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What To Look For In Safe Children’s Toys?

Ensuring children have safe toys is a concern that many parents have. They are right to be concerned as dangerous toys can and have caused serious harm to lots of children, although thankfully with improving toy regulations, instances are on the decrease. However, parents still need to be careful and below we highlight some of the important things to look out for to ensure toys are safe.

Sharp edges. It is imperative that toys do not have sharp edges, even if they are made from seemingly soft materials. Children can often be rough with toys and run around with them, and all it takes is a fall or a snatching motion to cause a cut or skin-pierce.

Small parts. This is probably the most well known hazard of children’s toys. As children invariably love to put things in their mouth, they can very easily swallow small parts and choke on them. Some toys might appear to have no small parts but because they are made from poor quality materials, parts easily break off and pose an equal risk.

Chemicals. Whether it is dangerous chemicals in plastics, harmful fluids in toys, or simply toxins in the paint that they are decorated with, kids can be seriously harmed by inconsiderate materials. Thankfully most toys are tested thouroughly for dangerous chemicals, but some will always slip though the net.

Mechanical Hazards. Some toys might not seem dangerous at first glance but their pure functioning poses a risk to children. Good examples of this are toys that have springs or elastic band actions that can release unexpectedly and can potentially harm the eyes. Additionally, toys sometimes have dangerous hinges or gates that children can trap finger in.

All toys and Christmas gifts should comply with the health and safety regulations of their respective countries, so next time you’re buying gifts for her or him look out for the endorsement logos on the toy’s label first.

Toddler Toy Considerations

A child between the ages of a baby and a kindergartner can often be a tricky one to second-guess. By this time they are walking, and talking a little bit too, but they are too young to be left for more than a minute or two without being under the supervision of a parent.

Looking after them can be quite tiring for an adult, because they seem to have the boundless energy of an older child yet the insane thirst for exploration of one much younger. They are in the midst of an unquenchable desire to learn about every little thing in the big world that surrounds them.

At this point in their lives, children can be hard to separate from their toddler toys – usually these are fairly anthropomorphic and cute toys which the child views as being like another human. For times, such toys are a child’s best friend, literally one of the most important things in the world to them. So, they are unlikely to want to leave the toys behind.

Therefore, it is important to ensure that the toys they have are suitably safe, as there is always a strong likelihood that they will fall over or on them. Something like a teddy bear or other stuffed animal will mean that should the toddler fall over their toddler toy does not do them any harm.

The soft toy market is one that will always be a major target for toy companies. Whether the toy be lifelike, an animal, or resemble something from another world, a child will love it and respond to it like a friend.

They are better able to understand the things that you say and that they see as their senses are coming on in leaps and bounds at this point in their lives. As such, any toys that develop their senses can be absolutely perfect for a child. Alphabet games or toys with noises will not only excite but will also mean they have already learnt some basics for when they start at kindergarten.

Of course the most important thing is that their toys are fun, so this should be prioritised, even in educational toys – after all, it makes them more likely to pay attention.

Soft Toys – A Child’s Most Valued Memory

Most of us can remember a time in our early childhood when the world seemed as if it had fallen in around us, for one reason or another. Quite often, as we look back on those times as an adult, the things that upset us seem kind of trivial, but at a young age even the slightest problem can result in floods of tears.

At this time it was commonplace for one of our parents to hand us our most beloved and trusted cuddly toy. Indeed, our favorite soft toy went through a lot of childhood experiences with us. They are as much of a part as growing as training wheels on a bike and your first day at school.

The undoubted familiarity and comforting capabilities of a soft toy mean that they will always stay in your mind and heart long after the day that you were told you were too old to have one anymore. They may be inanimate and wordless in reality, but for a child their presence is something overwhelmingly positive and reassuring.

While dolls or action figures may be somewhat more lifelike, the teddy bear, or any other soft toy, feels more personal and friendly to any child. It is no coincidence that the only toy that can really be hugged is also a child’s favorite toy. Hugging brings reassurance, and soft toys in that way have the same quality as a comfort blanket. In fact, it is the amount of hugging and loving that causes almost all soft toys to look so threadbare and worn out come the end of childhood.

Another reason for the popularity of the soft toy is that it is a 24 hour toy; what other toy gets taken to bed with a child? Having a familiar face next to us as we tried to sleep is something that made being alone in the dark easier to deal with.

That they have remained cherished through out the generations, gives little room for argument against soft toys being the number one toy. They have a classic appeal and it be would surely be a mean parent who felt that their child didn’t need one. Every child needs one, because every child has tough lessons to learn – lessons that are made that little bit easier by having a reassuring and loving presence beside them throughout.

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