Keep Safety in Mind When Buying Kids Toys This Holiday Season & Year

The holiday season is here! We're looking forward to spending time with family and friends, warming up next to the fireplace, and eating lots of good food. For many people, it's also time to shop for gifts. 

With all of the excitement of celebrating the season, it’s important to keep safety in mind when shopping for toys for children.

Injuries from Kids' Toys

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) tracked 256,700 toy-related injuries in the U.S. in 2013 among kids under the age of 15. Bicycles and non-motorized scooters are the most common culprits — these scooters caused 29% of injuries.

However, other toys can have hazards that may not seem so obvious. To help you identify these toys, the World Against Toys Causing Harm, Inc. (W.A.T.C.H) has published their 2021 list of the top 10 worst toys (PDF). They update this list each year before the holidays.

Safe Toy Tips

Amanda Simas, Child Life Specialist at UVA Health Children’s, and Liz Horton, UVA Health’s injury prevention coordinator, give the following advice for keeping your kids safe with their new toys:

• All toys are not safe for all children. If the age suggestion on the packaging says 6+, then it’s not safe for a 4-year-old.
• Toys with small parts that can fit in a paper towel tube could be a choking hazard to a child under 3.
• Toys with strings or ropes could be dangerous, too. A string longer than 7 inches can wrap around a child’s neck. An adult should always supervise children playing with string-attached toys.
• Toys with wheels, like scooters or bikes, should come with an approved helmet to properly protect a child’s developing brain.
• All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) should never be used by children under age 6, even as a passenger. And children under 16 should never be on an adult-size ATV.
• Avoid toys with button batteries or magnets — these can be harmful or fatal if swallowed.

Lead Poisoning

Horton reminds us that lead poisoning is still something to be aware of, especially when buying gifts from places outside of the U.S., or older, used kids' toys. Thrift stores or yard sales could have older items containing lead paint before it was banned.

Contact your child’s primary care office if you’re concerned about your child being exposed to lead. They can test your child’s blood to see if there’s been an exposure, as children don’t normally show symptoms.