By Zain Ahmad

Did you know that December is the “Safe Toys and Gift Month”?

It’s that time of the year for gift giving and sharing, and children are especially happy for it. Buying the right toys and gifts are very crucial to children’s safety and well being. From the American Red Cross, we share safety tips that one can take in buying and gifting toys this holiday season.

What should you watch out for?

 According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), emergency rooms in 2022 had over 145,500 toy-related injuries, and more than 50% of the injuries were in the head and neck area. Some of them have resulted in blindness. Toys that have caused deaths are in a wide range, but the most common are non motorized scooters, small balls and building sets that cause choking hazard and few water-related toys.

To prevent injuries, follow theses steps facilitate safe buying and gift-giving:

• Please buy age appropriate toys.
• Watch out for presents with sharp edges, points, or spikes. 
• Avoid toys with shooting or fly off parts for younger kids.
• Please be aware of cords and small parts that can be removed from toys, especially for less than 3 years old children because those can be choking hazard.
• CPSC has established a standard for toy safety. Please check that the toy has the ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) seal on it.
• Please read reviews on the toys you are buying. Also pay attention to toxic substances, like lead, used in manufacturing.

Now, for the Parents and Guardians: What should you do?

• Always make sure to dispose of any wrapping immediately upon opening the gift. This can be dangerous to children.
• Read the instructions and more importantly, show children how to use the toy safely. This would help them know more about the toy and have fun with it.
• Watch your child when they play, as this is extremely important to make sure that nothing serious happens to the child when they are exploring gifts and toys.
• Make sure that younger children are not using any toys for older children, especially with those with small parts or inedible materials.
• Batteries should only be used by adults because the battery can get hot and burn the child. 
• For sport toys and gears, please ensure that children wear helmets and knee pads when indicated.
• Store any toys that would cause someone to trip or fall.

Stay safe and enjoy gift giving this holiday season! We all love fun, but there has to be safety involved even with toys, because that fun can turn to disaster within a matter of seconds. For more resources, check out the CPSC website. From the Red Cross, Happy Holidays!