Smyths Cornhole Bean Bags Recall: Asbestos in Sand

The Smyths Toys Wooden Cornhole Board with Bean Bags (model 233254) has been recalled because the sand inside the toss bags may be contaminated with a small quantity of asbestos. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) published the notice on 16 September 2026. If you have this set at home, stop using it, don't sweep or hoover any spilled filling, and return it to any Smyths Toys store for a full refund. You don't need a receipt.

What the recall notice says

According to the OPSS recall notice (case 2609-0108), the product is a poplar wood board with six colourful toss bags in red and blue-and-white stripes, made in China. The notice says the sand inside the bags "may be contaminated with a small quantity of asbestos", and that this means the toy does not meet the requirements of the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011. Smyths Toys is recalling the product from customers who already own it.

Cornhole is a garden throwing game rather than a baby toy, but sets like this tend to end up in the same places as everything else: the patio, the playroom, the boot of the car. Babies and toddlers pick up bean bags, chew them and drop them, and the seams on toss bags can split. That's why a recall like this is worth a look even if your youngest isn't old enough to play the game itself.

How to check if you have the affected set

Detail	Affected product
Retailer / brand	Smyths Toys
Product	Wooden Cornhole Board with Bean Bags
Model	233254
Contents	Poplar wood board with 6 toss bags (red, and blue and white stripes)
Country of origin	China
OPSS case number	2609-0108

Check the box or the underside of the board for the model number. If you've lost the packaging but the set matches this description, treat it as affected and follow the steps below, or ask in a Smyths store.

What to do if you have the set

These steps come from the OPSS notice and its guidance on asbestos in consumer products:

1. Stop using it immediately.
2. If the bags are undamaged, put them in a heavy-duty plastic bag, seal it with tape, label it clearly and store it somewhere secure, away from children.
3. If a bag is damaged and the filling is accessible, clean the affected areas with wet cloths while wearing gloves and a mask, so you don't create dust. Double-bag the filling, cloths, gloves and mask.
4. Keep children and other people away from any area where the sand has been used until it has been cleaned.
5. Return the set to any Smyths Toys store for a full refund. No receipt is required.
6. If you can't return it, contact your local authority for help disposing of it, or see the GOV.UK asbestos guidance.

The reason for the wet-cloth method is that asbestos harms health when its fibres get into the air and are breathed in. Dry sweeping or vacuuming can put those fibres into the air, so avoid both. The OPSS says that asbestos is banned in consumer products because there is no safe level of exposure, although asbestos locked inside an intact product is less of a concern than loose fibres in the air.

If your child has already played with it

We can't tell you your own child's individual risk, and neither can a recall notice. What the official sources do say: the NHS states that asbestosis is caused by exposure to asbestos and that it can take 20 to 30 years after exposure before symptoms appear, so you wouldn't expect anything to show now. The OPSS notice doesn't recommend a specific health check for children who've handled the bags. If you're worried, speak to your GP or call NHS 111 and explain what your child was exposed to and roughly when.

Part of a wider run of sand recalls

This is the second sand-related asbestos recall we've covered this month. Our write-up of the HTI Sand Art Bottle Kit recall covers a coloured-sand craft kit with the same underlying problem. In June 2026 Which? reported testing nine sand kits and finding tremolite asbestos in two of them, and said that dozens of asbestos-contaminated sand product recalls had been issued since November 2025. The pattern is cheap sand used as filler or as play material, so it's worth checking any toy that contains loose sand, whether that's a craft kit, a beanbag or a sensory tray.

Recalled products are listed on the OPSS product safety alerts, reports and recalls page. It's worth checking there by product name before you buy or accept a sand-filled toy.

Habits that help when toys are recalled

• Search the OPSS list by product name before passing toys on to younger siblings or friends.
• Learn what the safety marks mean. Our guide to toy safety standards explains what UKCA and CE marking do and don't tell you.
• Check hand-me-downs against recall notices. Our guide to buying second-hand baby gear safely covers how.
• Keep the box or a photo of the label for garden games and larger toys, so you can match a model number quickly.

See also our recent write-ups of the OPSS squishy toy safety reports and the OPSS warning on water beads.

The bottom line

If you have the Smyths Toys Wooden Cornhole Board with Bean Bags (model 233254), stop using it, bag the toss bags securely, wipe rather than sweep any spilled sand, and take the set back to any Smyths Toys store for a full refund with no receipt. If your child has handled the bags and you're worried, talk to your GP or NHS 111.