Safe Toys: Why You Can be Confident in the Safety of Toys

Safety is the toy industry’s top priority every day of the year. By law, all toys sold in the United States, no matter where in the world they are produced, must meet 100+ rigorous U.S. safety standards and requirements that are in place to ensure the safety of children at play. Product compliance must be verified by a third-party testing laboratory before toys are put on store shelves. 

In order to keep pace with innovations in toys, experts from the industry continually work with medical experts, consumer groups and government officials to further strengthen the stringent design, production, testing, and inspection procedures that ensure the safety of toys. Toy companies and retailers work in close cooperation with the government to ensure that any toy failing to meet these tough national standards is immediately removed from the stream of commerce and kept out of the hands of children.

“Toy-related” injuries are those associated with, but not necessarily caused by, a toy. This only means that a toy was being used when an injury occurred, and does not indicate that the toy itself caused any harm. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the federal agency that oversees toy safety, toy-related injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms are on the decline for children younger than 15. In recent years, the CPSC has repeatedly stated that they believe toys are safer today than ever before, and annual statistics released by the CPSC indicate that toys are among the safest consumer products found in the home.
Ensuring that all play is safe is a responsibility the toy industry shares with parents and other caregivers. The Toy Association and its members provide resources that help adults select appropriate toys, engage with children in supervised play and make sure that toys are used as intended. 

The Association’s top safety tips for parents include:

• Keep young children away from toys that are intended for older children.
• Ensure that children wear proper protective gear (helmets, knee pads, etc.) when playing with ALL ride-on toys, including bicycles, tricycles, scooters, skateboards, and skates. 
• Supervise children during play, and ensure that children are never left alone near water sources (pools, inflatable “kiddie” pools, beaches, etc.), driveways or high-traffic areas.
• Organize and store toys to prevent slips, trips and falls.

Additional information and guidance – from shopping tips to recall information – can be found online at www.PlaySafe.org.