Image: Morguefile
Whether buying a gift for your own child this holiday season or a gift for another child, it’s important to be savvy on the subject of toy safety. Of course the current day and age presents better safety standards than ever but things still do go awry.
Not only is it important to look at the age appropriateness listed on the toy’s packaging but it’s also smart to know what’s considered a good and bad idea based on a number of factors, including where the toy was made, what the toy is made of, and what the child you’re buying it for will tend to do and whether or not they have younger siblings in the house that might get hold of that toy. If a toy is small enough to fit through a toilet paper roll, for instance, it’s too small for a child under the age of 3. And certain toxic toy materials could be on large toys but could still be considered hazardous for infants who tend to put toys into their mouths.
Some kids are harder on toys than others and the way a toy is constructed will impact how long it will last and whether or not it can pose a potential hazard.
Yahoo Shine talks about this topic extensively in an article that looks at some of the toys on the latest 2012 list of dangerous toys for kids as well as a video that shares helpful information (including the info above about the size of a toy being a choking hazard for kids under 3).
2012 Trouble in Toyland Report Released
If you’re interested in reading the report yourself, the Trouble in Toyland report, a report by PIRG (U.S. Public Interest Research Group), was released on November 20, 2012 and it outlines some of the worst offenders at the present time as well as information about the creation of the report. This year’s report is the 27th annual report that talks about what the hazards are, including: strangulation hazards, choking hazards, impact injury potential, high lead content, eye injuries, excessive noise posing danger for hearing, etc.
