Playing Dangerously: Safety with Toys

What to Look For in Toy Safety

You glance over at your young child and see him or her joyfully on the floor playing with toys. You think she is safe, After all, you are there with them at home. Now, knowing' she is safe, you go ahead and start preparing dinner. Between rinsing the vegetables and putting water on to boil, a tragedy could occur. Your child could be critically or even fatally injured by a favorite toy.

This is something no parent should ever have to face, but it happens every day. Is your child secure with their toys?

The Market Can Be A Minefield ...

In today's toy and child care market, product recalls seem to now be happening all the time, predominately involving imports from China. . Even trusted and reliableAmerican companies are importing toys manufactured overseas and do not appear to be testing them for safety. This is not to say that these companies are negligent; they simple placed unfounded trust in their overseas manufacturing partners.

Unfortunately, sometimes a product recall happens only after a child or multiple children have been hurt. Recently, the 'Thomas the Tank Engine' toys were recalled. The recall included various Thomas and Friends toys because the paint finish on the trains contained lead. There were about 1.5 MILLION of these toys sold nationwide from January 2005 through 2007. The same reason prompted a recall of the 'Soldier Bear' Action figures sold between August 2006 through 2007. Of course, there were more to follow even involving the renowed Fisher-Price line of toys

Sorry to say, there is more. Children could become blinded, scarred, or disfigured if any of their toys have a rigid edge or surface. If your child picks up a toy like this and goes running around like children do all the time, this could be disastrous. Toys that contain loose attachments or cars that have wheels that move automatically could also be tragic. Your child's hair could become entangled in the moving parts, causing laceration, scalp injuries or even strangulation. Choking can occur with toys that have small parts or pieces, balls or removable parts.

So what do you do? Buy toys and really hope that nothing terrible happens? What if you're a child care provideror you're purchasing toys for a waiting room at a doctor's office? You absolutely cannot afford to take the chance of someone else's child being injured by one of the toys that you've provided for them to play with. This Holiday Season, It sure seems like most of the toys you buy could be hazardous. But don't panic! ..... not all of them are! ... and with a little thought you can insure your child's safety and gain some peace of mind.

Smart Shopping Goes a Long Way

It has been disappointing to American parents to learn that toy manufacturers they have trusted have 'let them down'. However, this is really more about our 'Global Marketplace' as anything else. Companies have relied on their manufaturing partners to adhere to design and safety specifications. Unfortunately, they failed to follow up with judicious testing which could have averted the entire issue.

It should come as no real surprise that the safest toys are those manufactured in the good 'ole U.S.A. Manufacturers based inside the United States have tighter standards and superioroversight of their products. Many of these manufacturers produce the basic wooden toys we have all grown up with and have stood the test of time Wooden toys from manufacturers such as 'D and Me' , 'BEKA', and 'THE PUZZLE-MAN TOYS' are made in the United States and meet all current standards for toy safety. These manufacturers specialize in wooden toys for children. For them, it is their 'bread and butter' ... so quality and safety are tops in their design and manufacturing process. Since many are more or less small companies, a slip in judgement for them means they are out of business and pronto!

I particularly like the manufacturers mentioned above as I am familiar with their dedication to safety and quality. Because of this, ATLPlaytime, an online toy retailer (www.atlplaytime.com) can unconditionally stand behind products from those manufacturers. Shopping from internet stores that carry quality toys and who are disposed to stand behind them will take the risk out of your purchase (i.e. ATLPlaytime has a ninety day 'no questions asked' return policy). But beware! Most quality wooden toys are far above the 'price point' that the discount chains are willing to pay to carry them, so your only source of these outstanding toys may well be limited to internet shopping.

Be Prepared To Assess the Risks ....

A little application of 'common sense' can yield a wealth of confidence in your purchase if you simply look at the toys you buy from a child's point of view. That means, you cannot think of what YOU would do with it but what your CHILD can do with it. Can it be swallowed? Can PIECES of it come off and be swallowed? Infants and Toddlers especially are famed for using their sense of taste to judge the merits of any object they come in contact with. Also, do the toys have sharp edges? How about the danger of pinching or splinters?

Remember that EVERY YEAR, and on a daily basis, children are injured by the most 'innocent' of things we have around the house. Don't let your child become a statistic. Below are just some things to bear in mind ...

Primary Risks from Toys

* Strangulation (toys with ropes or rope-like parts) * Choking (watch out for games that use small avatar figures or marbles!) * Electric Shock or Burn (electric toys should be avoided for very young children!) * Lead Poisoning (painted toys, not molded 'colored plastic') * Cuts and Scrapes from sharp corners and edges.

Here are Some ideas for Child Toy Safety at home ..

* Buy only toys from reputable manufacturers * Use your own Common Sense in toy selection * Buy toys appropriate for the child's age * Inspect toys carefully for potential dangers * Expect the Unexpected: Look at toys with critical viewpoint * Do not leave small children unattended for any length of time * Packaging material is NOT a toy! Remove it from a child's presence! * Use Safety Gear where available for the type of toy. (helmets, pads,etc) * Checkout toy reviews and recall notices. The internet makes this easy to do.

We hope you have a SAFE and happy Holiday!

Barry Chickini is the owner-operator of ATLPlaytime, an on-line store specializing in Quality Toys for Educational and Therapy: www.ATLPlaytime.com.