Ensuring the safety of toys for your baby or toddler is crucial. All toys should meet safety standards, and it’s essential to check them regularly for loose or broken parts. Here are some tips to help you select safe toys for your little one.
What to Consider When Buying Baby Toys
- Follow Age Recommendations: Always adhere to the manufacturer’s age guidelines on toy packaging. Some toys may contain small parts that can pose a choking hazard, so be sure to read and follow all warnings.
- Size Matters: Toys should be large enough to prevent them from being swallowed or getting lodged in the windpipe. Ensure that toys are at least 1¼ inches (3 centimeters) in diameter and 2¼ inches (6 centimeters) in length. You can use a small-parts tester or a choke tube, which mimics the diameter of a child’s windpipe, to check if a toy is too small. If you don’t have one, a toilet paper roll can serve the same purpose — if the toy fits through the roll, it’s too small for a young child.
- Avoid Small Objects: Stay away from marbles, coins, balls, and games with balls smaller than 1.75 inches (4.4 centimeters) in diameter, as these can block the airway and cause breathing difficulties.
- Battery Safety: For battery-operated toys, ensure that the battery compartments are secured with screws so children can’t access them. Batteries and battery fluid pose severe risks, including choking, internal bleeding, and chemical burns.
- Toy Durability: Check that toys are unbreakable and durable enough to withstand chewing. Additionally, ensure that they do not have:
- Sharp edges or small parts like eyes, wheels, or buttons that could come loose.
- Small ends that could extend into the back of a baby’s mouth.
- Strings longer than 7 inches (18 centimeters).
- Parts that could pinch small fingers.
- Riding Toys: Most riding toys are suitable once a child can sit up independently. Always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. Ensure that riding toys, like rocking horses and wagons, come with safety straps or harnesses and are stable enough to prevent tipping.
- Hand-Me-Downs and Homemade Toys: Inspect these toys thoroughly, as they may not have been tested for safety. Avoid giving your baby painted toys made before 1978, as they may contain lead-based paint.
- Carnival and Fair Toys: Toys sold or given away at carnivals and fairs are not required to meet safety standards. Carefully inspect these toys for loose parts and sharp edges before allowing your child to play with them.
Additional Safety Tips
- Balloons and Gloves: Never give balloons, latex, or vinyl gloves to children under 8 years old. If a child inhales a balloon or glove while blowing it up or chewing on it, they could choke. Inflated balloons can also pop unexpectedly and become a choking hazard.
- Vending Machine Toys: Avoid giving your baby or toddler toys from vending machines, as they often contain small parts.
- Siblings’ Toys: Keep older siblings’ toys out of reach of infants, as they may have small parts that are dangerous for younger children.
Reporting Unsafe Toys
Stay informed about the latest toy recalls by checking the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) website or calling their hotline at (800) 638-CPSC. If you suspect a toy is unsafe, report it immediately. You can also sign up for updates on toy recalls.
When in doubt about a toy’s safety, it’s better to err on the side of caution and keep it away from your baby.