By Sofia Segounis, Nutritionist

What is every child asking Santa for this year? 

As always, there are a variety of hot and trendy toys everyone is lining up for like Care Bears, Hogwarts Castle, skateboards and Play Stations to name a few. The one question that should always be kept in mind when purchasing a gift for a child is, “Is it safe?”

In the year 2000, an estimated 191,000 children in the US were treated for toy-related injuries with 17 fatalities.  Choking is typically the most common cause of injuries or fatalities.  Keep the following guidelines in mind when selecting a safe toy.  

What should you look for?

Children under 3 years:

• Children at this age tend to put everything into their mouth.  Avoid buying toys that have small removable parts or that are small themselves, as they can easily become a choking hazard. Also, children at this age pull and twist toys, so you don’t want the risk of toys breaking into smaller pieces that can be choked on as well.  Make sure that the toys are sturdy and well made.
• Avoid marbles, balls and games with balls, which are smaller than 1.75 inches in diameter.  There is a gadget called a choke tube designed for you to distinguish which items could be potentially hazardous.
• Never let a child play with uninflated, broken or latex balloons.  They may cause choking.
• Avoid toys that have sharp points and edges. 
• Don’t buy toys that are intended for older children.
• Avoid toys with cord or long strings, as they can pose a strangulation hazard.
• When buying art supplies, look for ones that have the designation ASTM D-4236.  This means they are safe for children and non-toxic. 
• Make sure that material is flame retardant.

Toys for this age group should encourage children to explore and work on hand-eye coordination.  Toys should be colorful, make noise and resemble household items (e.g. a phone or a vacuum cleaner).

Children 3-5 years:

• Avoid toys that have sharp pointy edges, as well as anything that could break into sharp edges.
• Art supplies have to be approved as safe for children, as above. 
• Make sure material is flame retardant.

Children 6-12 years:

• When buying gifts such as bicycles and scooters, make sure that you also buy protective gear, such as a helmet and elbow pads.
• Electronic toys must be labeled as safe—look to make sure the toy is UL approved. 
• Darts and arrows should not be pointy but rather with a suction cup or foam ball on the end of it. 

Always check your children’s toys on a regular basis to ensure that they are not damaged in any way that could cause harm.  Clean toys on a regular basis.  Some plastic toys can be put into the dishwasher or by washing with antibacterial soap and hot water in a spray bottle, then rinsing.  This will reduce the number of germs that accumulate on the toys. 

Teach your children to always put away their toys, to avoid the possibility of anyone tripping over them.

In addition to toys, certain foods may pose as choking hazards as well.  Toddlers should not be eating foods that are hard or small such as hard candies, raw carrots, grapes or popcorn.  For more guidelines, visit Eating guidelines for toddlers. Young children should always be supervised whether they are eating or playing. A choking child may not make any noise, so it is necessary to always keep an eye on them. 

Toys should be age related not only for safety reasons, but for developmental purposes as well.  Visit Truestar’s food, fun and games to teach your children about nutrition. Simply print off each game or picture and your child can color or word find at your kitchen table while learning about healthy eating and living!

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