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Tips On Choosing Safe Baby Toys
Finding the right baby toy can be challenging. It’s important to find something that your child will love but at the same time it must be safe. Here are some tips for choosing safe toys:
Look on the packaging of the toy for the manufacturers recommended age. Never buy a toy for a child that isn’t age appropriate. The manufacturers have done their research and labeled their toy accordingly for a reason. If a toy says “for ages 3 and older” and you give it to a young two year old, there might be smaller parts that could pose a risk for your toddler.
Buy crayons and play-doh that says “non-toxic” on it. You never know when a child will put something in their mouth unexpectedly. You want to make sure the material is safe in the event your child consumes it by accident.
Never buy toys that have long strings or chords. Toys like this can cause strangulation.
Avoid buying toys with small parts or pieces. Also avoid toys like marbles, super balls or anything else that can easily get lodged in your child’s throat. If you’re unsure of whether or not a toy might pose a choking hazard you can purchase a tester called a choke tube. The choked tube is designed to recreate your child’s windpipe. By placing a small toy part in it, you will be able to see if it’s something that can become a choking hazard. You can purchase this type of tester online at stores that specialize in baby proofing and safety issues.
Inspect the toy for durability. Children can be so rough with their toys. Pull and shake on the toy to make sure it is durable and tough. You want to make sure there are no parts that may come loose at anytime.
Don’t buy stuffed animals with glass eyes. I have noticed that its increasingly becoming harder to find plush toys that do not have glass eyes or eyes made out of another material that can come off. I don’t know why this is. Babies or toddlers that are teething are especially prone to this type of choking hazard, should they bite those pieces off. Look for stuffed animals that have the eyes made out of stitching.
Always check for recalls. Every year there are tons of recalls on toys. Some larger toy stores like Toys R’ Us post the recalls in the front of their store usually on a bulletin board. If you’re shopping online you can do a quick search to make sure the toy has not been recalled. Taking this extra step may be time consuming but its better to be safe than sorry.
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