The most popular and fun time to buy toys is in December. What better joy is there to see a child so excited to play with a new toy? Thankfully as a whole the toy industry has vastly improved in their toy safety guidelines since 2008 when there were 172 recalls with 19 of them due to lead. Thankfully toys are now required to pass 3rd party laboratory testing. With fewer recalls on toys, it is still important to look at the general safety of the toys you are buying.

Some of the toys to avoid buying this year are found in the New York Post: Dangerous Toy List

When purchasing toys there are general guidelines to keep in mind:

• Age requirements are on toys for a reason, follow the recommended age
• Keep toys with small objects or small removable parts away from children under 3 yrs old
• Make sure any toys with small batteries have a screw driver required to open the battery compartment
• All strong magnetic toys should be closely monitored and never given to young children
• Toys with long strings or cords should never be given to infants or young children
• Make sure any fabric, like pajamas, are labeled flame retardant

Shopping for toys this holiday season should be a less scary process than in years past. Have fun buying and playing with all the new gifts this year. And yes, adults are required to play with toys also, it’s half the fun in buying them! Happy Holidays!