| A great toy is the classic present for the child in your | | | | not think about. Most toys today come with battery |
| life, whether you are giving a present to a niece, | | | | compartments that are sealed with screws so that it |
| nephew, friend, grandchild, or your own child. Many | | | | is impossible for a child to get the batteries out. Even |
| people who do not have children of their own (and | | | | this safety precaution poses some amount of hazard, |
| even some who do) do not realize that giving a toy | | | | though, as the screws can be lost while changing the |
| to a child requires a certain amount of knowledge | | | | batteries, posing another choking hazard. |
| about the hazards the toy might pose to the health | | | | Avoid toys with a lot of loose strings or cords. Any |
| and safety of the child. Here are some things to | | | | long, dangling object poses a strangulation risk. Dress |
| keep in mind when you go out after the perfect gift | | | | up clothes, toys that plug in to the wall, and even |
| for Christmas, birthdays, or other special occasions. | | | | toys that have pieces attached by string have the |
| Be age conscious: This is the most important thing to | | | | potential to wrap around a child's neck and cut off |
| remember. All kids go through different stages of | | | | their airway. Again, most older kids will not have a |
| development. Children up to three are in a very | | | | problem with this type of toy, but kids under six can |
| exploratory stage, and during these years it is their | | | | be quite careless and it is best to avoid potential |
| sense of taste that they will rely on most. This is | | | | strangling hazards. |
| fairly obvious to anyone who has seen an active child | | | | Heavy toys: You might be surprised at how strong |
| under one exploring; anything they find goes | | | | children are. The toy you bought might seem too |
| immediately into the mouth. | | | | heavy for a kid to lift off the ground, but there is |
| For this reason, many manufacturers have labels on | | | | always the chance that they will. Once it is off the |
| the toys they produce that warm potential buyers | | | | ground, it is very possible that the toy will come |
| that some ages are not appropriate to give this toy | | | | down on a foot or a finger. Even more likely is the |
| to. These ages are when the child is most likely to | | | | possibility that the child will roll the toy down the |
| stick the toy in their mouths, and any small parts will | | | | stairs into an unsuspecting person. |
| pose a serious choking hazard. You might think that a | | | | Buying toys is always fun, but purchasers need to |
| kid over two isn't likely to stick something in his or | | | | make sure that they minimize the risk of harm to the |
| her mouth, but toddlers can engage in unexpected | | | | child and others by buying age-appropriate toys. Using |
| behavior and it is better to err on the side of caution. | | | | discretion at the time of purchase will save everyone |
| Batteries are a choking hazard that many people do | | | | some peace of mind. |