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No childhood is complete without toys. They stimulate learning and creative thinking and help children learn about themselves, their environment and the people around them. However, toys can also be a source of danger to your child. Poorly constructed toys or toys that are inappropriate for your child’s level of development can lead to tragic results. Tips on buying toys The best toy is not necessarily the most fashionable or the most expensive one; do follow these tips: 1、Check for choking hazards. Children love to put things into their mouths. It is vital to ensure that the toys do not have small parts. As a guide, if a toy and/or one of its parts can fit into a 35mm film canister, don’t buy it for a child less than three years old. 2、Avoid buying toys with sharp objects that can hurt your child’s delicate tissues, e.g. their eyes. 3、 Buy the appropriate toy for the developmental age of the child. Toys that are meant for older children can be dangerous for young children. 4、 Ensure that the label clearly states that the toy is not painted with toxic paints, lacquers, undercoats or finishing coats. 5、 Plastic pieces should be flexible and not break easily leaving sharp jagged edges or points that could cut. 6、 Wooden pieces should have smooth finished faces and edges. The wood should be a soft type not likely to splinter if chewed. 7、 Metal pieces should have smooth finished edges, ends and corners.
Safety during play The best-designed and constructed toy is still dangerous when misused. Take note of the following when giving your child toys: unsupervised younger children as they can be easily swallowed. 1、 Remove and discard all packaging, especially plastic bags, before giving the toy to a baby or small child. 2、 Supervise your child’s play. Besides keeping an eye out for the unexpected, you can also act as a teacher and a playmate to make playtime more eventful and enjoyable. 3、 Check for loose or sharp parts. A damaged or dangerous toy should be thrown away or repaired immediately. 4、 Do not mix the toys meant for the older child in the same box as the younger one. Keep toys (and parts of toys) designed for older children out of the hands of little ones. 5、 Store toys safely. Teach children to put their toys away on shelves or in a toy box after playing to prevent tripping or falling. 6、 Keep small pieces like nuts, bolts, hooks and screws away from unsupervised younger children as they can be easily swallowed. Special Notes on Toys Rattles & Teethers : Rattles and other hand held noise-producing toys should not be so noisy that you have to raise your voice to be heard. Rattles and teethers must be at least 50mm wide so that babies cannot fit them into their mouths and they cannot be swallowed or inhaled. Self-retracting pull strings : If the toy is for a child younger than 18 months, the last 50mm of the pull string should stay outside the toy when the string is fully retracted. This will stop the child’s fingers from getting caught. This can be done simply by tying a knot in the string. Toys for cradles, cots, playpens and prams : To prevent a strangulation accident, the string attached to a toy should be less than 300mm in length. Battery operated toys : Battery compartments should be childproof to prevent accidental ingestion of highly toxic batteries. The power supply, if from the mains, should be protected against child tempering. Building Sets : Blocks and nesting cubes are recommended for children above the age of two and building and construction sets should only be given to children four years and older. Cars and Other Toy Vehicles : These should only be given to children at least two years old. Self-propelled Vehicles : Toy cars with wind-up electric motors should not allow small fingers or clothing to be caught in their gears. These include models with inertia motors, wound by pushing the vehicle backward along the floor. Balloon Toys : These are only recommended for children aged 5 years and above. Balloons can be dangerous even when deflated or burst, as they can choke or suffocate young children. This can occur if they suck the rubber into their mouths to make bubbles. Older children should be taught to keep balloons away from their younger brothers and sisters. Dispose of burst balloons carefully to prevent small children from retrieving the remnants. Bows and Arrows : These should be given to children above the age of six. The tension of the bow should not be high enough to fire or launch any projectile at a dangerous speed. In addition, the shafts of arrows or similar toys like spears and darts should have either have: 1、 A permanently attached protective tip; or
2、 A blunted front end to which a protective tip can be attached.
3、 Protective tips should be firmly attached to the shaft; and not form a dangerous sharp edge or point. Toy Pistols and Projectile Toys : Like bow and arrows, these should be limited to children of school-going age. Children should always be supervised when using toy guns and should never be allowed to fire them at another person’s face. Toy guns which are able to launch or fire small projectiles are very dangerous. Water Pistols and Guns : A water pistol with a range of only a metre or two is not considered dangerous provided only water is used. Water guns or cannons that work on manual compression and have a range of 10 metres or more can be dangerous. The high compression steam of water generated by these water guns could cause serious eye or ear injuries at close range. Children should be supervised and educated not to discharge high-pressure water guns at another person’s head. Dolls /Stuffed Toys : Despite being the classic toy and being suitable for children of most ages, dolls and other stuffed toys should be carefully inspected for safety : 1、 Fillings - Stuffed toys should have fillings that are clean and free of any objects or substances that may be hazardous to a child’s health.
2、 Seams - Seams should be securely sewn. If seams are sewn with a synthetic material like nylon thread, check that the ends of the thread are secured. If seams come apart, check that the filling is clean and free of hazardous objects. Resew the seams securely or dispose of the toy.
3、 Hair, eyes, noses, buttons, jewelry, and other accessories - Adornments on stuffed toys are often small enough to choke small children. Ensure that they do not come off easily.
4、 Clothes - Clothes should be manufactured from non-flammable material and this should be clearly stated on the labeling or packaging.
5、 Jewelry - Strings of beads should be very strong and preferably knotted between each bead to prevent loss of breads if the string breaks. Dispose of loose beads as they are easily inhaled or swallowed. Noise Producing Toys : It is important to remember that babies are more sensitive to loud noise than older children. Noise can be especially damaging if they are emitted from toys such as toy telephones with speakers in their earpieces. Water Toys : Water toys are suitable for a range of ages. Generally speaking, babies are born with a strong instinctive ability to survive in water, but careful adult supervision is always required whenever children are swimming. 1、 Blow-up arm bands - Blow-up armbands should only be used by children with some swimming ability and under competent supervision. They are not designed to keep the child upright in the water or to float the child in a safe position.
2、 Blow-up rings - Their sole purpose is to keep a child on the surface of the water. A child wearing a blow-up ring and going under the water may return to the surface in an unsafe position, such as feet first. Because of the shape of a child’s body, and the position of the ring around the chest and under the arms, blow-up rings make swimming awkward. 2011-09-04
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