About ToxMystery

ToxMystery was created by the United States National Library of Medicine to help children from 7-11 years old learn about household chemical hazards. Toxie the Cat helps kids find the hazards hidden in each room and offers hints when needed. When all the risky spots in the house have been discovered, Toxie dances and celebrates and players can print a personalized certificate of completion. ToxMystery has been usability tested by kids and educators, receiving high grades by all.

ToxMystery is available in English and Spanish. Players can toggle between the languages without losing their place in the game, extending the game to language classes. ToxMystery not only educates young learners but provides parents and teachers with resources on environmental health. Parents can click on the "Parent Resources" or "Para los padres" tabs to find links to U.S. government and non-profit organization Web sites about everyday environmental hazards. The "For Teachers" or "Para maestros" pages contain 3 lesson plans with student worksheets and activities that use ToxMystery to explore common household chemical hazards. ToxMystery lesson plans were written using the National Science Educational Standards.

Poison Help Logo

If you think someone has been poisoned, call your poison center right away at 1-800-222-1222.

What do I need to run ToxMystery?

Online Version

The latest version of Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera or Safari is recommended
Macintosh or PC platform with a minimum of 125 megabytes of hard disk space
The latest free Flash Player
Free Adobe Reader
High speed internet connection

CD-ROM Version

MAC or PC platform with a minimum of 125 megabytes of hard disk space
CD-ROM drive - Internal or External

What does ToxMystery cost?

ToxMystery is free. Like all of the National Library of Medicine resources, ToxMystery is available for use by everyone with access to the Internet. If you don’t have access to the Internet you can request a ToxMystery CD.

How do I get ToxMystery?

ToxMystery is free on the Internet at: http://toxmystery.nlm.nih.gov. ToxMystery is also available on CD free of charge. Contact the Office of Communications and Public Liaison at publicinfo@nlm.nih.gov or 301-496-6308 to request a copy. The CD is in both English and Spanish.

How do I give you feedback or get answers to technical questions?

You can contact us at tehip@teh.nlm.nih.gov

I use a screen reader. Can I play ToxMystery?

At present, you cannot play the ToxMystery multimedia activity using a screen reader. We have provided a screen reader compatible text version with all of the information in the multimedia version.

Does ToxMystery save information about me?

ToxMystery does not save information about your visit. Please read our privacy policy for more information.

I'm a teacher. How can I use ToxMystery in my classroom?

ToxMystery has lesson plans with student worksheets and activities that use the game to explore common household chemical hazards. The materials are available in English and Spanish. The lesson plans were written using the National Science Educational Standards. Go to to the Teacher Resource page.

Check out Tox Town for teaching materials on environmental health for high school students.

Does ToxMystery have information for Parents?

The Parent Resources page has links to government and non-profit organization Web sites that provide in-depth information about common household and environmental risks. Go to Parent Resource page.

Can I add a link to ToxMystery on my web site?

We encourage you to link to ToxMystery. The address to use is http://toxmystery.nlm.nih.gov.

Promotional Material

ToxMystery double-sided, full color brochure (PDF, 244 KB)

ToxMystery fact sheet

Wall Paper

ToxMystery Wall paper

Instructions: Choose a wallpaper and then click on the image size matching your resolution.
When the image is displayed, right click on the image and select "Set as Wallpaper" or " Set as Background"