It’s no surprise that December is Safe Toys and Gifts Month.
Did you know there were more than 185,000 toy-related emergency room-treated injuries last year, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)?
You can reduce the chances of an injury by reviewing a toy’s safety guidelines on the label. Picking a toy that is safe for your child is just as important as considering its potential “wow” factor.
What does a toy’s label tell you about its safety?
Recommended age
The first thing a toy’s label can tell you is the age or age range that is most appropriate to handle the toy. The CPSC has developed guidelines for recommended ages that most manufacturers use when labeling toys.
The Encyclopedia of Children’s Health lists four main criteria that the CPSC and manufacturers consider when developing recommended age guidelines.
- Physical skills: Can the child manipulate and play with the features of the toy as it was designed?
- Understanding: Can the child understand how to use the toy?
- Interest: Is the toy of interest to a child of a particular age?
- Safety: Is the toy safe for a child at this stage?
Choking hazards
One of the biggest reasons to read the label is to ensure that the toy does not contain choking hazards for children under 3. KidsHealth.org recommends that parents of infants and toddlers not purchase toys with balls or other parts that are 1.75 inches (4.4 cm) in diameter or smaller because those parts can become stuck in a child’s windpipe and restrict breathing. To determine if a toy or toy part is too small, use a small-parts tester.
Makeup of the materials
Labels contain valuable information about the materials used to make items. For example, when considering fabric toys such as stuffed animals, you should make sure the label describes the material as flame resistant or flame retardant. You should check the toy for loose strings and other small parts that could fall off.
For toys that have a paint coating, read the label to make sure it says it was manufactured using nontoxic “lead-free paint.” Art supplies such as crayons, markers, and paint should contain “nontoxic” on their labels.
Visit KidsHealth.org for more information on safe toy choices for children.