Key takeaways: Choose toys labeled for your baby’s age, avoid anything small enough to fit through a toilet paper tube, and make sure battery compartments are secured with screws. Avoid toys with long cords, loose parts, or high-powered magnets. Check CPSC.gov for recalls, especially on secondhand toys, and sign up for recall alerts.
Toys help babies learn and play. Choosing them carefully keeps playtime safe.
Hazards to Avoid
- Small parts: federal rules ban small parts in toys for children under 3. Use the toilet paper tube test at home.
- Button batteries: can cause severe internal burns if swallowed. Reese’s Law requires secured battery compartments on products with button batteries.
- High-powered magnets: swallowing more than one can cause serious intestinal injuries.
- Cords and strings: can wrap around the neck.
- Sharp edges or points.
- Loud toys: some can be loud enough to harm hearing when held close to the ear.
- Balloons: a leading cause of choking deaths among children’s products. Keep uninflated and broken balloons away.
From the author
From First Breath to First Birthday is my month-by-month guide to your baby’s first year, written as a NICU and postpartum nurse. My book is a month-by-month guide to your baby’s first year, including the warning signs that mean it’s time to call the doctor.
Choosing Safe Toys
- Follow age labels.
- Choose sturdy, well-made toys.
- Check for loose parts regularly.
- Avoid toys with chipped paint or broken pieces.
- Be cautious with secondhand and older toys, which may not meet current standards or may contain lead.
Recalls
- Search CPSC.gov for recalls.
- Sign up for recall emails from CPSC.
- Register new products with the manufacturer.
Teething Toys
- Choose solid teething rings.
- Avoid teething necklaces and bracelets, which the FDA warns can cause choking and strangulation.
Storage
- Use toy boxes without lids, or with lids that stay open and won’t slam.
- Keep older siblings’ toys with small parts away from babies.
The Bottom Line
Choose age-appropriate toys, avoid small parts, batteries, and magnets, and check for recalls.
Want more support for your baby’s first year? My book, From First Breath to First Birthday, is available on Amazon.
Related Articles
- Best Toys by Age in the First Year
- Buying Secondhand Baby Gear Safely
- When Your Baby Swallows Something
- Halloween With a Baby
Sources
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Toy safety; small parts regulations; Reese’s Law. https://www.cpsc.gov
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Toy safety. HealthyChildren.org. https://www.healthychildren.org
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Do not use teething jewelry. https://www.fda.gov
This article is for general education and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Always talk with your baby’s health care provider or your own provider about your specific situation. If you think your baby or you may have a medical emergency, call 911.
