The holiday season is here—a special time for creating memories, sharing joy, and exchanging gifts. As you start your holiday shopping, keep these tips in mind to ensure the safety of babies and young children!
What are Toy-Related Injuries and Death?
Toy-related injuries and deaths are accidents that occur when a child is playing with a toy. Most toy-related injuries are caused by riding toys such as scooters and bikes which can cause cuts and bruises from falls. Riding toys can also cause more serious accidents such as drowning and bicycle-car collisions that can be fatal. Some toys can also pose choking or suffocation risks for infants and small children.
Holiday Toy Shopping Tips
Toys can be fun to play with but some toys can cause serious injury or death to young children. You can avoid preventable toy-related injuries and deaths by following the tips in this guide.
Buy age-appropriate toys. Usually, age recommendations will be printed on a toy’s packaging. Follow the printed age recommendations to ensure your child is safe while playing.
Think BIG. Babies and small children often put toys in their mouths. When buying toys for infants and children under 3, choose toys that are too big to fit in your child’s windpipe. You can use a toilet paper roll as a guide, if the toy can fit in the toilet paper roll it is too dangerous and can cause choking. Make sure that toys purchased do not have small removable parts as these are choking hazards as well.
Below are examples of toys that are safe and unsafe for children younger than 3.
Children should always be monitored while playing with ANY TOY.
Avoid crib toys. Soft toys should not be in or attached to your baby's crib due to suffocation risks. Keep their sleep area free of soft toys, blankets, pillows, and bumpers, and only allow play with soft toys while your baby is awake.
Learn more about keeping your baby’s sleep area safer here
Below are examples of sleep areas that are safe and unsafe for infants 1 and under.
Avoid toys with long cords and strings. Toys with cords and strings that are longer than 7 inches could cause choking or strangulation.
Avoid toys with magnets and button batteries. Magnets and button batteries are poisonous and are very dangerous if ingested. Magnets can become lodged in the intestines and cause a closed-loop obstruction. Button batteries can get stuck in the digestive system and cause other severe injuries. If possible, it is best to avoid all toys that contain these items.
Learn more about the harmful impact of magnets and button batteries here
Buy protective gear. When buying riding toys like bikes, scooters, and skates, always buy protective gear. Safety gear such as helmets, elbow pads, and knee pads are important to protect your child from serious injuries.
Avoid older toys. Second-hand toys can be a nice gesture, however, older painted toys can contain lead. High levels of lead exposure can increase risks of lead poisoning.
Stay up to date with toy recalls. You can check to see if the toys you or your family have purchased have product safety warnings or recalls here.
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