Keep this checklist handy when shopping and share it with your child’s caregivers.

Safety Suggestions

• Use recommended age labeling as a guide and look for warnings and other safety messages on toy packaging.
• Consider your home environment and the ages of other, particularly younger, children in the family. A toy intended for an older child may be unsuitable and possibly dangerous in the hands of a younger child.
• Be especially careful when selecting toys for children under the age of three or children who are still mouthing objects. Avoid toys with small parts that could be swallowed or inhaled, including small balls, and those with sharp points or rough edges.
• Make sure that soft rattles, squeakers and teething toys, even in their most compressed state, are too large to fit completely in an infant’s mouth.
• Check for sturdy, well-sewn seams on stuffed animals and cloth dolls. Be certain that eyes, noses, buttons, ribbons, and other decorations are securely fastened and cannot be pulled or bitten off.
• Choose electric toys with heating elements only for children over the age of eight and instruct them to play with those toys only when there is adult supervision.
• Look for the words “machine/surface washable” on stuffed and cloth toys and “UL (Underwriters Laboratories) Approved” on electrical toys.
• Purchase a toy storage chest that has a removable lid or a spring-loaded support, allowing the lid to remain securely open. Check for smooth, finished edges, proper air holes and hinge line clearances to prevent pinched fingers.

Toys to Avoid

• Can be swallowed
• Have small detachable parts
• May break easily
• Have sharp edges or points
• Are made of glass or brittle plastic
• Have toxic or poisonous finishes
• Have long cords that could be swallowed
• Produce excessive noise
• Have parts that might pinch
• Are put together with sharp pieces

Source: Children’s Home Society of Minnesota, a United Way supported agency. For more information on toy safety, call The Consumer Product Safety Commission at 1-800-638-CPSC.

Resources: United Way 2-1-1™ is a free and confidential, 24/7 helpline that can connect you to over 40,000 community programs and resources. Just dial 2-1-1 or 651-291-0211.