If you're a grandparent, you probably love buying toys for your grandkids. But you're right to be concerned about unsafe or contaminated toys. Each year, about 15 children under age 14 die from toy-related incidents and 217,000 toy-related injuries are treated in hospital emergency rooms.
How do you decide which toys are safe to buy for your grandchildren?
One of the first things you can do is go to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) website: www.cpsc.gov. This website contains toy-buying guidelines, updated information, and pictures of recalled toys that may be harmful to children. It also allows you to sign up for a mailing list that sends electronic alerts about the latest toy recalls.
The CPSC closely monitors and toys which are made or imported into the United States. Because all toys made since 1995 must comply with CPSC standards, it's best to steer clear of older toys and hand-me-downs from family and friends. Such toys may not meet current safety standards and may be so worn from play that they can break and cause injury. Also beware that some toys from carnivals, fairs, and vending machines may not meet current safety standards.
Fabric toys should be labeled as flame-resistant or flame-retardant, stuffed toys should be washable, painted toys should be covered with lead-free paint, and art materials should be labeled as non-toxic. In addition, the labels of crayon and paint packages should read ASTM D-4236, which means the product has been evaluated by the American Society for Testing and Materials.
When toy-shopping, always read labels to ensure that the toy is age-appropriate and heed all warnings.
Here are some toy-buying guidelines for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers:
- Children under age 8 should never be given balloons or latex gloves, which are choking hazards.
- Children under age 8 should not be given toys with electrical plugs or batteries, which are potential burn hazards.
- Don't buy toys with strings, straps, or cords longer than 7 inches, which can be a strangulation hazard.
- Don't buy rattles, teething toys, and squeeze toys with small ends that could extend into the back of a baby's mouth.
- Avoid marbles, coins, balls, and games with balls which are less than 1.75 inches in diameter.
- Check the loudness level of rattles, squeak toys, and musical and electronic toys. Some are as loud as a car horn, and could cause hearing damage.
- Look for toys that are unbreakable, have no sharp edges, and are large enough (even when compressed) so they can't be swallowed or lodge in the throat.
- Choose toys that are sturdy enough to handle pulling and twisting, and make sure that all parts are securely attached and can't be removed.
Here are some toy-buying guidelines for grade-schoolers:
- Never give a BB gun or pellet gun to any child under the age of 16.
- If you buy a toy gun, choose one that brightly colored so it won't be mistaken for a real weapon.
- If you buy toy darts or arrows, make sure they have soft tips or suction cups at the end and not hard points.
- Kids should be taught early never to point guns, darts, or arrows at anyone.
- Only buy electric toys labeled UL, which means they meet safety standards set by Underwriters Laboratories.
- If you buy a toy with a net, ensure that it's well-constructed and firmly attached to the rim so it doesn't become a strangulation hazard.
- Bicycles, scooters, skateboards, and in-line skates should only be used with recommended safety gear such as helmets, and hand, wrist, and shin guards that have a CPSC or Snell certification on the label.
Every year, new toy-related hazards seem to arise. Recently, a 15-year-old Swiss boy suffered permanent eye damage when he attempted to create a light show with a "toy" laser. So it's important, especially during the holidays, to pay close attention to toy-related news stories and reports.
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