Toy Safety

I was just going through the Biggest Toy Recalls of 2008 as listed in Parents.com. It scares me just looking at the things that could go wrong with toys.

From magnets that could become detached and accidentally swallowed to drawstrings that could cause strangulation. From batteries and chargers that could short circuit and cause fires to toys painted with paints that contain excessive lead.

Toys pose a potential danger and threat to our children's safety. So once in a while we should go through our children's toy box and throw out those that have loose parts, long strings etc and always supervise the kids when they play with any electrical toys or those powered with rechargeable batteries.

Another thing, always remember to throw out the plastic covers or plastic bags that come with the toys as those can cause suffocation. My child's paed also told me to throw out those furry soft toys or at least wash them more regularly because those can contain lots of dust mites which can cause allergies and rashes.

Looks like its better to just let our kids play with simple homemade toys like folded paper aeroplanes etc. The new techy ones can be dangerous if not handled or supervised with care. What do you think? Have you come across any toy related accidents? Please share.