A PlayStation 5 is a great gift, sure. But it probably will not scramble your DNA or give you a fun introduction to radioactive materials. Kids in the early 1950s, however, had options.
One of the most dangerous toys ever sold just went up for auction in December of 2024, and someone paid more than $16,000 to own it. The item is called the Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab, a kids science kit from 1950 that came with something you would absolutely never find in a toy aisle today: Actual uranium.
The kit was created by A.C. Gilbert, the same guy behind Erector Sets. At the time, America was obsessed with science, nuclear power, and anything that sounded futuristic. So naturally, someone thought, “What if we gave kids radioactive material and called it educational?”
The Atomic Energy Lab included four small glass jars, each containing a tiny amount of radioactive material.
Kids could use the included Geiger counter to measure radiation levels at home, which sounds less like a toy and more like the opening scene of a superhero origin story. Technically, it was considered safe as long as the jars stayed sealed. Playing with the kit still exposed users to about as much radiation as you would get from spending a full day in the sun.
That said, common sense suggests at least one kid absolutely opened those jars. Possibly multiple kids. Possibly while snacking.
The set has long been called one of the most dangerous toys ever sold. Radar Magazine once ranked it the second most dangerous toy of all time, losing the top spot only to lawn darts, which feels like a fair fight.
The Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab was only sold for a short time between 1950 and 1951, and it sold for $49.50 . . . which is is around $650 today.
Fewer than 5,000 kits were ever made. It was eventually pulled from the market due to government restrictions and the increasing difficulty of sourcing uranium, which is probably for the best.
Today, full kits are extremely rare, especially ones in good condition.
So if you are struggling to figure out what to get someone who already has every gaming console known to man, just remember, there was a time when parents wrapped up radioactive science kits and put them under the Christmas tree. And somehow, humanity survived.
