About 276,000 Esjay Busy Board Montessori Toys Recalled Over Choking Risk

About 276,000 toddler busy boards sold under the Esjay brand are being pulled from homes nationwide after regulators found that small red knobs on the toy can detach, creating a serious choking hazard for young children. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall on September 17, 2026, after determining the product violates the federal small parts ban that applies to toys made for children under three years old.

No injuries or incidents have been reported so far, but the size of the affected batch and the severity of the potential hazard prompted the recall. Parents and caregivers who have one of these toys in their home are being urged to act quickly, even though no harm has yet occurred.

Products Affected by This Recall

The recalled item is the Esjay Toddler Busy Board Montessori Toy. Each board is made of blue felt and includes a carrying handle, elastic cords and button closures. The front features printed cartoon dinosaurs, while the back displays 26 small squares, one for each letter of the alphabet, with a cartoon animal paired to each letter. The boards contain five zippered pages in total, and it is the second page – the one fitted with red knobs – that is the source of the hazard.

These busy boards are commonly marketed as Montessori-style learning toys, designed to help toddlers build fine motor skills through zippers, buttons and textured pages.

The Reason Behind the Recall

According to CPSC, the red knobs on the second page of the busy board can come loose and separate from the toy. Because the product is intended for children under three, this places it squarely under the federal small parts ban, a rule meant to keep detachable pieces small enough to be swallowed out of the hands of very young children. A knob that breaks free can easily fit in a toddler’s mouth, creating a risk of choking that CPSC describes as capable of causing serious injury or death.

The core risk: a single detached knob, small enough to lodge in a child’s airway, is enough to turn a quiet play session into an emergency.

Where Were These Products Sold?

The busy boards were sold exclusively online through Amazon.com between March 2023 and July 2026, at prices ranging from $18 to $30. The toys were manufactured by Shenzhen Yishijie Technology Co., Ltd., doing business as Esjay US, based in China. Given the online-only sales channel and the roughly three-year sales window, the recall likely touches households across every state.

What Should You Do?

If you have purchased an Esjay Toddler Busy Board Montessori Toy, take it away from children immediately and stop letting anyone use it. The remedy CPSC and Esjay have outlined is a repair, not a refund, and it involves a few specific steps.

• Remove the toy from your child’s reach right away.
• Unzip the second page – the one with the red knobs.
• Write ‘RECALLED’ on both sides of that page.
• Throw the page away.
• Take a photo of the disposed page and email it to esjay-service@outlook.com to receive a free replacement page.

Consumers can also reach Esjay US by phone at 888-206-9309, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time, or visit www.esjay.store/recall for full instructions. General information is also available by visiting www.esjay.store and selecting ‘Recall’ at the top of the page.

What the Company/Agency Said

CPSC’s official notice states plainly that the recalled toy ‘violates the small parts ban’ because it is designed for children under three, yet includes knobs that ‘can detach, posing a deadly choking hazard.’ The agency has not received any reports of injuries connected to the busy boards, but issued the recall as a precaution given how widely the product was sold and the potential severity of a choking incident involving small children.

This recall is one of several toy-related actions CPSC has taken in 2026 involving small, detachable components on children’s products, underscoring the agency’s continued focus on enforcing small parts standards for toys marketed toward toddlers and infants.