Warning: A toy that’s not age-appropriate for your child will create frustration and could lead to serious injury.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that about 140,700 children were taken to hospital emergency rooms in 2005 to be treated for toy-related injuries and 20 kids were killed in toy-related accidents.

“As children mature, they play differently and interact with their toys differently,” says Dr. Mark A. Brandenburg, director of the Oklahoma Institute for Disaster and Emergency Medicine in Tulsa. “Parents need to understand that there are certain characteristics of their child’s activity that can make a toy dangerous at a certain age. When parents understand that, they can size up toys with a critical eye in the store.”

A child 8-to-12 months old will enjoy soft squeeze toys, large stuffed animals and push-pull toys. Simple puzzles, card games, story books and basic musical instruments are appropriate for children aged three-to-five years, but beyond the capabilities of most younger kids. Children in elementary school are ready for bicycles, board games, jigsaw puzzles and for equipment needed for baseball, swimming, gymnastics or soccer.

Choosing age-appropriate toys seems like a no-brainer, but it’s routinely overlooked by many well-meaning grandparents, aunts, uncles and sometimes parents. Here’s what you need to know to match holiday toys with your child’s age and abilities:
 

• Be sure your child can carry and manipulate the toy. If it’s too bulky or too heavy, you’re probably headed for trouble.
  
  
• Follow age recommendations on the label. You don’t have to live in Lake Wobegon to have an above-average child, but in most cases the suggested ages listed on toys are a good guide to a toy’s safe and enjoyable use.
  
  
• Be sure the toy has no small parts that can come loose and pose a choking hazard. With stuffed animals, check the critter’s eyes to make sure they’re securely fastened. If the toy squeaks, be sure the noisemaker can’t be worked loose by busy little fingers. This is critical for infants and toddlers who still place objects in their mouth.
  
  
• Read the label. Make sure there are no toxic or dangerous materials used in the manufacture of the toy. Be aware that some imported toys, especially those made in China, have been recalled recently because they were decorated with lead-based paint. High levels of lead pose a serious health hazard.
  
  
• Check the quality of the toy’s materials and manufacture. Be sure there are no exposed rough edges or sharp points.
  
  
• Projectile toys such as darts or rockets aren’t appropriate for small kids – no exceptions.
  
  
• Don’t purchase electric toys with a heating element for children younger than eight. Adults should supervise battery recharging among older children.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that you quickly discard wrapping materials – especially plastic bags – to prevent them from becoming a hazard. Let your child play with plastic packing pellets once under your supervision – then put the material in the trash. Explain the suffocation hazard to your child. This will remove the mystery surrounding the packing material and your child won’t long to fiddle with it.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission notes that most of the injuries resulted from falls from riding toys – not dangerous or defective products. Still, a little thought can prevent your child from become a statistic.

“You don’t want to give small objects that can choke to a small child who still mouths toys,” says Dr. Brandenburg, author of Child Safe: A Practical Guide for Preventing Childhood Injuries.


Check out our collection of the very best in parent-friendly personal finance, Shopping With a Purpose, for ideas and information on helping your children learn and grow through finance this holiday season and beyond!