Child Safety - Safety Tips for Toys

If you’re a parent, child safety is one of your top concerns. Sometimes, however, child safety is overlooked when it comes to toys. In all the choking cases that occur annually in children under the age of four in the UK, around 6% are caused by toys or toy parts. That number is even higher in the United States. With Christmas coming up, kids all over the globe will be receiving lots of toys. If you’re a parent or grandparent, or if you have babies, toddlers, or preschoolers on your gift list, make sure you give child-safe toys. Below are some toy safety tips for you to consider before purchasing infant toys, baby toys, toddler toys, or preschool toys.

Child-safe toys

What are child safe toys? Child safe toys are manufactured in such a way that toy safety is addressed, usually in relation to the age of the child. When shopping for a kid’s toy, pay close attention to the recommended age printed on the box or package, along with any warnings. The biggest problem with toy safety is usually choking, but it’s not the only danger. Toy safety issues might also include items that are made of toxic or highly flammable materials.

If you don’t have children of your own, or if you’re not familiar with child behavior, choosing child safe toys might not be as simple as you think. Most toy manufacturers, however, are good about including age recommendations and warnings with their toys, so pay attention. You might find a wonderful toy that you want to buy for your two-year-old niece, even though the box might state “Recommended ages – 3 and up.” If you look closer, you might see a warning that says something like “Choking hazard – small parts.” You might be thinking something like, “This toy is recommended for children over three, but Sally is really smart. Even though she’s only two, I think she could figure out this toy and enjoy playing with it.” Sally might indeed be super smart and fully capable of enjoying a toy recommended for older kids, but that’s not the most important reason for the age recommendation. The recommendation and warning is for child safety – not for how smart a child is.

Infant toys – baby toys

It’s perfectly natural to want to give infant toys and baby toys that are soft and cuddly, like stuffed animals and soft-bodied baby dolls. Of course, you don’t want to give baby toys that have small parts, even if the parts are attached. Toy parts can come off, including eyes, tails, ears, and whiskers. The stuffing might also come out of infant toys and baby toys of this type, and that can certainly present choking hazards. Even if a soft toy doesn’t present a choking hazard, they still might not be safe. Such toys can increase the risk of SIDS. It’s important not to place toys, stuffed animals, pillows, or blankets in the crib with a baby. If the toy or stuffed animal is otherwise safe, allow the child to play with it only when an adult is supervising.

Toddler toys

Toddler toys are even harder to choose than are baby toys. Toddlers are into everything, and many of them explore things with their mouth. Toddlers might be a lot stronger than you think they are, too. Toys for toddlers need to be tough and durable. These kids are tough on toys, and they might be able to remove small parts and pieces from toys. When you’re shopping for toddler toys, feel the items and their attached parts to see how secure they are. Do the wheels on cars and trucks come off? Can small clothing articles on baby dolls come off and be swallowed? If small parts can be separated from a toy, there’s always a chance they’ll end up in the child’s throat. Choking hazards for toddlers are all too common.

Preschool toys

As children reach the ages of four, five, and six, some toy safety issues might change. Preschoolers are bigger, stronger, and more adventurous than toddlers and babies are, which presents a different set of child safety problems. For child safety and toy safety for preschoolers, you need to think like a preschooler. Try to imagine what could possible go wrong with the preschool toys you see while shopping. Think to yourself, “What all could a four-year-old do with this toy?” Kids can be extremely inventive and imaginative when it comes to finding new uses for toys. Ropes and strings can become hanging nooses, sharp objects can become weapons, and narrow items can find their way into electrical outlets. Even if the toys are child safe as far as the preschooler is concerned, toys can wreak havoc on your home. Non-washable markers can ruin furniture, clothing, bedspreads, and drapes. A toilet can become a place to float a small boat. Yes, this happened with my oldest daughter when she was a preschooler! She flushed the boat, and we had to remove the toilet to get the boat out.

Toy packaging

Sometimes child safe toys come in packages that aren’t child safe, so be careful how you handle the packaging. Keep any instruction or warranties, and throw the rest of the packaging away in a place that’s not accessible to little kids. Many toys come in bright, colorful boxes, and sometimes the kids are more interested in them than they are in the toys themselves. I’ve seen this firsthand with my grandchildren. There have been times when I’ve vowed just to give them boxes instead of toys!

Ride-on toys

Ride-on toys present yet another important consideration for child safety. Obviously, kids don’t usually choke on ride on toys, but they can be dangerous in other ways. Most kids are daredevils, wanting to see just how fast and how high they can go. Two of my grandsons are getting new bikes for Christmas from me and Papa, and I’m buying them helmets and knee pads to go with the bicycles. I might include elbow pads, too. If you’re giving ride ons like bikes, skateboards, pogo sticks, or scooters, include the proper child safety equipment. You can wrap them in separate boxes, so the kids will enjoy receiving and opening more gifts. Of course, you’ll also need to supervise the kids when they’re on their ride on toys. Keep them away from streets, roads, and cars. Also, don’t allow the kids to use the ride on toys on steep inclines. You might be surprised at just how fast some of these ride on toys can go!