Troubling toys

Trouble in Toyland

December 10, 2007

I chatted with Tom Crann on All Things Considered today about toy shopping this holiday season.

Sorry to say, there’s more to worry about than lead in toys.

Choking.

Children can choke on small parts in toys. Kimberly Thompson, of KidsRisk, a research group at Harvard University, says that the best thing we can do to keep our kids safe is to pay attention to small children! Remember, little kids want to put everything in their mouths. Read more:

KidsRisk: The Power of Attention

US PIRG features their 22nd Annual Survey of Toy Safety. Go to the full report, in pdf format, called "Trouble in Toyland."

And from the U S Consumer Product Safety Commission: CPSC Warns Parents About Choking Hazards to Young Children
Noisy Toys.

A study was released last week from The University of California at Irvine about how toys which are noisy can hurt our kids. It’s safe to listen to about 100 decibels Many toys have the capacity to be louder.

Read the report: “Greater Parental Guidance Suggested for Noisy Toy Use.” They list several toys such as the Bob the Builder Talking Tool Belt (96 decibels) and The High School Musical Rockerz Jammin Guitar (106 decibels). From the report:

According to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), prolonged exposure to loud sound can cause permanent hearing damage. For comparison, OSHA notes that it’s safe to listen to a 100 decibel sound for up to two hours a day, while NIOSH recommends less than 10 minutes daily for the same sound.

iPods and mp3 players also pose a danger to kids’ ears, because they can be turned up so loud. Parents can suggest volume controls for their kids. Remember, hearing damage is irreversible.

Video Games.

According to Brad Bushman, psychologist at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, many scientific studies clearly show that violent video games make kids more likely to yell, punch and push. Read an article written for kids about this topic at Science News for Kids.

Parents have to decide what games they want their kids to play, if any, and then they have to enforce these rules. To help,

ABC News has released The Ultimate Parents’ Guide to Video Games

The National Institute on Media and The Family presents its 2007 MediaWise Video Game Report Card.

And here’s what I’m dying to know:

What do the kids think?

In the midst of the holiday shopping season, do you know kids who are concerned about the dangers of the toys that are for sale?

Have you ever had to tell a kid that he/she couldn’t keep a toy that was given as a gift because it’s not safe or it’s not appropriate?

What happened?

Have you gotten rid of "dangerous toys?"

My daughter is 5. We do not have any of the recalled toys (as far as I know). Part of me wants to go through my house and throw out any toy made in China. Is this unreasonable? With all of the fear and the unknowns, how are we supposed to know what is safe and what is not?
I recently heard that anything made in China with Red or Orange dyes is unsafe. We have plastic tumblers and mugs that are red/orange. I've tried researching on the Internet and have found nothing. Does anyone know a good reference website before I become a minimalist and throw out everything my daughter owns that is made in China? I'm trying to be realistic, but the mother in me is starting to panic!

Chris,

It's probably not unreasonable to panic, especially when you are concerned for your daughter's well being! But first, go to http://www.healthytoys.org and see what you can find out there.

Before you start throwing things out, find out what you can about the toys/products you own.

Nanci Olesen

Chris, the red and orange dye thing sounds like the stuff of urban legend to me. Some of the toys from China that have recently been recalled had lead in their yellow and red paints. But it doesn't follow from that that anything red or orange from China is necessarily hazardous. It also doesn't follow that products NOT made in China are necessarily safe.

It's hard to know what's safe and what isn't, even with diligent research. Kids had been playing with the lead-tainted trains for years before they were recalled. On the other hand, it's not clear that any of those kids became ill.

= Catherine Winter (Nanci's editor)