade Limited, Cloud Nine Boutique Ltd, Geeantee Wholesale, Sainsbury’s, Scottish Midland Co-Operative and The Works.

The Works said testing found trace levels of asbestos in the sand inside some products and that it was recalling the affected items as a precaution. Hunter Price International Limited, the importer, recalled the Discovery Craft Box, and both products were withdrawn from the market alongside recalls by ASDA and The Works. Customers are being told to contact the retailer they bought the kit from for a refund.

The disposal instructions are specific because the concern centers on dust and fibres. If the sand is still sealed in its packaging, it should go into a heavy-duty plastic bag, be double taped securely, clearly labelled and stored somewhere children cannot reach. If the sand has already been used, the area should be cleaned with wet cloths to avoid creating dust, with gloves and a mask worn during cleanup. The sand and cleaning materials should then be double-bagged, and children and other people kept away until the area has been cleaned. The recall is a reminder that children’s products can pass through multiple retailers before a hazard is caught, and that safeguards only work when testing, reporting and withdrawal move quickly enough to reach families before more kits are opened.