The holiday season is the time when most of the toys and games are purchased. Young children are often described as an accident waiting to happen. Too often, accidents do occur and may result in eye injuries. There are millions of toys out there, and hundreds of new ones hit the store shelves each year. Toys are supposed to be fun and are an important part of any child's development. In 2002, more than 212,000 children in the United States were treated in hospital emergency rooms for toy-related injuries; of those 13 children died.  In 2003, thousands of children age 14 and younger suffered serious eye injuries, even blindness, from toys.

Toys are safer than ever before, thanks to decades of work by product safety advocates and parents and the leadership of Congress, state legislatures and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Nevertheless, as parents venture into crowded malls and browse for the perfect toy on the Internet this holiday season, they should remain vigilant about often hidden hazards posed by toys on store shelves.

Do you know what toys are safe for your child?  Toy manufacturers do follow certain guidelines and label most new toys for specific age groups. But perhaps the most important things you can do, beyond reading labels and inspecting toys carefully, is to supervise your child during play time.

Here are some tips from the National Safe Kids Campaign for buying safe toys for children:

• When selecting toys, consider the child’s age, interests and skill level.  Look for quality design and construction, and follow age and safety recommendations on labels.
• Consider purchasing a small parts tester to determine whether small toys may present a choking hazard to children under age 3.  Small parts testers can be purchased at toy or baby specialty stores.
• Toys are frequently recalled for safety reasons.  Check the National Safe Kids Campaign website www.safekids.org for updates and information on recent toy recalls.
• Use Mylar balloons instead of latex to eliminate the risk of choking or latex allergy reaction.
• Avoid toys with sharp points or edges, toys that produce loud noises, and projectiles (such as darts). Remember BB guns are not toys.
• Avoid toys with strings, straps or cords longer than 7 inches that may pose a risk for strangulation for young children.
• Avoid purchasing toys with sharp or rigid points, spikes, rods, or dangerous edges.
• Avoid electrical toys with heating elements for children under age 8.
• Avoid cap guns that use caps that can be ignited by the slightest friction and can cause serious burns.
• Buy toys that will withstand impact and not break into dangerous shards.
  
  Important ways you can protect your child from injuries while playing with toys:

• Only buy toys meant for the child’s age

• Show your child how to use their toys safely

• Keep an eye on your child when they play

• Inspect toys for safe, strudy construction

• Always fix or throw away broken toys

• Supervise children's craft projects (scissors and glue can be extremely dangerous to a child's eyesight)   

•  Always have your children wear the right protection when playing with sports toys or riding toys (helmets, shin guards, eye
  guards, etc)

Consider these additional statistics from the National SAFE KIDS Campaign:

• Falls and choking cause most toy-related deaths and injuries in children. Choking alone causes one third of all toy-related deaths – most from balloons.

• Children 4 years old and younger account for almost half of all toy-related injuries and almost all deaths.

• Children younger than age 3 are at the greatest risk of choking because they tend to put objects in their mouths

•  Riding toys, including bicycles and scooters, cause many injuries to children. 

How toys are tested for safety:

There are more than 100 separate tests and design specifications included in ASTM F963 and federal regulations to reduce or eliminate hazards with the potential to cause injury under conditions of normal use or reasonably foreseeable abuse. These tests and design specifications include use-and-abuse tests, testing for accessible sharp points and edges, and measuring for small parts, wheel-pull resistance and projectiles. Tests include those for flammability, toxicity, electrical and thermal requirements, as well as acoustical requirements for cap toys, are also included. These tests were adopted voluntarily by the toy industry in 1976 and revised again in the 1980’s.  These standards are revised periodically and today are the guidelines for manufacturers in the toy industry.

Several manufacturers, especially larger ones, have their own in-house testing laboratories sophisticated enough to ensure that products meet or exceed standards for safety. Those without safety facilities on site use independent testing laboratories. Manufacturers producing toys overseas test them before shipping and then sample production lots again once they arrive in the United States.

Toy companies also turn to childhood and development experts to decide which toys are appropriate for each age group. For children younger than age 3, the main concern is that small parts can present a choking hazard. Most of the time safety, not a child's actual level of intelligence and development, is the reason for the recommended age range that is listed on a toy.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CONSUMERS AND PARENTS 

Be vigilant this holiday season and remember:  

• The CPSC does not test all toys, and not all toys on store shelves meet SPSC standards.

• Online toy retailers do not have to provide the same safety warnings that otherwise are legally required on the packaging of toys sold in stores; although most e-tailers sell the same toys as brick-and-mortar.

• PIRG’s report includes only a sampling of potentially hazardous toys. Always examine toys carefully for potential dangers before you make a purchase.

• Report unsafe toys or toy-related injuries to the CPSC. Check the CPSC website for the latest information about toy recalls or call their hotline at (800) 638-CPSC to report a toy you think is unsafe

If you have any doubt about a toy's safety, do not allow your child to play with it!