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Toys

Physical items used in play.

An estimated 2.6 billion toys are sold in the United States each year. Toys can support cognitive growth, development of fine motor and gross motor skills, improve problem-solving and attention. The child may find extended periods of play with a toy, whether it was purchased in a store or found in the home (recycled plastic containers and empty spools of thread, for example). Most children will be happy to play with a few favorite toys—the size of the toy inventory is not critical to successful play. Parents and others who choose toys for children should take into account the following characteristics of the child for whom the toy is intended: age and developmental stage; his or her interests; ease of use of the toy (is adult supervision required); presence of younger siblings for whom the toy could pose a hazard; and whether the toy is designed for independent play or group play.

Labeling for age

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has developed guidelines for age grading of toys and related products. Most toy manufacturers use these guidelines in labeling toys and games for age-appropriateness. Manufacturers also consider recommendations of experts in child development regarding the stages of physical, emotional, and intellectual development.

Four main criteria are considered in establishing age guidelines:

• Physical skills: can the child manipulate and play with the features of the toy as it was designed?
• Understanding: can the child understand how to use the toy?
• Interest: is the toy of interest to a child of a particular age?
• Safety: is the toy safe for a child at this particular stage?

Labeling for safety

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has established a number of regulations related to toy safety. These are published by the American Society for Testing and Measurement (ASTM) under the safety standard known as ASTM F963. This standard is voluntary, but the majority of U.S. toy manufacturers comply with its guidelines. In fact, many incorporate a message about the toy's compliance with ASTM F963 on the toy packaging.

Infants and toddlers

Toy manufacturers consider the size of toy parts—which are likely to be put into the mouth by an older infant

or toddler—in designing toys. Anyone purchasing a toy for the youngest children must take the choking hazard seriously and make appropriate selections. When a new toy is brought into the home or childcare setting, all wrapping material should be promptly discarded. Plastic wrapping in particular may pose a suffocation hazard to the youngest children.

The U.S. government maintains statistics on toy-related injuries and deaths. Many accidents involving toys are not caused by the toy itself; for example, a child may trip over a toy that was not put away after play. When an unsafe toy reaches the marketplace, U.S. government inspecters may discover it and order its recall; additionally, vigilant parents and caregivers can observations about toy safety to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Manufacturers routinely cooperate with the Consumer Product Safety Commission in recalling products that are deemed unsafe or dangerous. Examples of toy recall notices issued during June and July 1997 include:

Toy description	Problem or flaw	Hazard
Toy jewelry sets	necklaces and bracelets break easily, releasing small beads; earring clasps come off easily	small beads can be inhaled, leading to death clasps are choking hazard
Water rocket toy	rockets can break apart from water pressure during filling	serious injury from flying broken rocket pieces
Infant toy	not labeled with warning about strangulation risk	strangulation risk if hung across crib or playpen
Chinese jump ropes	Metal crimp joining two ends of rope may fail	Rope may snap back if it breaks during use, causing injury to a child
Stuffed animals	Eyes may come off	Small eye parts are a choking hazard

Preschool and school-aged children

In January 1995, the U.S. Congress passed a law requiring that toys and games for young children (ages three to six) carry a warning about choking hazards. If the toy or game includes small parts, marbles, or balloons, the toy must be marked that it is not appropriate for children under the age of three. Toys or parts for children this age must be able to pass through a tube approximating a child's throat diameter. Beyond toddlerhood, children begin to develop their own ideas about play activities and the toys that they want. They will be influenced by what they see advertised on television and by their peers. Toy fads and television show tie-ins can be powerfully persuasive to children. Parents may experience their first opportunities to teach about peer pressure and independent decision-making over toy requests. Toys should be selected to stimulate play and related cognitive and physical development; fad toys are less likely to sustain play activity and support development beyond the fad stage.

For Further Study

Books

Auerbach, Stevanne. The Toy Chest: A Sourcebook of Toys for Children. Secaucus, NJ: Lyle Stuart, 1986.

Boehn, Helen F. The Right Toys: A Guide to Selecting the Best Toys for Children. New York: Bantam Books, 1986.

Fraser, Antonia. A History of Toys. New York: Delacorte Press, 1966.

Lederman, Ellen F. Developmental Toys and Equipment: A Practical Guide to Selection and Utilization. Springfield, IL: C.C. Thomas, 1986.

Periodicals

Laudan, Larry. "It's Not the Toys, Stupid. (Toys Are Not Major Cause of Children's Injuries)." Consumers' Research Magazine 80, February 1997, p. 36.

Audiovisual Recordings

Selecting Appropriate Toys. Derry, NH: Chip Taylor Communications, 1991.

(One 15-minute videocassette, produced by Baltimore County Public Schools.)

Organizations

American Toy Institute, Inc.
(Educational arm of the Toy Manufacturers of America, Inc.)
Address: 200 Fifth Avenue, Suite 740
New York, NY 10010
(Publishes the TMA Guide to Toys and Play)

Consumer Product Safety Commission
Address: Washington, DC 20207
To report an unsafe consumer product (not limited to toys)
Telephone: toll-free hotline (800) 638-2772 or (800) 638-8270 (hearing impaired)
e-mail: infocpsc.gov
website: http://www.cpsc.gov