This holiday season, parents, caregivers, family, and friends search for unique gift ideas for the children in their lives. There are countless options available in stores and online. But not every well-promoted toy is suitable for your child for safety reasons or for meeting developmental needs.
In 2022, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found that more than 200,000 children were treated in emergency departments across the country due to toy-related injuries. Here are tips to help you determine if a toy is safe for your child.
- Read the label. Warning labels give valuable information about how to use a toy, as well as safe age ranges. Be sure to show your child how to use the toy correctly.
- Look for well-made stuffed toys. Make sure all the parts are tight, and the seams and edges are secure. The toys should also be machine washable. Remove any loose ribbons or strings to avoid strangulation. Avoid toys that have small bean-like pellets or stuffing that can cause choking or suffocation if swallowed.
- Buy sturdy plastic toys. Toys made from thin plastic may break easily into sharp pieces.
- Check to see if it requires batteries. Batteries and magnets are particularly dangerous. If swallowed, button batteries can lead to severe internal burns. If more than one magnet is ingested, it can attach inside a child's body, causing severe injury.
- Make sure to check if any of the toys you are considering have been recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
Parents and caregivers have various gift options that promise to enhance a child's intelligence or physical development. So, there may be additional considerations when selecting a toy for a child with a learning disability or attention disorder. For example, a complex LEGO set might frustrate a child with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Or if the child struggles in school, educational toys may be less than enthusiastically received.
If you are questioning the appropriateness of a toy, here are some items to consider:
- What are the whole child’s skills, strengths, interests, and challenges? Toys should be challenging but not frustrating.
- Toys that are open-ended and that stimulate divergent thinking are often good choices. These types of toys can be used in multiple ways. Art supplies, dress-up clothes, and outdoor play materials are all good examples.
- Have you taken the child's preferred method of learning into account? Is the child a hands-on learner or do they prefer to learn visually? If they have difficulty concentrating for extended periods of time, a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle may only serve to make them feel frustrated. Instead, a more interactive and engaging building set might be more appropriate.
- Preschoolers tend to enjoy large construction toys (such as wooden blocks or LEGO sets), pretend play toys, art supplies, simple board and card games, and picture books.
- School-aged children enjoy more complex board, card, and computer games, arts and crafts kits, natural science collections, computer games, sports equipment, and chapter books.
It is important to prioritize safety when selecting toys and gifts for children. When shopping for toys, consider age appropriateness, material safety, and potential hazards. By researching and being mindful of safety guidelines, parents and caregivers can give children gifts that will provide joy and entertainment while keeping them safe!
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