Christmas Toy Safety

Safe toy lists are fodder for comedians across the country, and after looking at this year’s list by the organization World Against Toys Causing Harm, the names of the toys alone are ripe with humor. However, the content within the work of WATCH is certainly nothing to laugh about.

The hazards that WATCH identifies often fall into the general categories of inappropriate age recommendations and toys that risk injury due to projectile or poor design. The reminder concerning choking hazards is significant, as is the importance of the guidelines for age of use. Although these are guidelines, it is clear from WATCH’s work that some toys involve greater risk than others; however, we also must keep in mind that introducing any toy to an infant, toddler, or child needs to have supervision during initial – and sometimes throughout – use.

This is not to say that all play needs to be supervised, but rather that appropriate expectations concerning safety are discussed with the people that will be engaging in the activity. Just as an unknowing adult would not walk up to a craps table and gamble without knowing what they were doing (one would hope), we need to look at some toys as a similar new experience for the child. Although the risks may seem different, there are certain similarities concerning knowing how to play that can make the activity safer and, hopefully, more entertaining.

As you start to think of those that you will be buying toys for, young or old, we encourage you to reflect on the whole experience prior to purchasing, and then engage in the activity for the initial use with the recipient. The holidays are a time for bonding and sharing in experiences with family and friends, and new toys and games are a great way to do it – safely, of course.

Dan Dworkin, Director of Infrastructure and Assessment