The Christmas Holidays and Children Toy Safety Advice

While we celebrate the Christmas Holidays by giving children various gifts, we must remember and be extremely careful not to buy gifts that will cause any harm and loss of life to kids. Toys are fun but can be dangerous too. Most toys in stores (or home made) are usually safe, but some still pose a variety of safety hazards to children. As such, we are being informed that recently the scope of unsafe toys were broadened to include those labeled as phthalate-free because some contained the dangerous chemical. See Toy Safety at https://wwwuspirg.org/issues/toy-safety. But there are a whole lot of characteristic parents and caregivers need to remember and look for when trying to protect children form harmful toys.

Make a check to ensure that toy makers follow guidelines established by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for the age of the child. The toy should be labeled with the information and must specify what age child is unsuitable for the toy. Hence, features such as the physical ability of the child to play with the toy, the mental ability of the child to know how to use the toy, the play needs and interests present at various levels of a child development, the safety aspect of the specific toy are some of the age recommendations safety feature categories that needs to be taken into account. Toys for older kids can easily present some problems for younger ones.

Remember to avoid letting younger kids three and under, for example, play with small toys. Why? Children in this age group, we are advised, can still put objects in their mouth and that can cause them to choke. In addition, make sure that the toy is sturdy and no small parts can break from the toy. Avoid allowing children to play with latex balloons and check under home furniture and between seat cushions for choking hazards like coins, marbles, watch batteries, buttons, pen and others. Do not allow kids to play with on bean bag chairs that contain small foam pellets to avoid inhaling and choking. Riding toys should be kept away from stairs, traffic, and water. We are being admonished to supervise children as they ride toys and make sure they fit properly on the toys. See Safety and Injury Prevention: Toy Safety-Prevention at http://www.lpch.org.

Parents and caregivers need to remember to discard any plastic wrapping toys came in that can suffocate small children while being used as play objects. Infants should not have access to strings longer than seven inches, especially from hanging objects in cribs and playpens because they can strangle children if they get tangled around the neck. And long objects can be dangerous if a child falls or gets tangled up in them while in a crib. Eye injuries can often result from toys that shoot plastic objects or other flying pieces. Burns and shock can results from frayed cords, misuse, and prolonged use associated with electric plug-in toys or hobby kits. Likewise, chemistry sets and others can cause toxic substances or materials that can catch fire or cause skin and eye injuries, explosions or poisoning. Smaller children can suffocate if trapped in toy chests, and they can break their tiny fingers or hands from using the chest without due care. Hence, we must be careful about what we buy and the implementation of proper supervision as they play with the toys we buy.

When shopping, keep in mind the need to pass on a toy that is too heavy because children can be harmed if the they fell on them. Look for toys that are well made. For example, the tails of stuffed animals should be securely sewn, and there seams should be reinforced. Children arts sets and crayon that are marked, for example, ASTM D-4236, advisable mean that a toxicologist has reviewed the toy and added warning information, if necessary. Always buy a helmet if children are to receive bicycle, skates, or skateboards and make sure they wear the helmet when using the toy. Make sure the bicycle size, for example, as the chosen toy, is physically appropriate for the child. Teach older children to keep their toys from younger brothers and sisters for safety reasons. See Children Health: Toy Safety at http://www.ahealthyme.com.

These therefore are some of the essential safety information available for parents and caregivers, families, neighbors and friends this holiday season as they buy the gifts of love and friendship. The examination of toys for safety features and keeping in mind the characteristics of the person to receive the gift are important. Supervision of children as they play with their toys is compulsory, since mistakes can be made even with safe toys that can cause serious injuries or loss of life to children. No parent wants that to happen so prevention is best.
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