From blocks and baby dolls to Hatchimals and Paw Patrol, there are more toys available than ever! Toys can encourage the imagination, promote learning, and help little ones develop motor skills. But it can be overwhelming to determine which toys are safe choices. Unfortunately, over 250,000 children had emergency room visits for toy-related injuries in 2017.1 Here are a few toy safety tips to help you and your family keep playtime safe:
Toy Choice Safety Tips
- Choose Age Appropriate Toys Follow age guidelines on toy packaging. Even if your little one is smart for their age, they still should play with toys that are safety rated for their age group. The National Association for the Education of Young Children provides detailed guidelines for age-appropriate choices.
- Avoid Electrical Toys Until 10 The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends reserving any toys that need to be plugged in for kids 10 and older in order to avoid electrical shocks or burns.
- Be Mindful of Magnets Toys with magnets in them can be especially dangerous for small children who have a tendency to put everything in their mouths. Swallowing a magnet can cause serious medical complications.
- Take a Close Look at Online Purchases Make sure that the toy you receive matches what you ordered. Online retailers will occasionally send packages with different safety labels or age ratings.
- Stay Up to Date with Recalls Hand-me-downs and yard sale finds are great for budget-conscious families, but before you turn thrifty finds over to your tot, be sure to check online that the toy is age-appropriate and that there have not been any safety recalls.
Calliope jumped off the couch and landed on a toy. We’re thrilled to say that she has no scars and was back to her energetic self in no time!
Practice Toy Safety at Home
- Make Pick-up Part of Playtime Teaching kids to put away toys has benefits besides a cleaner house. You know how much it hurts to step on a lego, but little kids who are still learning balance could take a dangerous tumble if they trip over a misplaced toy. Get toy containers that don’t have any hinges or heavy lids that could injure small hands.
- Keep Toys Separated by Age If your family spans multiple age groups, make sure to keep toys belonging to older kids out of reach from youngsters and teach everyone which toys are for sharing and which are just for certain ages.
- Teach Toy Manners “No hitting” is a basic safety rule for all children, and should especially be emphasized when toys are in hand. Also, teach kids not to throw toys (which can happen when kids get frustrated trying to play with toys that are above their developmental stage or age range.)
- Take Regular Toy Inventory Active kids cycle through toys so quickly! Inspect toys regularly and discard any that are broken, especially those that have cracked, rusted, or developed sharp edges. Broken toys should be thrown away, but unused toys that are still in good shape can be donated.
- Spread The Word Ensure that anyone caring for your youngster’s practices toy safety. Share these tips with daycare providers, babysitters, and relatives.
Contact Dr.STITCH
We hope that toys bring nothing but joys for your family! But if injuries do happen, we’re here to help. Dr.STITCH is operated by the experienced plastic surgeons of Long Island Plastic Surgical Group to provide on-call treatment of facial trauma, hand injuries, burns, complex wounds and lacerations. Save our number for on-call service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
1 NEISS, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Toy-Related Deaths and Injuries