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Choosing Toys With Care |
WHEN BUYING TOYS
Choosing toys with care. Keep in
mind the child's age, interests and skill level.
Look for quality design and construction in all toys for all ages.
Make sure that all directions or instructions are clear -- to you, and, when appropriate,
to the child. Plastic wrappings on toys should be discarded at once before they become
deadly playthings.
Be a label reader. Look for and heed age recommendations, such as "Not recommended
for children under three". Look for other safety labels including: "Flame
retardant/Flame resistant" on fabric products and "Washable/hygienic
materials" on stuffed toys and dolls.
WHEN MAINTAINING TOYS
Check all toys periodically for breakage and potential hazards. A damaged or
dangerous toy should be thrown away or repaired immediately.
Edges on wooden toys that might have become sharp or surfaces covered with splinters
should be sanded smooth. When repainting toys and toy boxes, avoid using leftover paint,
unless purchased recently, since older paints may contain more lead than new paint, which
is regulated by CPSC. Examine all outdoor toys regularly for rust or weak parts that could
become hazardous.
WHEN STORING TOYS
Teach children to put their toys safely away on shelves or in a toy chest after
playing to prevent trips and falls.
Toy boxes, too, should be checked for safety. Use a toy chest that has 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. Watch for
sharp edges that could cut and hinges that could pinch or squeeze. See that toys used
outdoors are stored after play -- rain or dew can rust or damage a variety of toys and toy
parts creating hazards.
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SHARP EDGES
New toys intended for children under eight years of age should, by regulation, be
free of sharp glass and metal edges.
With use, however, older toys may break, exposing cutting edges.
SMALL PARTS
Older toys can break to reveal parts small enough to be swallowed or to become lodged in a
child's windpipe, ears or nose. The law bans small parts in new toys intended for children
under three. This includes removable small eyes and noses on stuffed toys and dolls, and
small, removable squeakers on squeeze toys.
LOUD NOISES
Toy caps and some noisemaking guns and other toys can produce sounds at noise
levels that can damage hearing. The law requires the following label on boxes of caps
producing noise above a certain level: "WARNING -- Do not fire closer than one foot
to the ear. Do not use indoors." Caps producing noise that can injure a child's
hearing are banned.
CORDS AND STRINGS
Toys with long strings or cords may be dangerous for infants and very young
children. The cords may become wrapped around an infant's neck, causing strangulation.
Never hang toys with long strings, cords, loops, or ribbons in cribs or playpens where
children can become entangled. Remove crib gyms for the crib when the child can pull up on
hands and knees; some children have strangled when they fell across crib gyms stretched
across the crib.
SHARP POINTS
Toys which have been broken may have dangerous points or prongs. Stuffed toys may
have wires inside the toy which could cut or stab if exposed. A CPSC regulation prohibits
sharp points in new toys and other articles intended for use by children under eight years
of age.
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PROPELLED OBJECTS
Projectiles -- guided missiles and similar flying toys -- can be turned into
weapons and can injure eyes in particular. Children should never be permitted to play with
adult lawn darts or other hobby or sporting equipment that have sharp points. Arrows or
darts used by children should have soft cork tips, rubber suction cups or other protective
tips intended to prevent injury. Check to be sure the tips are secure. Avoid those dart
guns or other toys which might be capable of firing articles not intended for use in the
toy, such as pencils or nails.
ALL TOYS ARE NOT FOR ALL CHILDREN
Keep toys designed for older children out of the hands of little ones. Follow
labels that give age recommendations -- some toys are recommended for older children
because they may be hazardous in the hands of a younger child. Teach older children to
help keep their toys away from younger brothers and sisters.
Even balloons, when uninflated or broken, can choke or suffocate if young children try to
swallow them. More children have suffocated on uninflated balloons and pieces of broken
balloons than on any other type of toy.
ELECTRIC TOYS
Electric toys that are improperly constructed, wired or misused can shock or
burn. Electric toys must meet mandatory requirements for maximum surface temperatures,
electrical construction and prominent warning labels. Electric toys with heating elements
are recommended only for children over eight years old. Children should be taught to use
electric toys properly, cautiously and under adult supervision.
INFANT TOYS
Infant toys, such as rattles, squeeze toys, and teethers, should be large enough
so that they cannot enter and become lodged in an infant's throat.
OUR RESPONSIBILITY
Under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act and the Consumer Product Safety Act,
the Commission has set safety regulations for certain toys and other children's articles.
Manufacturers must design and manufacture their products to meet these regulations so that
hazardous products are not sold.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITY
Protecting children from unsafe toys is the responsibility of everyone. Careful
toy selection and proper supervision of children at play is still -- and always will be --
the best way to protect children from toy-related injuries.
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U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
CHILD SAFETY PROTECTION ACT FACT SHEET
November 1995
Effective January 1, 1995 products that are manufactured
in or imported into the United States on or after that date must comply with the Child
Safety Protection Act (CSPA).
Any ball with a diameter of 1.75 inches (44.4mm) or less that is
intended for use by children younger than 3 years of age is banned.
Any ball with a diameter of 1.75 inches (44.4mm) or less that is
intended for use by children 3 years or older must be labeled:
/!\ WARNING:
CHOKING HAZARD-This toy is a small ball.
Not for children under 3 yrs.
- Any toy or game intended for children 3 years or older but less
than 8 years that contains a small ball shall bear the following cautionary label:
/!\ WARNING:
CHOKING HAZARD-Toy contains a small ball.
Not for children under 3 yrs.
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- Toys and games with small parts intended for use by children at
least 3 years old but under 6 years must be labeled as follows:
/!\ WARNING:
CHOKING HAZARD - Small parts.
Not for children under 3 yrs.
Any latex balloon, or toy or game that contains
a latex balloon, shall be labeled as follows:
/!\ WARNING:
CHOKING HAZARD-Children under eight yrs. can
choke or suffocate on uninflated or broken balloons.
Adult supervision required.
Keep uninflated balloons from children.
Discard broken balloons at once.
Any marble intended for children 3 years or
older shall be labeled:
/!\ WARNING:
CHOKING HAZARD - This toy is a marble.
Not for children under 3 yrs.
- Any toys and games intended for children at least 3 years old but
less than 8 years which contain a marble shall be labeled:
/!\WARNING:
CHOKING HAZARD - Toy contains a marble.
Not for children under 3 yrs.
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