Safety tips to consider when shopping for toys this holiday season

I’ll admit that I have a fondness for Saturday Night Live. Now, I haven’t really watched the show much since I was in college. Most of my favorite sketches are from the 1980s and 1990s. But I always loved watching the rerun shows of the classics from the 1970s as well.

One iconic holiday sketch shows Dan Akroyd as Irwin Mainway, president of Mainway Toys, defending his company’s dangerous products aimed at children. Reporter Candice Bergen with “Consumer Probe” questions the safety of their best-selling toys including “Bag O’Glass.”

It makes me wonder just how we are doing now almost 50 years later. December is National Safe Toys and Gifts Month. Regulations have increased in recent years to help product children from different types of dangers associated with toys. The Child Safety Protection Act of 1994 required toys for children ages 3 to 6 be labeled with choking hazard warnings if they contain small parts.

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 gave the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) the power to accelerate recalls for dangerous toys. It also opened the door to wider enforcement of toy safety standards, to ban some toxic substances and to set limits on other toxic substances.

In 2021, over 150,000 toy-related injuries for children 14 and under were treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments. That is one emergency room trip almost every three minutes. About one-third of the injuries were classified as lacerations or contusions/abrasions and almost half were to the head and face area. Boys accounted for 58% of the injuries.

Here are some tips from CPSC and SafeKids.org.

When buying toys

Choose toys with care by considering your child’s age and development when purchasing a toy or game. Keep in mind the child’s interests and skill level. Read the instructions and warning labels to make sure it is appropriate for your child. When toy manufacturers list “not recommended for children under three” on a package, it is there for good reason.

Look for other safety labels including: “Flame retardant/Flame resistant” on fabric products and “Washable/Hygienic materials” on stuffed toys and dolls. Make sure all instructions are clear.

And don’t forget a helmet for a new bike, skateboard, scooter or any other riding equipment.

When maintaining and storing toys

It can be a challenge, but from a safety standpoint, it is important to encourage our children to put toys away when they are not playing with them. Teach children to put their toys safely away on shelves or in a toy chest to prevent trips and falls. Toy boxes, bins and containers should be checked for safety. Examine these for holes or hinges that could catch little fingers. Use a toy chest with a lid that will stay open in any position to which it is raised and will not fall unexpectedly on a child. For extra safety, be sure there are ventilation holes for fresh air.

Check all toys periodically for breakage and potential hazards. Edges on wooden toys can become sharp and any splinters should be sanded smooth. As you are putting away outdoor toys for the season, this is a good time to check for rust or weak parts that could become hazardous. It is helpful to have indoor storage for toys used outdoors as rain or dew can rust or damage a variety of toys and toy parts creating hazards.

Today I’ll leave you with these lyrics from Sara Groves’ song "Toy Packaging:" “In the old days you could hold a box and shake it; Hear the pieces rattling around; My eyes tear up at these grommets, tape and twisty ties; Remembering that beautiful sound.”

Emily Marrison is an OSU Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Educator and may be reached at 740-622-2265.

This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Safety tips to consider when shopping for toys this Christmas season