With the holiday season just around the corner, it is understandable why everyone is in a jovial mood. After all, the holiday season is characterized by celebrations, concern, sharing gifts, showing some love and getting it right back. As you may acknowledge however, holidays would never be complete at least from the kids’ point of view, if you do not shower them with gifts. When children’s gifts are mentioned, the first thing that strikes in one’s mind is toys. This would explain why the toys industry is one of the most dynamic in the world, more so at this time of the year. Complimenting this is the fact that numerous online stores have cropped up in effort to meet the demand for toys while allowing for convenience in doing so. You definitely could buy impressive toys from toysrus.com or even amazon.com among others.
However, even as you grant your kids their wishes for cool new toys, it is important that you put in place some measures to ensure that you do not compromise on their safety. Recent times have seen numerous new products being recalled by their manufacturers. The market has become cluttered with toys that are lead-tainted mostly from China. Studies show that quite a large number of toys in the market have particular chemicals that may have detrimental effects on the children. With the multiplicity of toys in the market, choosing healthy and safe toys becomes quite a herculean task. By following these tips however, you can fulfill the desires of your kid without compromising on their safety.
In determining the safety of the toy you buy from walmart.com, consider whether it is age appropriate. It is always important that you adhere to age guidelines that are indicated on the toy packaging since the handling of the toys by children in different age-groups will always be different. Children under the age of three will put literary anything in their mouths. In this case, it would be important that you buy toys that are age-specific as toys for older kids may have minute parts that would pose choking danger. It is always advisable that you do not allow kids to play with broken or un-inflated balloons due to the choking danger. Avoid balls, marbles or game whose balls have diameters less than 1.75 inches. Be sure to give toys with sharp pints or edges a wide berth. For children aged between 3 and 5, toys constructed with brittle, thin plastic should be avoided since they break easily leaving jagged edges. For children between 6 and 12, be sure to periodically check the toys for breakage as well as potential hazards. Dangerous or damaged toys should be thrown away or repaired. For toy guns, ensure that they are brightly colored to avoid being mistaken for real ones. Buying protective clothing to come with toys such as bicycles would be imperative to keep your kid safe any time. These includes helmets, elbow and knee pads.
It is always important that you avoid toys that have magnets more so for kids below three. These always have the risk of swallowing them. When two or more magnets are swallowed, they would attract each other thereby cutting via the intestines. This would definitely pose a big risk on the life of the kid thereby dampening the holiday fun. In case the kid is hospitalized, it would be important to inform the hospital staff about the likelihood of magnets in that child since certain x-rays should never be used.
It is always important that you be ware of chemistry sets, batteries and electric toys. These toys should never be bought for children aged below 8 years. Chemistry sets contain chemicals which may be hazardous for the young children with no skills for handling them properly. Electric toys may cause burns and shocks thereby posing danger for the kids while batteries found in toys are known to incorporate mercury which would not only be hazardous to the child but also to the environment.
When buying toys from toyrus.com, be sure to avoid those with long cords. Kids can very easily get entangled by toys that have cords such as pacifiers with ribbons around a child’s neck. Still on the same note, be sure not to place children’s cribs close to windows or blinds that have cords.
Still on the same, it would be important that you give toys that have minute parts a wide berth. In case the toy or even part of it can fit wholly within NO CHOKE TUBE or even toilet tube, never buy it for kids below six years.
Are the toys you buy from amazon.com a fire hazard? Electric toys incorporating electric plugs and batteries pose burn hazard and therefore should not be bought to children under the age of 8. For fabric toys, be sure that they are labeled flame resistant or flame retardant.
It is always important that you also consider the chemicals that the toys may contain. Recent times have seen phthalates banned in kids’ toys as well as kids’ care articles. Stricter standards have been put into place for metals such as lead as well as other likely toxic chemicals. It is always important that you look into these chemical’s trace amounts.
In safeguarding the safety of the toy you buy from walmart.com, it is always important that you conduct an intensive research as to whether the particular toys have been recalled. Be sure to check the product recalls over the internet more so when you are making the purchase long before the holiday season. Visiting the U.S Consumer Products Safety Commission website would therefore be imperative.
While looking into the safety of the toys you buy from amazon.com may be quite important, it is imperative that you extend the safety measures to even after buying them. Teach your kids to keep their toys safely after playing with them in order to prevent issues such as falls and other injuries.
Never place anything in the crib with a baby. That would include all toys, positioners, blankets, bumper pads, pillows, soft surfaces, and mobiles. Babies can become entangled in these items and suffocate.
