How to Select Child Toys to Avoid Choking

Choking is a serious hazard for children that can lead to a life-threatening emergency, as air is blocked to the lungs and oxygen to the brain. You will want to select toys for your child with care and consideration to avoid a crisis. Read on to learn how to select child toys to avoid choking.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Check the U.S. Public Interest Research Groups (PIRG) website for a list of unsafe toys. See the Resources section below for a link. The organization publishes a report on child toys every year.

2. Check with family and friends to find out more about certain toys before you go to the store. Ask if they have had any problems, and see if you can get a look at the toys in advance.

3. Find a reputable toy store. Big-name national stores tend to stay on top of product recalls.

4. Go to the store and inspect toys carefully before you select one. Read the warning labels on the box. What age group is it intended for? If you are buying for a child three years old or under, does the toy have small parts that could be put in the mouth? If so, steer clear of it.

5. Open up boxes right in the store, if possible, to check the toys yourself. If there are no small separate parts, double-check to make sure there are no parts that could be easily broken off and chewed on.

6. Invest in a "choke tube," which replicates the diameter of a small child's windpipe, allowing you to test potential choking hazards. If a toy or one of its removable parts fits in the tube, it is not suitable for young children.

Tips & Warnings

• Supervise your younger children as they play with their toys, especially when you have just purchased them. Regardless of any warnings or pre-play inspections, the real test of a toy's safety comes when the child starts to interact with it.
• Pick up a copy of "Safe Kids: A Complete Child-Safety Handbook and Resource Guide for Parents" by Vivian Kramer Fancher. See the Resources section below for a link.
• Don't just rely on the warning on the box to tell you whether a toy is safe for your child. Some products are not as well tested as others. Be sure to inspect the toy carefully, either before or after purchasing it, to ensure that it does not present a choking hazard.
• Try to avoid older, used toys, which may have become worn and may not have the same safety standards that are in place today.

Resources

• Safe Kids: A Complete Child-Safety Handbook and Resource Guide for Parents
• Toy Safety Pages on the U.S. PIRG Website

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