Kathryn Shepherd — With Christmas around, parents are looking forward to gifting their children with toys that are entertaining as well
as safe. The accidents that occur because of toys are frequent every year. Your child may end up in a hospital ward because of unsafe toys. This can possible be the case when the toys bought are imported from other countries like China and Taiwan.
Over the years, the incidents involving imported toys have increased and largest importer of such danger toys is China. Some of the examples of recalled products due to their danger are 5500 packages of Beado Handheld Bead Play Toys from China due to choking hazard; 1,800,000 toy dart gun packages due to choking hazard; 3000 units of Double Egg Shakers imported from Taiwan, recalled due to presence of excess lead; Fly Dragonfly Helicopter from China and many more.
So here are some of the safety tips that you should keep in mind while choosing a toy for your child, especially if it is an imported one:
Look out for small parts of a toy that may break and pose a choking hazard to your children. They can stick to your child’s nose. If you don’t know how much the size should be, then take a tube of the same size as toilet paper roll and if the part fits inside it, then it can cause choking hazard.
Keep your children away from toys that contain chemical of any type. Refer to CPSC guidelines for safety standards, which tell:
- Painted toys should have lead free pain;
- The toys which are fabricated should be labelled as flame resistant;
- Toys that are stuffed must be washable;
- Non-toxic art materials have been used;
- It should be tested by American Society for Testing and Materials.
Follow the age recommendation given on the packing of a toy. If it says that the particular toy should not be used by children of a specific age group, then parents musk make their children follow the given recommendation; otherwise it can cause accidents.
Stuffed animal toys must be washable so that germs and bacteria can be washed away.
Avoid electric strings and ropes. Children can get themselves wrapped around by them.
Check the quality of the product you are buying and see if they are meeting the safety standards as laid down by various acts.
Avoid guns, arrows and bows, and darts that can cause damage, if not used properly. If needed, check their speed.
See that the toy runs on battery and battery is covered with a safe cover.
You can buy the imported toys, but all you need is to follow some safety guidelines and see the history of company whose toys you are buying from. See whether the concerned company has been approved by Safety Commission for sale of their products.
About the Author
Kathryn is the author for Charisalex Corp. She has also written several articles on the topic what will i look like when 20 years for the website www.ageme.com.
