How to Ensure Safe Toys for Your Child?

photo credit: byrdiegyrl

All children love to play. They love toys, games and fun activities. Through these activities, they learn and explore how things work, how to manipulate things and discover their personal abilities in the process.

Children spend a lot of their time playing with toys and therefore it is important for the toys to be safe. Below is a brief guideline when selecting a toy for your child.

• The toy must be suitable for the child’s age and interest.
• The toy must be solid or sturdy and not shoddily made.

Choose toys carefully

Be careful or aware of the following:

• Toys with sharp edges and small parts that are detachable.
• Toys with toxic coatings or paints.
• Toys that break easily.
• Stuffed toys that have small buttons or other decorative items that are easily loosen. The same goes for jewelry toy set, which is easily broken up.

The following are examples of toys suitable for different age groups:

Less than 1 year old:

• Rubber toys, easily washable
• Squeeze toys, normally made of soft vinyl
• Solid made rattles

1 to 2 years old:

• Story books with colorful pictures
• Soft toys for cuddling
• Big wooden or plastic blocks
• Pull and push toys

2 to 3 years old:

• Dolls or puppets
• Sturdy toy cars, boats, trucks
• Illustrated books
• Play tea-sets

4 to 5 years old:

• Puzzles
• Modeling clay or plasticine
• Tricycles
• Coloring books with nontoxic paints

6 to 8 years old:

• Toy tool sets or construction sets
• Musical instruments
• Doll house with furniture
• Kites

As you can see, when selecting appropriate toys for your child, it only takes some common sense. Child supervision may be necessary to ensure that the toy is not being misused and causing unnecessary injury, for example a child trying to sit on top of a small toy car.

Tagged as: age groups, play, play safety, safe toys, suitable toys