For Kid’s Sake: Think Toy Safety

Now that Christmas is over and the kids have opened all of their presents, it is not too late to think of toy safety. First, hopefully all of the child’s toys are age appropriate. Make sure that all directions and instructions are clear to both the parent and the child. Be a label reader, look for age recommendations, and pay attention to them.

When maintaining toys, check for breakage and potential hazards. A damaged or dangerous toy should be thrown away. Older toys can break and small parts may be swallowed or lodged in a child’s windpipe. Small parts such as removable eyes and noses on stuffed toys and dolls can be dangerous for children under the age of three. Examine all outdoor toys for rust or weakened parts that could become hazardous.

Storing Toys: Teach children to put toys away on shelves or in a toy box to prevent trips and falls. However, toy chests can cause harm if the lid falls on a child unexpectedly. Make sure a toy box has a lid that will stay open in any position to which it is raised.

Cords and Strings: Toys with long strings can become wrapped around an infant’s neck and cause strangulation. Never hang toys with long strings, cords, loops or ribbons on a crib or playpen.

All toys are not for all children. Even uninflated and broken balloons can cause a young child to choke or suffocate. More children have suffocated on uninflated balloons or pieces of broken balloons than on any other type of toy.

The responsibility of a parent or grandparent is to protect children from unsafe toys. Careful toy selection and proper supervision of children at play will always be the best way to protect them. To report a product hazard or product related injury, call the toll free Hotline of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, (CPSC) 1-800-638-2772.

(Reprinted with permission from the CPSC, Office of Information and Public Affairs.)