Play

Play is a huge part of children’s lives—children encounter toys at home, in childcare, at school, and elsewhere. Unfortunately, toys are not guaranteed to be safe just because they are on the market or in a store that you frequent. In 2013 for example, the CPSC’s toy safety report revealed that 256,700 children under the age of fifteen were seen in emergency rooms for toy-related injuries. There are many tips that parents can learn to ensure that their toys are safe, including testing for choking hazards by making sure no part of a toy can fit through a toilet paper tube , and using SaferProducts.gov as a resource. We also recommend that parents follow age-recommendations on toys – these age recommendations are set for safety, regardless if you think your child is advanced for their age.

As part of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, in 2011 independent testing became required for toys and other children’s products to prevent lead-tainted toys and other dangerous items. This was a great step forward for product safety, but there are still toy recalls every month. Keep updated with those recalls by signing up for our recall digest and registering your products. In the meantime, the pages below can provide specific tips and guidance on keep your children safe from toy hazards.