Safe play: how to avoid accidents with toys
There is no doubt that the game is very important for the little ones in the house. Fun and development are combined in these activities that influence very positively the little ones, especially if the parents are involved in them. Given the time children spend with their children toys, the need to follow safety regulations to avoid accidents is evident.
Knowing the importance of toys for the little ones, the Safety Committee of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics, AEP, has devoted a chapter to this issue. A series of guidelines that must be taken into account both at the time of the game with these items and when someone is going to acquire one of them.
Toy rules
These are the recommendations that are given to parents before purchasing a toy to your child and when using it:
- Toys must always be appropriate to the child's age and abilities.
- Toys must always be bought in stores that offer confidence and toys that show the CE seal that indicates that the toy complies with European safety regulations.
- Save the purchase ticket or some proof of it to make any claim in case of mishap with the child.
- Always follow the assembly instructions of the toy taking into account the manufacturer's instructions. It is always convenient to keep them in a safe place in case a revision is necessary.
- Remember that the packaging is not a toy and that in case it has to be stored for warranty reasons, it must be kept away from children
- Balloons are a decorative element, you should not play with them. In case one explodes, it is best to remove the challenges to avoid suffocation.
- For children it is totally forbidden to buy toys that include darts or arrows.
- The pieces used by children under 36 months should not be less than 4.4 cm.
- Always supervise children during the game.
- Teach the child to keep their toys once the activity is finished and do it in a safe place (box, trunk, shelves, chest, etc.). It will avoid accidents by trips.
- Use safety measures such as helmets or knee guards when necessary.
- Periodically check the toys for flaws.
- In the case of video games, it is better to avoid children spending more than two hours a day playing with them. The abusive use of these games favors obesity, sedentary lifestyle, isolation, violence and poor school performance.
Damián Montero
