Shopping Early for the Holidays? Top Toy Lists Start with Safety

It’s holiday time and as a gift giver you may be receiving your child’s top toy wish list. You may also feel overwhelmed with ads on the hottest, trendiest and best toy lists. Choosing the right style, color or brand may be the first thing that crosses your mind; but, CPSC wants to remind you that safety should always come first.

As you prepare to spread some holiday cheer with toy purchases, avoid choices that could land your child in the emergency room. CPSC still receives too many reports of kids younger than 15 who end up in hospital emergency rooms.

Last year, there were more than 185,000 toy-related emergency room treated injuries and 11 deaths associated with toys for children younger than 15 years of age.

Riding toys, specifically non-motorized scooters, were the toy category associated with the most injuries and 45 percent of toy-related deaths in 2015.

Most of the toy-related injuries involved cuts and bruises with the head and face being the most commonly affected parts of the body.

Before you buy, follow these simple tips to help your holiday gifts be a source of joy rather than pain:

• Check the label: Choose age appropriate toys by reading the age label on the toy. For children younger than 3, avoid toys with small parts, which can cause choking. In particular, avoid deflated or broken balloons, small parts or small balls.
• Get safety gear. With scooters and other riding toys, helmets and safety gear should be worn properly at all times and they should be sized to fit. Avoid riding a scooter on a street or roadway with other motor vehicles.
• Be careful with magnets: High powered magnet sets are dangerous and should be kept away from children under 14. Building and play sets with small magnets should also be kept away from small children.

After finding the perfect gift, continue toy safety at home. Stay attentive by incorporating safe practices and supervising your child’s playtime. Remain up-to-date by signing up on our homepage for free recall announcements sent to your email inbox. If your child has a recalled toy, be sure to remove it and get your refund, replacement or repair right away.

Toy safety continues to be a top priority for CPSC, as we work to keep our most vulnerable consumers safe. Be sure to download our Holiday Toy Safety poster and for more toy and product safety information, don’t forget to visit www.cpsc.gov.