Toy Shopping for Safety

With toy recalls still fresh on your mind, shopping for toys may seem just a touch more complicated than in year's past.  You may be wondering how, or if it is even possible, to balance your children's happy expectations with the need to ensure there safety.

By now you have probably figured out that boycotting all toys made in China is not the answer. Ruling out many of your children’s favourites, spending considerably more and having significantly fewer choices may result in some disappointed faces when the presents are unwrapped. So if boycotting isn’t the answer, what is? 

First of all, consider a few reassuring facts. 

    • Toy recalls are becoming less likely in the future as companies are creating more stringent standards and testing procedures than were previously in place.The Chinese Government is not allowing any shipments to leave their country until all of the safety testing documents are in place.
    • The majority of toys imported into this country are in fact safe The recent recalls, although significant, still involve a fraction of the three billion toys imported from China every year. See a list of recent recalls.
    • The main reason for most of the recalls, especially those concerning high levels of lead, are not because they pose an imminent danger to children but because they do not conform to the law. Learn how lead affects children’s health.
    • Most play-related injuries are avoidable. Knowing what to watch out for and some common sense can eliminate the majority of safety hazards. For ways to protect your children during playtime see our Toy Safety Guidelines. 

 

We may see a few more recalls as all of the toys currently on the market are retested. Just remind yourself that the net result will be a safer environment for your children. In the meantime, here are some things you can do to be sure that the toys you purchase are safe:

    • Talk about your concerns to the owner and sales staff where you shop. At LearningToys.ca and in all of our affillated stores, we do everything we can to ensure that the toys we sell are safe. We inspect and tryout as many of the toys that we sell as possible. We solicit regular feedback from our customers and discontinue selling products that consumers have found to be less than satisfactory.
    • Be proactive and do your own safety inspection before purchasing a toy. If necessary ask to see it out of the box. If shopping online, check it as soon as you receive it. LearningToys.ca will always accept a return if a toy is found to be defective or unsafe. For a checklist of things to watch out for see our Toy Safety Guidelines.
    • Respect the age guidelines on the box. They are there to protect young children from toys that are unsafe for their age group. Read the fine print. If it says use with adult supervision and you don’t think this is likely to happen, skip this toy.
    • Be involved in and supervise your children’s play. Your vigilance is your children’s best protection

Most of all don't be afraid to buy toys from companies that have spent decades bringing exceptional products to market. We have a selection of fine toys made in North America, Europe and other countries (yes, even in China) that are known for high quality workmanship.

See our Favourite Brands for toymakers we highly recommend.