When Brand-Name Toys can be Dangerous to Kids, What's a Parent to Do?

We grew up with Mattel toys, and it’s almost heart-breaking to read news of this latest expanded recall of Mattel toys — millions upon millions of toys that turn out to be potentially dangerous to children, due to strong magnets that could come loose and be swallowed, and to the use of paint that contains excessive amounts of lead…

And this comes right on the heels of a similar recall by Mattel’s Fisher Price division, where lead paint was the health issue.

Play time is learning time for our young ones, and a good toy can help to stimulate a child’s growing mind, imagination, manual dexterity, physical balance, and observation and problem-solving skills —

So, instead of feeling helpless and angry, let’s look at what we can do to help protect our kids.

• Avoid products made in countries with lax environmental laws and standards.

  No country’s manufacturing sector is perfect, of course, but it helps to start out with fairly strict health and safety standards at the national level. In the case of the recent Mattel product recalls, there are reports that the Chinese authorities knew about the safety problem with magnets on toys as long as a few months ago!

• Don’t take the label at its word when it comes to small parts that could be swallowed.

  Most toys come with labels giving a suggested minimum age or age range — “not suitable for children under the age of 3,” for example — but we all know 4-year-olds with great energy who may not yet have developed the common sense and judgment of consequences to match the level of their curiosity! If your child is the type to take a toy apart to see what it’s made of, or to taste everything that comes into his hands, do take that into consideration when you’re choosing a toy for him.

• Check it yourself.

  Button eyes on a stuffed animal are easy enough to spot, but what about that lead paint? Neena uses a non-toxic home testing kit, LeadCheck Swabs, to check for lead paint on toys and costume jewelry before her children get hold of them.

• Check for product recalls.

  A good start is the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which maintains a website where you can look up information on over 4,000 product recalls and recall alerts from sports equipment to household goods, to toys and other products designed for children.

  As well as current recalls, take a few extra minutes to check on the company’s history. An unusual number of product recalls for safety reasons should be a bit of a red flag.

And maybe it’s time to take a whole different tack on children’s toys…

Instead of buying the latest “licensed character” mass-market toy imported from an off-shore factory, why not look into locally-crafted toys? Many of the traditional toys and games that have been entertaining children perfectly well for generations are available once more at craft shows and farmers’ markets — spinning tops, wooden blocks, rocking horses, and homemade stuffed animals and dolls.

Can you remember making a Wendy house or play castle from a cardboard box, or a secret fort from your mother’s sofa cushions? Musical instruments from the contents of the kitchen drawers? Paper airplanes? Kites from garbage bags and newspaper?

The possibilities for delightful homemade toys are endless…
and so is a child’s imagination!

Photo courtesy of Steve Rainer