6 Safety Tips for Gifting Toys

For many kids, the holidays mean one thing: toys. They are fun and entertaining, as well as educational. Toys can help kids develop intellectually, improve their motor skills and learn how to get along with others.

But toys — especially for infants and toddlers — can also pose risks such as choking and poisoning. In 2019, American hospitals treated 224,000 children under 14 for accidents related to toys.

With a bit of inspection and carefulness, you can help keep your children safe while they have fun with their new toys. Here are six important things to keep in mind when shopping for toys or examining a gifted toy before giving it to your child.

1.     What do the labels say?

The most important step in evaluating a new toy is reading the labels because of how much they can tell you about a toy’s safety and suggested age range. It’s also important to read the instructions for new toys, so that you can model the right way to play with them to your child.

Some other common things to look out for are “non-toxic” labels, electric toys that are “UL Approved” and art supplies labeled with “ATSM D-4236,” meaning they’ve been evaluated by the American Society for Testing and Materials. All of these are good signs of a toy’s safety.

2.     Does the toy contain lithium batteries?

Lithium batteries can cause serious injury if swallowed because the lithium interacts with intestinal acids, creating sodium hydroxide. This reaction causes intestinal burns which can then lead to infections, long-term disability and even death.

In general, you should be extremely careful when kids might be around lithium batteries, which can be found in electronic toys and household objects like remote controls. If a toy does contain batteries, ensure that they are tightly fastened by screws.

3.     What about high-powered magnets?

Another cause of toy-related accidents is high-powered magnets. These are often found in building sets to link objects together. They may be marketed at children or adults.

If swallowed, high-powered magnets can pull together parts of a child’s digestive system and cause internal damage and intestinal issues. They also pose a choking risk. Because of these risks, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) urges families not to have these types of magnets at home.

4.     How large is the toy?

In general, larger is better to avoid the risk of kids choking on a toy. For young children, choose toys that only have parts larger than 1¼ inches in diameter and 2¼ inches in length to help prevent choking. Toys to be particularly careful about include anything containing marbles, coins or balls.  

5.     How loud is the toy?

While choking is a widely known risk with small toys, you might not think about the noise some toys make as risky. However, some particularly noisy toys can damage young ears and cause hearing loss. This is especially a concern for young children who might hold the toy up to their face or ears.

Before purchasing a toy or letting your kid play with it, you can listen to the toy’s noises yourself. If it seems loud to your adult ears, it’s certainly too loud for a child. As DIY-fixes to loud toys, the AAP suggests putting tape over the speaker or removing the toy’s batteries.

6.     If it’s a stuffed toy, how is it constructed?

 Stuffed toys should be well-made, with tight seams holding in stuffing and small parts (such as plastic eyes on stuffed animals) sewn on tightly. Look for tags that indicate the toy is machine washable and the materials are flame retardant/resistant. Avoid ribbons or strings that could cause strangulation or remove these pieces of the toy before letting your child play with it.