Each year in Australia, and all around the world, toys are involved in lot's of accidents so it is important to take care when buying new toys and when leaving toys lying all around your house.
Because of the firm regulations forced on the manufacturers of toys, the safety of toys themselves isn't the major problem. In fact, the majority of accidents occur when toys are left lying around the home and when young kids have access to toys designed for older children.
When purchasing a toy you should always make sure that the baby or toddler carries a CE or Lion Mark, both of which mean toy excellence and its adherence to toy safety policies. It is important to be aware that if a toy does not carry one of these special mark stamps, it may perhaps be intended as a novelty toy and possibly will not be safe for children. Also, as parents of young babies or children you should at all times check the age range viewable on the toy's packaging and only ever allow children access to a toy once they are above the minimum age range specified.
Safety tips around the home:
- Check toys methodically for little, removable pieces before giving to your children (particularly those under 3)
- On no account give babies under the age of 3 balloons, little balls or marbles or anything else they could put into their mouths
- Make sure you keep all magnets and toys with magnetic parts away from children under 6 years of age
- Do not allow children to play with toys made of fluffy fabric or 'hair' that can easily be sucked, chewed or pulled out
- If possible attempt to avoid giving children under 6 toys with long ribbons or ropes attached
- Ensure children use the appropriate safety clothes when on a bike, skateboard or roller skates
- Frequently test the condition of your children's toys and dispose of any showing signs of wear and tear
- Make sure older children tidy their toys away subsequent to use as falling over toys is one of the most frequent household accidents
- Encourage your children to play with just one toy at a time so they are easier to control
If you take the above safety tips into consideration and you provide your children with constant supervision whilst they are playing, the risk of toy connected accidents will be minimised considerably.
If you are reading more baby safety articles click here and see under the information tab.
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