Safety is the Best Gift: Safe Toy Awareness Month

Keep Your Kids Safe this Year

As you get ready to do your holiday shopping, don't forget to pick toys that are safe and right for your children's age. Playtime is all about fun and learning, so let's keep safety in mind. Choose toys that make kids happy and keep them safe while they play.

Make the Right Choices this Year

Follow our holiday safety tips to help keep everybody’s eyes safe this year.

Make Sure Toys are Age Appropriate

When purchasing toys, it's crucial to leverage age information to make sure that you select toys that match your child's age and developmental level. To guarantee that toys are appropriate for your child's thinking and abilities, toy makers offer age recommendations.

Keep in mind that if you opt for toys designed for a much older age group, the risk of eye injuries increases.

Toys Might Be Sharp

Toys can be ridged and have pointy and sharp edges. This is especially true of action figures and other plastic toys. These edges and points can be very dangerous to a kid’s eyes. When making your selections, look closely for these sharp edges and run your fingers along the toy if possible.

Try to Avoid Toys that Shoot Items

This might be the most obvious style of toy to avoid. Toys that shoot projectiles might be the most dangerous toys for your kid’s eyes. If not handled properly, your kids might not only shoot themselves in the eye, but they might hit you or their siblings.

If you can’t avoid this type of toy, make sure you supervise your kids during playtime.

Look Out for Small Parts

It’s nearly impossible to find toys that don’t include some form of small pieces. If you do end up buying toys that include small parts, you can remove them from the toy after it is opened. These small pieces can easily get in your child's eyes and cause damage. They might even get stuck.

An even bigger concern is that small pieces of toys are a choking hazard for little ones. Make sure all parts are bigger than a child's mouth to avoid accidental swallowing.

Find Durable Toys

When it comes to toy shopping, it is a good opportunity to buy quality or quantity. Higher-quality toys are typically more durable, and if they’re durable, they won't break easily. Since kids can be rough with their toys, especially action figures, you’ll want to find toys that will last.

When toys break, they can create sharp pieces that are harmful to the eyes.

Toys Can Be Both Fun and Safe

Safety does not mean less fun. What is fun is playing with toys that will last long and keep your children’s eyes safe. Avoiding injury will make the holidays better for the entire family.

Follow these other safety tips:

• Make sure that the batteries in any of your toys are properly secure. Playing with batteries can be very dangerous.

• Prioritize finding toys that don’t use toxic or harmful chemicals. Kids will sometimes put toys in their mouths, so you’ll want to be sure they are as safe as can be.