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Play It Safe
Each year, more than 10,000 kids get hurt
by their toys. Some are hurt badly. Some even
die. These injuries don’t have to happen.
Here are a few simple things you can do to
make sure they don’t.
Pay Attention To Age Labeling
Toys are often labeled according to the ages
of children who can use them safely. For
instance, "For Ages Three and Over"
means that the toy is likely to have small
parts on which young children can choke, sharp
points or strings or elastic that can injure
kids under three. It doesn’t always mean
that the toy is too advanced for your bright
two-year-old.
Check Out Crib Toys
Kids can get tangled up and even have their
breathing cut off by the strings of toys that
are draped across a crib. Any toys with
strings or elastic can be hazardous to young
children.
Be Tough On A Toy Before Your Child Is
Small children have amazing skills in taking
things apart.
Make sure rattles are strong enough so
they won’t come apart.
Test buttons, bells and stuffed-animal
eyes to make sure they won’t pull off.
Squeeze toys should not have squeakers or
whistles that can be pulled out.
Watch For Sharp Edges and Points
Kids love their toys. But they also love to
throw them and leave them where a child can
fall on them. Avoid toys with glass or easily
breakable plastic. They can become instant
weapons.
Bike Helmets - Don’t Leave Home Without One
Bikes are toys too. In fact, they are a major
source of childhood injuries. A child old
enough to ride needs a helmet. Buy a helmet to
go with any bike you buy. Kids who ride along
with you in bike seats should also wear
helmets.
Darts, Lawn Darts, Projectiles, Air
Rifles....and Guns
These are so dangerous you should not even
think of allowing them anywhere near kids.
Small Parts
The Federal Government has established a size
for safe toys for kids under three. A small
part should be at least 1-1/4" in
diameter and 2-1/4" inches long. Any
parts smaller than these measurements are a
potential choking hazard.
When you shop for a toy, make sure it has no
parts smaller than these dimensions.
Inexpensive, clear plastic tubes that parents
can use to test small parts are available from
stores specializing in children’s toys and
furnishings.
At Home
Toy Chests
A lid that can fall freely when opened is
dangerous. Make sure toy chests have durable
lid supports that hold the lid open in any
position and prevent it from slamming down on
the back of a youngster’s head or neck.
No toy chest should have a latch that might
trap a child inside the chest. It should have
ventilation holes for fresh air, just in case
a curious toddler does climb inside.
Crib Gyms
Take crib gyms down as soon as a child is able
to get up onto hands and knees. Older babies
who can move around can injure their necks on
the gym bar.
Some Special Problems
Balloons
Most people don’t think of balloons as
unsafe toys. But small children can easily
choke on pieces of popped balloons or on
uninflated ones.
Riding Toys
Kids who are having fun on their trikes and
other riding toys may veer into the street.
Thousands of kids are injured every year when
they ride their toys into traffic.
Electric Toys
Avoid them altogether for younger children.
They should be discouraged from playing with
or near electricity.
Water Hazards
Never leave a child unattended, even for a
moment, around a bathtub, swimming pool, or
shallow-water play pool. Drownings can happen
in a matter of seconds.
In The Community
Yard sales can be great places to pick up
inexpensive toys. But a toy that can hurt a
child is no bargain.
Avoid broken toys which may have sharp edges
and points that weren’t there when the toys
were new. Used strollers, playpens, car seats,
walkers and cribs may have missing parts or
dangerously loose hardware.
Stay away from old-style baby gates and
corrals with diamond-shaped openings which can
trap a child’s neck.
Watch out for small parts that pull off.
Particularly avoid used or hand-me-down toys
for children under three. Lots of older toys
were made before there were safety standards.
This article is adapted from a brochure
available from the Association of Trial
Lawyers of America. You can view the brochure
and other helpful items in the Publications
section of the Web site at www.atlanet.com.
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