Toys can be dangerous, especially if they are not appropriate for your child's age. Below is a safety checklist you should consider before purchasing or allowing your child to play with a toy.

• The toy is not too heavy for your child's strength.
• The toy is well-constructed. (A poorly made toy can break or come apart, easily exposing hazards like wires or springs.)
• The toy does not have sharp edges that can cut or scratch.
• All of the toy, including print and decoration, is nonpoisonous.
• Old baby furniture and toys have not been painted or repainted with lead-base paint.
• There are no slots or holes that can pinch your child's fingers.
• A plastic toy can break thus easily exposing a sharp, jagged edge.
• There are no pointed objects your child can fall on.
• No part of the toy, such as a doll's hairbow, is attached with a straight pin or staple.
• All moving parts are securely attached.
• A broken toy is repaired or thrown away.
• Indoor toys remain indoors so they do not rust.
• The windup mechanism in a mechanical toy is enclosed to avoid catching hair, fingers and clothing.
• All riding toys are well-constructed and well-balanced.
• The wheels on riding toys are large, sturdy and spaced far apart.
• A stuffed doll or animal is made with strong material and thread and not filled with small, loose pellets.
• Toys made with cloth carry the labels "flame resistant", "flame retardant" or "nonflammable".
  

Toys: Safety Checklist for Toddlers

Toys can be dangerous, especially if they are not appropriate for your child's age. Below is a safety checklist you should consider before purchasing or allowing your child to play with a toy.

• The toy is sanitary.
• The toy is washable.
• The toy is not too heavy for your child's strength.
• The toy is well-constructed. (A poorly made toy can break or come apart, easily exposing hazards like wires or springs.)
• The toy does not have sharp edges that can cut or scratch.
• There are no small parts or decorations that can become loose and swallowed, inhaled or stuffed into an ear. (Examples include the eyes on a stuffed animal or the squeaker in a squeak toy.)
• The toy itself is big enough so it cannot be put into your child's nose, mouth or ears. (Marbles and beads are examples of toys that are too small.)
• All of the toy, including print and decoration, is nonpoisonous.
• The inside of the toy is not filled with a potentially harmful substance like small pellets.
• Old baby furniture and toys have not been painted or repainted with lead-base paint.
• There are no slots or holes that can pinch your child's fingers.
• A plastic toy can break easily thus exposing a sharp, jagged edge.
• There are no pointed objects your child can fall on.
• No part of the toy, such as a doll's hairbow, is attached with a straight pin or staple.
• All moving parts are securely attached.
• No string or cord on the toy is long enough to form a noose.
• A broken toy is repaired or thrown away.
• Indoor toys remain indoors so they do not rust.
• The toy is not stored in a plastic bag.
• The windup mechanism in a mechanical toy is enclosed to avoid catching hair, fingers, and clothing.
• All riding toys are well-constructed and well-balanced.
• The wheels on riding toys are large, sturdy and spaced far apart.
• A stuffed doll or animal is made with strong material and thread and not filled with small, loose pellets.
• Toys made with cloth carry the labels "flame resistant", "flame retardant" or "nonflammable".
  

Toys: Safety Checklist for Infants

Toys can be dangerous, especially if they are not appropriate for your child's age. Below is a safety checklist you should consider before purchasing or allowing your child to play with a toy.

• The toy is sanitary.
• The toy is washable.
• The toy is not too heavy for your child's strength.
• The toy is well-constructed. (A poorly made toy can break or come apart, easily exposing hazards like wires or springs.)
• The toy does not have sharp edges that can cut or scratch.
• There are no small parts or decorations that can become loose and swallowed, inhaled or stuffed into an ear. (Examples include the eyes on a stuffed animal or the squeaker in a squeak toy.)
• The toy itself is big enough so it cannot be put into your child's nose, mouth or ears. (Marbles and beads are examples of toys that are too small.)
• All of the toy, including print and decoration, is nonpoisonous.
• The inside of the toy is not filled with a potentially harmful substance like small pellets.
• Old baby furniture and toys have not been painted or repainted with lead-base paint.
• There are no slots or holes that can pinch your child's fingers.
• A plastic toy can break thus easily exposing a sharp, jagged edge.
• There are no pointed objects your child can fall on.
• No part of the toy, such as a doll's hairbow, is attached with a straight pin or staple.
• All moving parts are securely attached.
• No string or cord on the toy is long enough to form a noose.
• A broken toy is repaired or thrown away.
• The toy is not stored in a plastic bag.
• The windup mechanism in a mechanical toy is enclosed to avoid catching hair, fingers and clothing.
• A stuffed doll or animal is made with strong material and thread and not filled with small, loose pellets.
• Toys made with cloth carry the labels "flame resistant", "flame retardant" or "nonflammable".
  

Written by Donna Warner Manczak, Ph.D., M.P.H.