Find Safe Toys

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has taken  the matter of toy recalls seriously.  Right now, the CPSC is working with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency to stop the importing of deficient toys at ports of call where large quantities of goods are unloaded.  The U.S. is also working with the European Economic Union to have safety standards rigorously tested in all countries that produce toys, especially China.

So while the government is cracking down here and abroad to keep unsafe toys off store shelves, we as parents, grandparents and other care givers of children need to play our part to help stem the need for toy recalls.  Knowing what to look for is going to help you fid safe toys.

Here are some guidelines to protect you from buying inferior counterfeit goods or goods that may be on a toy recall list.

• Take a close look at the label attached to the toy.  You want to see clear warnings for hazards such as choking, labels for age recommendations and where the toy was made.  More and more products, particularly toys will indicate if they have been safety tested.
• Licensed manufacturers produce items that are tagged with the name of the manufacturer, the licensee, trademarks, copyrights and bar codes.  Counterfeit toys won’t have tags and labels like legitimate safe toys do.
• Many manufacturers also include the company’s toll free number for their customer service centers. 
• Crooks don’t employ these techniques and so if you see something that doesn’t look right to you or you have any concerns, talk to the store manager or simply walk away and make another choice that you know for sure is safe.
• Before buying toys, consult with CPSC’s for recalled toys or other chilrdren’s products. 
• Check for product recalls on CPSC’s Web site at www.cpsc.gov. where you can get the latest on toy recalls in particular.   You can call the CPSC’s toll free line for information at 800-638-CPSC.     

Now you are armed with the information you need, so get ready for a trip to the toy store.  Here are some tips for appropriate gift giving and for your own child’s toys.

• Choose toys that are age appropriate. Toys meant for older children may create a hazard for smaller children.
• For babies and toddlers, stay away from those toys that have small parts because these little ones cannot resist putting things in their mouths and you want to be sure there are no choking hazards.
• Shop for sturdy toys, those that will take the punishment of a child’s play without coming apart.  This is particularily so in plush toys where the eyes may be too easy to tear off.
• Avoid toys with sharp edges and pointy pieces;  these are fine for older children but not for babies or toddlers.  Many toys have age ranges that toys are considered safe for so look for that information on the tags and labels.
• Stay away from electric toys with heating elements for children under 8.
• Read the instructions that appear on the packaging to make sure that both you and the child know how the toy works and especially if there is assembly required.
• As with all plastic wrappings on the goods we buy make sure you remove these immediately from the toys you bring home – they are a serious health risk to small children.

The bottom line is to only look for safe toys for your child and diligent checking of the toys is the safest thing you can do.