It’s important to keep in mind the toys’ age range and safety when purchasing toys and gifts this holiday season. December is Safe Toys and Gifts Awareness Month in the United States. Particularly for infants and young children under three, Advanced Eyecare Optometry urges everyone to think carefully about whether the toys they want to give fit the age and unique skills and abilities of the child who will receive them. Please keep the following recommendations in mind when selecting safe toys for kids of all ages during this holiday season and beyond!
Safe Toys and Gifts Awareness Month
- Examine every toy before you buy it. Steer clear of those that shoot or have flying parts. The toy should be free of points and sharp edges, and it should be durable enough to sustain knocks and bruises without breaking or coming apart easily.
- When buying toys for kids with special needs, try to: Select toys that can stimulate multiple senses, like sound, movement, and texture; take into account interactive toys so the kid can play with other kids; and consider the toy’s size and the position a child would need to play with it.
- Examine toys your child has received with diligence.
- Before letting them play, make sure they meet the necessary developmental milestones and are the right age and skill level.
- Toys that have passed a safety inspection should have labels that state “ATSM,” which stands for American Society for Testing and Materials.
- Giving small-part toys (such as magnets and “button” batteries, which can be fatal if swallowed) to young children is not advised because they frequently put objects in their mouths and run the risk of choking.
- Little children under the age of three should not play with anything that can fit inside a toilet paper roll.
- Don’t give toys that have heating components or ropes and cords.
- Markers and crayons should not be given unless they are marked as “nontoxic.”
For more information on Safe Toys and Gifts Month:
Call Prevent Blindness America at 800-331-2020 or
visit www.preventblindness.org/safe-toy-checklist
http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/home/safe_toys.html
For more helpful eye care and vision care tips, please visit our main blog page.
Source: American Public Safety Organization
Image by Ylanite Koppens from Pixabay