Children & Adolescents Clinic

 Home Parent's Guide

Clinical Reference Systems: Pediatric Advisor 10.0

Toys: Safety Checklist for Toddlers

  • The toy is sanitary.
  • The toy is washable.
  • The toy is not too heavy for your child's strength.
  • The toy is well-constructed. (A poorly made toy can break or come apart, easily exposing hazards like wires or springs.)
  • The toy does not have sharp edges that can cut or scratch.
  • There are no small parts or decorations that can become loose and swallowed, inhaled, or stuffed into an ear. (Examples include the eyes on a stuffed animal or the squeaker in a squeak toy.)
  • The toy itself is big enough so it cannot be put into your child's nose, mouth, or ears. (Marbles and beads are examples of toys that are too small.)
  • All of the toy, including print and decoration, is nonpoisonous.
  • The inside of the toy is not filled with a potentially harmful substance like small pellets.
  • Old baby furniture and toys have not been painted or repainted with lead-base paint.
  • There are no slots or holes that can pinch your child's fingers.
  • A plastic toy cannot break easily thus exposing a sharp, jagged edge.
  • There are no pointed objects your child can fall on.
  • No part of the toy, such as a doll's hairbow, is attached with a straight pin or staple.
  • All moving parts are securely attached.
  • No string or cord on the toy is long enough to form a noose.
  • A broken toy is repaired or thrown away.
  • Indoor toys remain indoors so they do not rust.
  • The toy is not stored in a plastic bag.
  • The windup mechanism in a mechanical toy is enclosed to avoid catching hair, fingers, and clothing.
  • All riding toys are well-constructed and well-balanced.
  • The wheels on riding toys are large, sturdy, and spaced far apart.
  • A stuffed doll or animal is made with strong material and thread and not filled with small, loose pellets.
  • Toys made with cloth carry the labels "flame resistant", "flame retardant", or "nonflammable".

Written by Donna Warner Manczak, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Copyright 1999 Clinical Reference Systems