Plastic used in some second-hand toys can pose a risk to children’s health, studies have suggested. Some plastic toys do not meet the required international safety standards and contain hazardous chemicals that can affect children’s health. 

With the increasing trend of online shopping and quick access to everything at just a click, the decision to choose is extremely difficult. This also comes with an additional responsibility for parents to choose more wisely and cautiously for their children. 

Selecting a wooden toy or a cuddly soft toy buddy for your babies requires utmost caution. This makes it extremely important to ensure that you pick toys with appropriate international safety standards.

 

What Makes a Toy Safe?

The safety of a toy depends on plenty of factors and not just on how easily it breaks. While durability and longevity are important, they aren’t the only things to consider while choosing a safe toy for your babies. You can look for the following factors while making your buying decision.

• Material: Babies often put the toys in their mouths, so it is important that the material used to make them is absolutely safe and organic. Generally, wood and soft cloth are considered better toy materials than plastic. Always check the material before buying a toy.
• Non-toxic paints: Always ensure that toys are painted with child-safe and hygienic water paints. This makes the toys both bright and safe. 
• Rounded and smooth edges: Look for wooden toys with rounded edges without any sharp corners, as sharp-edged toys can lead to cuts and injuries.
• Age and size suitability: Read the labels carefully to check the age suitability of the toy and ensure that it is sized appropriately for children to handle. It shouldn’t be too big, or the child won’t be able to carry it properly.
• Certifications and safety standards: Always check international safety standards, like EN71, for toys to ensure that they are safe and made of high-quality materials.

 

What to Do as a Parent?

As a parent, you can do more than just stick around with your child and watch them play. Constant supervision is undoubtedly essential while kids play; however, it is better to go beyond that and do a little more to ensure your child plays safely and grows in a healthy playspace with their best toys.

• Look for durable and high-quality wooden toys. Conduct regular toy maintenance for wooden toys to keep them clean and check for loose or damaged parts, if any.
• Avoid toys with small pieces, as they pose a chewing hazard. Also, refrain from toys with strong magnets, as they can be harmful for babies.
• For soft toys, ensure they are made of soft and child-safe fabric. Follow cleaning tips for soft toys to ensure that your kid’s toys are safe and clean while they play with them.
• Constantly watch your child while they play. Try to be interactive while keeping a vigilance so it doesn’t hamper your child’s interest in the toy.

 

Barnshenn’s Commitment to Sustainability and Safety

With child safety and growth at the core of our business, we are committed to crafting high-quality, durable, and child-safe toys. From the non-toxic wood to the child-safe fabric of our soft toys, we bring you the best without compromising on environmental responsibility.

• EN71-Certified: EN71 is a toy safety standard that verifies that the given toy fulfils the toy safety requirements and is free of harmful chemicals. It also assesses the toy’s physical properties, like rounded and smooth edges and choking hazards. All our toys are EN71-certified, which ensures appropriate safety standards for them.
• FSC-Certified Wood: We source the wood for our wooden toys from sustainably managed forests, thanks to our FSC certification. This helps us make safe toys without compromising the environment.
• Sturdy and durable wood construction ensures the longevity of our toys. We strive to build toys that your children can treasure forever.

 

Conclusion

At Barnshenn, we understand that toys are more than just playthings; they are a child’s first companion, shaping their earliest experiences. So, we try and help you make conscious and thoughtful choices for your little ones’s safety and well-being.

Through our well-designed and eco-friendly toys, we aim to inspire your child’s creativity and imagination in those early years.

We hope that the guide above gave you useful insights and will help you find the next best toy for your kids. Explore our entire collection of toys at Barnshenn for newborns and toddlers. Are you in search of additional inspiration? Hop on to our social media handles, like TikTok, Pinterest, and Instagram, for more gift inspiration for toddlers. See you in the next blog.

 

 

FAQs

 

1. Which material is safest for toys for toddlers?

Ans: Some of the safe materials for kids play include wood, cloth, paper and wool. Natural and organic materials are safest for play for toddlers. 

2. How to choose safe toys for toddlers?

Ans: To choose safe toys for toddlers, read the labels properly and check for international safety standards to confirm the quality and safety of the toys. Then, check if the toy is age-appropriate for your child and ensure it doesn’t come with any sharp edges and loose parts that can be potentially harmful for children.