December Awareness: Safe Toys and Gifts Month
What Does It Mean?
Help us keep safety in mind during the biggest gift-giving month of the year. Let’s consider buying gifts that are age-appropriate and safety-conscientious to the recipients’ abilities, especially for infants and kids under three years of age.
More About Safe Toys and Gifts Month:
According to The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), around 217,000 children are treated in the emergency room annually for toy-related incidents. Most injuries involved choking, falls, eye injuries, and motor accidents. These may result from interaction with an unsafe or developmentally inappropriate toy. Safe Toys and Gifts Month not only encourages awareness of safety hazards but the methods and supervision involved in preventing injury.
How Can We Help?
Safety tips that can help lower the chance of accidents include…
Quickly discarding plastic wrappings/packaging before they become dangerous playthings
Keeping toys appropriate for older kids away from younger ones
Adults watching battery charging
Avoiding toys with small parts for children younger than three
Reading all warnings and instructions on the box
Asking yourself or the parent if the toy is right for the child’s ability and age
Considering whether other smaller children may be in the home that may have
access to the toyAvoiding purchasing toys with sharp or rigid points, spikes, rods, or dangerous
edges
Want to Learn More?
Visit the American Public Health Association to discover more about Safe Toys and Gifts month and to explore safe gift ideas.
How YOU Can Help!
Keep in mind the gift recipients’ age and abilities when giving.
Donations
National
“Every holiday season, Safe & Sound’s Toy Store provides free toys, books & clothing to nearly 400 children, as well as warm & nourishing meals to help families enjoy the festivities of the season. With trying times everyone is facing right now due to COVID-19, these families need your help more than ever” (Safe and Sounds, Get Involved).
California
“For 2021, we're bringing back the truck! Last year we had to re-imagine Variety Toys4Tykes. To make sure that we are safe, our friends, and families are safe, and those donating are safe, we came up with a socially distanced solution to get toys to kids in need...FILL THE TRUCK!” (Variety, Toys).