The Greatest Gift of All This Holiday Season Is a Safe and Healthy Family
Mechanicsburg, PA (PRWEB) December 09, 2013 -- As Santa is making a list, and checking it twice, The Pennsylvania Association for the Blind is helping to make sure all children and parents are asking Santa for the safest and most appropriate toys.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) there were an estimated 192,000 toy-related, emergency department-treated injuries in 2012 to children younger than 15 years. Many of the incidents were associated with, but not necessarily caused by, a toy.
The following tips will help you and Santa choose the perfect toy.
TIP # 1 – Consider the Size of the Toy
For infants, toddlers and all children who still mouth objects, avoid toys with small or sharp parts, such as buttons, eyes, or wheels. These parts could be swallowed and could pose a fatal choking hazard. As a test, if any part of the toy can fit inside a toilet paper roll, it is considered a hazard and not appropriate for children under the age of 3.
TIP # 2 – Consider the Shape of the Toy
Make sure a toy doesn’t have any blunt ends or edges that have points. These toys can be very sharp and could puncture the skin or eyes. Avoid toys that shoot or include parts that fly off. BB Guns and air guns should not even be considered toys.
TIP # 3 – Check the Label
Be a label reader. Look for labels that give age recommendations and warnings. Look for any toxic substances that may be painted on the toy and check instructions for clarity. They should be clear to you and your child.
TIP # 4 – Discard Plastic Wrapping and Strings
Immediately discard plastic wrapping on toys and avoid all toys with strings. Plastic wrapping may have sharp edges and could cause suffocation, while strings can be very dangerous especially if the string gets wrapped around your child’s neck.
TIP # 5 – Protect Your Child with Gear
Gifts of sports equipment should always be accompanied by protective gear. For example, if you buy a basketball, buy a pair of eye goggles as well, or if you buy a baseball, buy a batting helmet with a face shield. 90% of all sports-related eye injuries could have been prevented simple by using appropriate eye protection.
TIP # 6 – Finally, educate yourself on products that have been recalled, on both new and old toys.
Contact the CPSC at (800) 638-2772 or go to http://www.cpsc.gov for more information.
Follow these easy tips and make this Holiday Season a cheerful one. For more information about Safe Toys and Gift Ideas, contact the PAB at 717-766-2020 or visit http://www.pablind.org.
Contact: Katie Schock - PA Assn. f/t Blind Phone: 717-766-2020 Email: Katie.schock(at)pablind(dot)org
Beaver Co. Assn. f/t Blind, Berks Co. Assn. f/t Blind, Blair/Clearfield Co. Assn. f/t Blind & Disabled, Blind & Vision Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh, Bucks Co. Assn. f/t Blind, Butler Co. Assn. f/t Blind, Cambria Co. Assn. f/t Blind & Handicapped, Center f/t Blind & Visually Impaired, Central Susquehanna Sight Services, Center for Vision Loss, Fayette Co. Assn. f/t Blind, ForSight Vision, Greater Wilkes-Barre Assn. f/t Blind, Hazleton Blind Assn., Indiana Co. Blind Assn., Keystone Blind Assn., Lackawanna Branch –PAB, Montgomery Co. Assn. f/t Blind, North Central Sight Services, Nu Visions Center, South Central Blind Assn., Susquehanna Association f/t Blind & Vision Impaired, Tri-County Assn. f/t Blind, Venango Co. Assn. f/t Blind, The Sight Center of Northwest PA, Washington-Greene Assn. f/t Blind, Westmoreland Co. Blind Assn.
Katie Schock, Pennsylvania Association for the Blind, http://www.pablind.org, +1 (717) 766-2020, [email protected]
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