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Stuffed Animals at the StuffedZoo Present General Toy Safety
Stuffed Animals at the StuffedZoo Present General Toy Safety
If you are reading this then you are probably one of the millions of parents that are trying to provide a wholesome and nurturing environment for your child's development. It is impossible to provide toy safety guidelines that work for every child in every situation. No one knows your child better than you do. The information below can help give you some general guidelines to use but it is no substitute for using your own good judgment. Sometimes these guidelines might be too restrictive for a child that matures early. They can also be insufficient for some children.
The information below is a helpful synopsis of some of the important guidelines from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. We also have more detailed information available on our web site that is focused on Stuffed Toy and Doll safety; however, if you decide to wade through the slightly more than 300 pages, please remember those pages still assume good parental judgment, a safe environment, and appropriate supervision provide the primary safety net against mishap.
While accidents do happen, it is also important to remember that tens of millions of toys are sold every year that provide many hours of safe, stimulating fun and learning. We hope this information helps. If you have feedback about other information you would like to see please click on the
Contact us link in the Help Menu and send us a message.
CPSC and TMA recommend these guidelines for selecting a safe toy:
• Select toys to suit the skills, abilities and interests of the individual child. Federal safety requirements concerning sharp points and sharp metal and glass edges apply to all toys for children under eight years of age. Toys intended for children under three by law cannot be so small or contain parts so small to be swallowed or to become lodged in a child's windpipe, ears or nose.
• Be a label reader. Look for and heed age recommendations, such as "Not recommended for children under three," Look for other safety labels such as "Flame retardant/Flame resistant."
• Make sure that all instructions are clear to you -- and when appropriate, to the child. • Discard plastic wrappings on toys immediately, before they become deadly playthings.
• Toys with long strings or cords are not recommended for infants and very young children because they can cause strangulation.
• Electric toys with heating elements are recommended only for children over eight years old.
• Arrows or darts used by children should have soft cork tips, rubber suction cups or other protective tips. Check to be sure the tips are secure.
• When buying toy guns and caps, be wary of those that can produce sounds at noise levels that can damage hearing. Federal law requires this warning on boxes of caps producing loud noises: WARNING - Do not fire closer than one foot to the ear. Do not use indoors." Parents should not give these caps to children too young to understand this warning.
CPSC also recommends the following steps to promote toy safety in the home:
• Check all toys periodically for breakage and potential hazards. Broken toys can develop sharp edges or create small parts. A toy that cannot be repaired should be thrown away immediately.
• Teach children to put their toys safely away on shelves or in other storage areas after playing to prevent trips and falls. Many accidents occur when toys are left out causing someone to fall.
• Take care to explain to children how to use their toys properly and how to take care of them.
• Keep toys designed for older children out of the hands of little ones. Chemistry sets, hobby items and toys with small parts, particularly games, can be extremely dangerous if used by younger children. Never hang toys with long strings, cords, loops or ribbons in cribs or playpens where children can become entangled.
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