Festive decorations, twinkling lights, the smell of freshly baked cookies, and crowded shopping malls with shoppers scurrying about with packages, these signal the approach of the Holiday Season. During this special time of year, countless individuals will purchase every kind of toy imaginable, from stuffed animals to remote control cars and video games.

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that in 2017 (most recent data on file) there were an estimated 251,700 toy-related injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments.

When choosing that prefect toy, it is best to pick one that is appropriate for the child. The CPSC recommends that the parent/ guardian be a label reader, looking for safety recommendations as well as any age restrictions. A toy that is suitable should match a child’s age, skills, and interest level. Since it is impossible to make all toys safe, the responsibility for toy safety is in the hands of those who purchase them. Central Susquehanna Sight Services, and United Way agency, urges all parents and toy buyers to examine the toys they buy and keep in mind the CPSC’s tips on toy safety.

Some of CPSC’s Top Safe Shopping Tips:
• Choose toys that match your child’s interests and abilities as well as your family’s play environment
• Know your seller, purchase toys from retailers you know and trust
• Purchase Safety Gear: Scooters, bikes, skates and other riding toys should include a helmet and any needed padding. Helmets should always be worn properly and should be sized to fit.
• Projectile Toys: Projectile toys such as air rockets, darts, and slingshots are for older children
• Chargers and Adapters: Charging batteries should be supervised by adults, chargers and adapters can pose thermal burn hazards to children
• Magnets: For children under age six, avoid building sets with small magnets. High-powered magnet sets are a safety risk to all children — toddler through teen. Children have swallowed loose magnets, causing serious intestinal injuries.
• Small Parts: For children younger than age three, avoid toys with small parts, which can cause choking.
• Material of toy- for young children toys should not contain materials such as glass or brittle plastic that will crack or shatter

In addition, make sure that all directions or instructions are clear to you, and more importantly, to the child. Plastic wrappings on toys should be discarded at once before they become deadly.

Protecting children from unsafe toys is the responsibility of everyone. Take this opportunity to join us, Central Susquehanna Sight Services, a United Way agency, in helping to make this holiday season a safe and happy one for the children of this Commonwealth.

For more information on this, and other eye diseases and conditions, please visit http://www.cssight.org or call Central Susquehanna Sight Services at 570-286-1471.

Central Susquehanna Sight Services receives funding from the United Way, the Pennsylvania Association for the Blind, grants, and through private donations.