There's no need to say that play is an essential and natural type of activity for children of all ages. When still young, play helps kids to discover the world and its many wonders but most importantly, play can provide children with many benefits. The first and most important thing to know is that play can help them grow physically, mentally and socially. In other words, play plays a crucial role in the child's development, so it's parents' job to provide them with this.
By now, we are all aware with the fact that there are lots of toys for kids available on the market, but the thing to have in mind before making any purchase is their safety. Lots of studies have proven that toys can pose hazards to kids of all ages, so making sure they are safe to use is our job. This can be done by following some simple guidelines.
Choose Age-Appropriate Toys
Although almost all types of toys have a "recommended age" sticker on them, taking into account your child's ability and maturity level is the right thing to do. Parents should be realistic when it coems to this as it's completely normal children of the same age to have a different maturity level. For instance, if a 3-year old kid still puts everything in his mouth, parents should avoid buying toys or games that contain small parts and pieces.
Choose Well-Made Toys
When using extremely old toys or ones that are passed down from older relatives, you should check them carefully as they can be extremely dangerous. However, you should also check all new toys for kids for buttons, ribbons, eyes, batteries, yarn or broken plastic parts. If not made form quality materials, all of these things can be easily snapped off or chewed. Although there are lots of suppliers that can offer a range of low-quality toys, there are also others that offer extremely quality toys for kids. Except for the toys standard certificate, the toys' material itself will be sturdier, more durable, quality and pleasant to touch. However, fabric malfunction can happen anytime, so making sure that the bought toys for kids are okay is essential.
Think in Advance
According to many statistics, children love putting their hands and toys into the mouth until the age of 3. So if your kid also loves doing that, it is recommended to choose toy parts that are bigger than his mouth in order to prevent choking. A trick to do is trying to fit the toy/part through a toilet paper roll. If the toy can fit inside the cylinder, then this means that it's not safe to use.
Make Sure the Child is Physically Ready for the Toy
Buying a toy for a kid that is not physically ready for it can be quite dangerous. For instance, seeing a baby in a walker is cute and heart-melting, however, taking into account his/her physical activity is more important than seeing the recommended age of usage. If not stable or too clumsy, the baby can easily fell off it which can lead to some serious injuries. The same goes for bikes. We all know how annoying it can be having to buy two bikes in a short period of time as the child will outgrow the smaller one the next year. However, this 'trick' can lead to some serious injuries if the child doesn't have the physical skills to ride a bigger bike.
Avoid Buying Toys with Longer Strings
Probably you already know what this paragraph is all about. Children can be unpredictable, and a longer cord can easily wrap around the child's neck, causing strangulation. That is why you should avoid buying toys or products with a cord that is longer than 20cm.
Tip: If the child can climb up on his hands and knees, remove any hanging things from the crib.
Watch out for Toxic Toys
The best way to do that is to make sure that the toy is not made from materials that is full of toxins and chemicals. Plasticzers or also known as phthalates are ingredients used for making a plastic that is more durable and flexible. Unfortunately, these chemicals can be found in a wide range of toys, so making sure they are not labelled on the toy label is essential. Additionally, you should also avoid toys that contain mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic. They can be usually found in dolls, action figures, kids jewellery and even stuffed animals, thus making sure they are not listed on the products' label is important.
These are one of the main things you need to take into account when buying toys for kids. In fact, this is the only way to be sure that the chosen toys won't pose any hazard and are safe to use.