Choosing safe toys: what to look for in the shop and at home

Why toys deserve their own checklist

Toys enter the house through gifts, charity shops, online marketplaces and spontaneous purchases, and precisely because of that nobody looks at them as critically as at a car seat or a cot. Yet a baby puts everything in their mouth, pulls at it, hits with it and falls on it. The best-known accidents with toys involve choking on small parts, strangulation by cords and swallowing batteries or magnets. Those are exactly the things you can check in a few minutes, if you know what to look for. This article goes through the key points: the CE marking, the age label, small parts, cords, magnets, button cell batteries and maintenance at home. That way you choose with more peace of mind and throw away less out of uncertainty.

The CE marking and what it does and does not tell you

Toys sold in Europe must carry a CE marking. With it, the manufacturer declares that the product meets the European safety requirements for toys, for example regarding small parts, sharp edges, flammability and chemical substances. The marking is a promise by the manufacturer, not a certificate from an independent body, and on toys from unknown web shops outside Europe the logo says little. So also check whether a European manufacturer or importer with an address is listed on the packaging and whether instructions in Dutch are included. If all of that is missing, that is a reason to leave the product on the shelf, however cheap it is. If in doubt about a product, you can consult the safety warnings and recalls published by the NVWA, the Dutch food and consumer product safety authority.

Quick check for every new toy

• •CE marking, European manufacturer or importer and Dutch instructions present
• •Age label matches your child, pay special attention to the 0 to 3 years warning symbol
• •No loose or detaching parts that fit through an empty toilet paper roll
• •Short cords and ribbons without loops, no ribbons around the necks of soft toys
• •Battery compartment closed with a screw, no loose button cell batteries or small magnets
• •No sharp edges, splinters or flaking paint, second-hand included

Age labels are not developmental advice

Many toys carry an age, such as 3+ or 18 months+. The red symbol with a crossed-out baby face and the numbers 0 to 3 means the toy is not suitable for children under three, usually because it contains small parts or can produce them. That is a safety limit, not an estimate of how clever or dexterous your child is. A ten-month-old who likes to play with an older sibling's building blocks runs a real choking risk. So stick to the lower limit, even if you think your child already seems ready for it. Also read the warnings in small print on the packaging, because that is often where the real reason for the age limit is stated. In a family with children of different ages, a separate storage place for the oldest child's toys is the simplest solution.

Small parts and the toilet roll test

Choking is the biggest risk with toys for young children. Anything a baby can put in their mouth and that can get stuck there is too small: loose beads, eyes of soft toys, wheels, battery covers, caps and pieces of broken toys. A useful rule of thumb is the toilet roll test: if an object or part fits entirely through an empty toilet paper roll, it is too small for a child under three. Check soft toys for firmly sewn-on eyes and noses and choose embroidered versions where you can. Look at wooden toys for splinters and loosening parts, and at plastic toys for cracks from which pieces can break off. Throw broken toys away or repair them immediately, because a child finds the loose piece before you do.

Cords, ribbons and loops

Cords and ribbons are a strangulation risk, especially for babies who cannot yet free themselves. Think of dummy clips, pull-along animals, mobiles above the bed, playpen spirals and soft toys with a ribbon around the neck. Choose toys with short cords without loops and remove ribbons and bows from soft toys before they end up in the playpen or the bed. Hang mobiles and playpen spirals out of your child's reach and remove them as soon as your child can pull up. A dummy cord must be short and never goes into the bed, and a dummy chain is never worn around a child's neck. The same applies to cords on clothing and small backpacks for young children.

Magnets and button cell batteries: small but serious

Small, strong magnets and button cell batteries are a category of their own, because swallowing them can cause internal injury that you cannot see from the outside. Two swallowed magnets can attract each other through the intestinal wall, and a button cell battery can damage the oesophagus within a few hours. Keep magnetic toys with loose small magnets completely away from young children, and also look at fridge magnets and magnetic closures on older children's belongings in the house. For battery-powered toys, choose a battery compartment that is closed with a screw, and store loose and used batteries high up and locked away. If you suspect your child has swallowed a magnet or battery, do not wait for symptoms: call your GP or the out-of-hours GP service immediately, and 112 if your child has trouble breathing. In such cases doctors consult the Dutch National Poisons Information Centre (NVIC).

Second-hand toys and gifts from others

Second-hand toys are sustainable and cheap, but they often lack the packaging with the age label and warnings. So look at them with the same eye as new toys: find the CE marking on the product itself, check for loose parts, cracks, splinters and flaking paint, and test cords and battery compartments. If in doubt, search online whether the product has ever been recalled; the NVWA keeps an overview of safety warnings. Very old toys may contain paint or plastic that no longer meets current requirements, so be careful with painted wooden toys from an unknown period. If you receive a gift that does not match your child's age, put it away for later instead of letting your child use it now. A friendly word to family beforehand about what you are looking for often saves a lot of trouble.

Maintenance and tidying up at home

Safe toys only stay safe if you check them from time to time. Go through the toy box once a month and remove broken, cracked or worn pieces. Wash soft toys according to the label and check after washing that eyes and seams are still secure. Store toys for older children in a place the youngest cannot reach, for example on a higher shelf or in a lockable box. With toy chests, look for a lid that does not slam shut and for ventilation holes, and avoid chests a child can climb into and get trapped in. Tidying up at the end of the day is also a safety measure: toys on the stairs or in a dark hallway are a tripping hazard for everyone.

Fewer, but better chosen

Most babies prefer to play with a few familiar things and with whatever is in the kitchen drawer. So you do not need to buy much to let your child explore; a small, well-checked collection is safer and often more fun than a full cupboard. Choose toys that suit the age, check them when they come in and inspect them regularly. Discuss with the babysitter and the grandparents which rules you follow, so that the toys at their place are just as safe as at home. Use the room checklists in this app to also go through the environment in which your child plays. That way toys stay what they should be: fun without worries.