Health News Share Email Print Buying for kids? Choose toys wisely 5 timeless tips for safe toys 1. Read (and heed) the package. Labels on toys can help you decide if the toy is safe for a child's age group. Make sure the label says the toy is nontoxic—meaning it doesn't contain materials that could poison a child. 2. Leave loud toys for infants and toddlers on the shelf. They have the potential to harm a child's hearing. If someone gives your child a noisy toy, place a piece of tape over the speaker to lower the noise level. Or just remove the batteries. 3. Reserve chemistry sets and hobby kits for older kids. They should only be given to budding scientists and hobbyists who are at least 12 years old. 4. Avoid choking hazards. Toys and parts should be larger than a child's mouth to prevent choking. Keep in mind that small game pieces are OK for older kids, but they may choke a younger child if swallowed. 5. Study stuffed toys. Does a stuffed animal have loose ribbons or strings? They can strangle a child. Remove them if you buy the toy. Reviewed 3/18/2024 Sources American Academy of Pediatrics. "How to Buy Safe Toys." https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/How-to-Buy-Safe-Toys.aspx. Safe Kids Worldwide. "Toy Safety for Little Kids." https://www.safekids.org/content/toy-safety-little-kids. American Academy of Pediatrics. "Tips to Preserve Your Child’s Hearing during the Holidays." https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/ear-nose-throat/Pages/Tips-Preserve-Childs-Hearing-Holidays.aspx. Related stories Health information main Health tools go Select a health topic ADHD Aging Alcohol use disorder Allergies Alternative medicine Alzheimer's disease Arthritis Asthma Babies Backs Bladder Bones Brain Breast cancer Cancer Cancer prevention Caregiving Cervical cancer Children and parenting Cholesterol Colds Colorectal cancer Coronavirus Dental care Depression Diabetes Disaster preparedness Down syndrome Ears Eating disorders Emergencies End of life/Palliative care Environmental health Epilepsy Eyes Fall prevention Family and relationships Feet Fitness and exercise Flu Food safety Hair Headache Health assessments Health calculators Healthcare Heart attack Heart health Hepatitis Hernia High blood pressure Hips HIV/AIDS Holiday health Hormones Imaging Incontinence Joints Kidneys Knees Leukemia Liver Lung cancer Lungs Medications Men's health Menopause Mental health Multiple sclerosis Nails Nose Nutrition Obesity Oral cancer Ovaries Pain Parkinson's disease Pets Pneumonia Pregnancy Prostate cancer Rehabilitation Reproductive health Safety School health Sexuality Sexually transmitted infections Skin Skin cancer Sleep Smoking Sports injuries Stomach pain Stress and anxiety Stroke Substance use disorder Summer safety Surgery Teen health Throat Thyroid Travel Vaccines Vascular health Violence Vitamins and supplements Weight management Winter health Women's health Workplace health Wound care i Providers Pediatrics Family Medicine RSS If you have questions or comments, please contact Randolph Health. Problems reading or opening a page? Legal restrictions and terms of use applicable to this site.