Most Common Toy Hazards and How to Avoid Them

You need to be really careful while choosing toys for your kids. It is true that toys are very much required to enhance creativity and enrich playtime, but you need to make sure that the toy you purchased is not dangerous in some way. Toys should be made with safe materials as well as be age appropriate. According to National Safe Kids Campaign, over 1,21,000 children are being admitted to hospitals in critical stage just because of hazardous toys every year. This study is really eye-opening. You should check for labels that are made mandatory by US Consumer Product Safety Commission. Safety of your children should be your top concern, over other factors like beauty, attraction or even usefulness that motivates you to purchase a product.

Small parts
Toys that are made up of small parts are really dangerous for small children. Those parts might get stuck in their mouth or nose, which might result in choking. In fact, toys with small parts are marked especially so as to let customers know about it. But, you also need to take care whether some of the parts are easily breakable as those parts might come out when child plays and create problem. If your older children has toys with small parts, teach them to keep these toys away from their younger siblings.

Balloons
Though children love to play with balloons, those are actually very dangerous for children of any age, especially kids. Balloons can be burst easily and the smaller pieces can then get stuck in a child’s throat. This would make it difficult to breathe. Moreover, balloons make a loud noise when popped which might scare a child and cause an accident.

Loud toys
When you purchase toys that make noise, you should make sure that it is not too loud. Toys that exceed the noise limit could cause hearing damage or even permanent hearing loss. As per safety standards, noise limit for toys is 90 decibels. In other words, toys with noise louder than 90 decibels are not safe for children.

Toxins
You should avoid toys that contain toxins, especially lead. Lead poisoning is dangerous as it can result in brain damage and even death of children. Toys imported from China had already been shown to contain lead based paints. So, try to avoid products from China though those are very attractive and cheap.

Battery operated toys
Toys that run on batteries might get overheated because of frequent use. Also, battery acid, which is poisonous, could leak as well. So, keep a watch on battery operated toys. You should make sure that batteries are not easily accessible and firmly attached to the toy. Close the compartment with any screws provided with the toy to stop your child from getting their hands on the batteries.

Sharp or rough edges
Toys with sharp or rough edges could cut your child’s skin. Try to choose toys with smooth edges.

Mike has been writing about parenting and child education for several years and has contributed numerous articles based on his experiences with his 2 children. When he is not blogging, Mike reviews outdoor toys for various online and offline publications.