A great number of parents worry a lot about how the safe the toys they give their children are. They are right to be concerned as dangerous toys can and have caused serious harm to lots of children, although thankfully with improving toy regulations, instances are on the decrease. However, parents still need to be careful and below we highlight some of the important things to look out for to ensure toys are safe.
Sharp edges. It is imperative that toys do not have sharp edges, even if they are made from seemingly soft materials. It is quite common for children to roll around with their toys or run with them, making it very easy to be caught by a sharp edge and even cut themselves badly.
Small parts. This is probably the most well known hazard of children’s toys. Because of their inquisitive nature, children often put small things in their mouth and can sometimes swallow or even choke on them. Sometimes toys don’t have small parts on first inspection, but break up easily due to weak materials and these are equally, if not more dangerous.
Chemicals. Whether it is dangerous chemicals in plastics, harmful fluids in toys, or simply toxins in the paint that they are decorated with, kids can be seriously harmed by inconsiderate materials. Thankfully most toys are tested thouroughly for dangerous chemicals, but some will always slip though the net.
Mechanical Hazards. Many toys appear perfectly safe, but are made potentially dangerous by their ill-though out functioning parts. Children can easily be hurt for example by poor quality toys that use elastic parts or springs, when they come lose and hit them in the face. Also a toy might have a hinge or shutter that children can get fingers trapped in for example.
All toys and Christmas gifts should comply with the health and safety regulations of their respective countries, so next time you’re buying gifts for her or him look out for the endorsement logos on the toy’s label first.