A lot of new toys will be wrapped in the coming weeks as parents get ready to spoil their kids.
Riding toys are always a hit at this time of year; every kid wants a new bike or scooter, and even skates and skateboards are popular. Just make sure your kid can enjoy them safely.
鈥淟ast year there were 166,000 children younger than 15 who visited emergency rooms because of toy-related injuries,鈥� said Dana Baiocco, of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
鈥淲e see so many injuries with riding toys, but it鈥檚 not necessarily the toy,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 because the children don鈥檛 have the appropriate safety gear. The gift is not complete without the safety gear,鈥� she added. 鈥淢ake sure the helmet fits; get the right sizes.鈥�
But it鈥檚 not just riding toys that can hurt children. Sometimes a child might just be too young to really be able to enjoy a particular toy.
鈥淵ou [also] want to make sure that if there are small children in the house under the age of 3, you avoid choking hazards,鈥� said Baiocco. 鈥淓very toy has ages that are appropriate and labeled on the toy. And it will also provide you with warnings, and parents should read those warnings.鈥�
