Choosing Safe Toys for a Child

Posted on: July 12th, 2017 $\""$ by Ivana Stamenkovic

Even though it seems like an easy job, picking a toy for a child is as important as choosing any other equipment. Toys serve not just for fun - they are an important part of a child's development, as well, so they should be age-appropriate, educational and stimulating. When choosing a toy, you should pay more attention to the safety instead of the price and design. Here are some safety tips to keep in mind before and after buying toys.

Tips Before Buying

Before you buy any equipment for your child, you should always check if there have been any recalls on those items.
Buy only age-appropriate toys. Age-range information is crucial for your child's safety. You can find this information on a packaging of each toy.
Avoid all stuffed toys that have parts your child could pull off and put into his mouth - ribbons, bells, plastic eyes and nose...
Toys made of fabric should be labeled as flame resistant or flame retardant.
When choosing rattles for your baby look for the ones that are made from sturdy materials and not thin, brittle plastic.
Make sure that all toys are big enough so that your baby can't choke on them. And look if there are any small parts your child could swallow.
Examine all toys to make sure that small parts can't break off and be pulled off or apart.
Any toy with a long cord can become a strangulation hazard.
Avoid using loud musical toys for an extended period and make sure that rattles and squeak toys aren't too noisy since kids have sensitive ears.
Small magnets used in some toys could cause a serious injury or even death if swallowed.

Tips After Buying

Remove and discard all plastic wrapping materials, foam, staples and ties. A child can suffocate or choke on these things.
Look if there are any warnings or safety messages on a packaging of a toy. Never use a toy if you can’t assemble it properly or if there are any missing parts.
Follow the instructions provided on a toy packaging or in a manual in a box, if there are any.
From time to time check all of your baby's toys and look for warning signs such as holes, tears or weak spots and loose parts, broken pieces or sharp edges. Discard anything that can harm your baby.
Teach your child how to use toys safely. It’s especially important that you teach him not to use toys to hurt another living being.
Never allow your child to sleep with toys that could hurt him.
If you want to install a crib mobile keep in mind that it should be out of your baby's reach.
Ride-on toys should be used only away from dangerous areas - stairs, swimming pools, ponds, traffic...

Make sure that all batteries in the toys are installed properly. Only adults should install and change batteries. It would be the best if all battery-operated toys have battery cases that are secured with screws so that kids can't open them.
Teach your kids to put away all of their toys once they are done with playing - toys for older children should be stored separately from the ones that are for younger children. Keep toys for older children out of your younger children’s reach.
Toys should be kept in a box without a lid or with large air holes so that a child has enough air if he climbs into a toy box.
Use latex balloons only for decoration and not for play.

Don't forget that no matter how carefully you pick and maintain your child's toys, the most important thing when it comes to safety is to monitor a child while during the play time.

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