For a child, a new toy can inspire adventures and unique opportunities to explore both the world and their own imagination. Toys serve many purposes, but in order to be effective, toys need to be safe and fully functional.
The first step in ensuring a toy is safe for a child is reading the age range for the toy or item and ensuring the parts are deemed appropriate for your child’s needs. But beyond this, as a caregiver, keeping up with toy recalls is a necessary responsibility for your child’s safety.
Although parents can’t prevent every accident, staying informed can help to avoid major injuries or illnesses.
Helen Arbogast, PhD, MPH, from CHLA’s Injury Prevention Program provides a few quick and easy tips to help stay up to date with recalls.
Before buying or giving a child a toy, search online by typing in the name and brand or model of a toy to see if there are any major concerns already out in the community.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)- Opens in a new window is the federal agency responsible for product recalls and communicating to the public when products are deemed hazardous. Safe Kids- Opens in a new window is a free resource that reports information from the CPSC, the Food & Drug Administration and other agencies. Safe Kids even has an email list- Opens in a new window that you can subscribe to in order to receive monthly emails with recall information.
Recalls do not expire, and some companies may illegally continue selling products that have previously been recalled.
Safe Kids has compiled archived lists that make it easy to check items that may have been produced years ago.
If the toy is an electronic smart toy with internet connectivity or artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, read the toy’s manual or search online to confirm privacy and control capabilities. The CPSC- Opens in a new window issues reports and recalls concerning any smart toys that are not deemed to be safe, but even for acceptable smart toys, there are additional steps you can take to protect your child.
Tips for safeguarding smart toys:
Understand the location of cameras, microphones, sensors, or location sharing features that your child may be able to access. These could record their activities and share sensitive data.
Research parental safety settings, including age-appropriate controls and time limits.
When appropriate, disable chatbot, group chat, or internet features that could result in your child engaging with strangers, or accessing and sharing information online.
Certain toys may not be officially banned or recalled, but can still pose safety risks. Federal safety commissions like the CPSC typically publish warnings that recommend families either avoid these toys or pay close attention to warning labels.
One example is water beads, which are small colorful balls that expand when exposed to liquid and can be choking, blockage, or toxicity hazards if ingested. The CPSC recently published new federal safety standards which limit the chemicals used in these toys, as well as how much beads can expand.
Give each toy or item a brief check to ensure all the parts are in place and take some time to think of any potential risks associated with it.
Check the toy for:
Sharp edges or points
Accessible coin or button batteries
Small parts that could break off and pose a choking hazard
Faulty or broken wiring
High-powered magnets that could be swallowed and can pinch internal tissue
Loud sounds that could damage a child’s hearing
Incorrect brand names or low-quality materials that could indicate a counterfeit toy
String or rope that could wrap around a child’s neck
f you have any concerns or experience an incident with a particular toy, be sure to contact the manufacturer to let them know. Your concern could potentially save another child’s life.
You can also read more about key considerations when shopping for new toys.
(Newswise/ARC)
