Holiday Toys - purchasing and safety tips

Pediatrics for Parents, July, 1999 by Harry Pellman

With the holidays rapidly approaching, many parents' attention is turned to presents and toys for our children. What should we buy? What is appropriate? When is too much too much? Notice I did not say, "What do they want?"

I am sure you can guess an adult's age by how many toys he/she had as a child (at least, how many they remember having as a child). It seems like the older generation had very few toys and games. All of our equipment could fit into a toy box. Could you imagine our children's toys fitting into a toy box? From what I have seen, today's children have a toy room that also contains a bed, chest of drawers, and desk. This does not even take into account the explosion of electric and computer equipment that is beginning to make toys and board games obsolete as children's gifts.

For years my children have requested computer games such as Nintendo. I always say "No." They tell me this makes me a bad father (they'll try anything!). Other fathers tell me that it makes me a bad father. I am told that my children will grow up to hate me because I am denying them something that other children have. Any day now I am expecting the Department of Social Services to come and take my children away. I still say "No." Why? First of all, I do not like computer games. I think their only roll in life is on long auto trips to keep the children occupied so that they do not massacre each other. Secondly, I think it is beneficial to character development to WANT something and not get it. Although too much of our society still lives in poverty, a great danger to those children fortunate enough to live well is overindulgence.

Time to get off of the soap box. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently published Toy Safety Tips for the Holidays. I would like to summarize their recommendations.

1. Match the toy to the child's abilities (check the manufacturer's recommendations). All the toy parts should be larger than the child's mouth.

2. Purchasing tips include reading the instructions carefully, avoiding toys that shoot small objects into the air or make loud or shrill noises, and making sure the toy is well constructed with all parts securely fastened. Avoid toys with sharp edges.

3. Avoid hobby kits such as chemistry sets for children younger then twelve. Older children still require close supervision with these types of toys. Tips of arrows or darts should be blunt, made of soft rubber or flexible plastic and securely fastened to the shaft.

4. Be very careful with pellet guns. The "safe" pellet gun of yesterday is history. Those pellet guns had pellet speeds of around 150 feet/second. Some of today's pellet guns have a pellet speed of over 1000 feet/second. Anything over 300 or so feet/second is potentially deadly!

Some age appropriate toys include:

Newborn to One Year Old

Choose "eye catching" toys that appeal to sight, hearing, and touch. Examples include large blocks, pots and pans, soft, washable animals or dolls, busy boards, and large squeeze toys.

One to Two Years Old

These toys should be safe and sturdy. Examples include cloth or plastic books, push or pull toys without long strings, stacking toys, toy telephones, and kiddie cars.

Two to Five Years Old

Toys are often experimental and imitate the activity of parents and older children. Examples include appropriate books, nontoxic crayons and clay, plastic or wood hammer and bench, large piece puzzles, housekeeping toys, transportation toys such as wagons and tricycles, and dress up clothes.

Five to Nine Years Old

Toys in this age group should help your child promote skill development and creativity. Examples include blunt scissors and sewing sets, card games, crafts, electric trains, sports equipment including bicycles and roller skates, table games, and various crafts.

Ten to Fourteen Years Old

Hobbies, scientific, and educational activities are ideal for this age group. Examples include nonviolent and educational computer games, microscopes/telescopes, table and board games, sports equipment, and hobby collections.

The above is only a guideline. Always provide supervision for young children. For a brochure on toy safety, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dept. C-toy safety, P.O. Box 927, Elk Grove Village, IL 60009-0927.

Another tip. A few years ago I moved my mother from Chicago to California. I could not believe how much my mother had accumulated over the years. It seemed as if she never threw anything out (except my forty year old collection of priceless baseball cards). Then and there I resolved not to repeat the same mistake. Whenever I buy something now (example a shirt), I always throw one of the same thing away (example, a shirt in my closet that I like least). Try the same thing for toys. If you buy your child a "toy," find something in your child's toy arsenal that can be removed. If it is in good shape, give it to charity or another child. If not, discarding it will still prevent clutter. Either way you will be doing a good deed.