• Do not allow reckless or improper play. Teach your children to play with toys the way they were meant to be played with. Injuries can happen when toys are thrown, jumped on, or taken apart.
• Watch for small, loose, or broken toys. Small toys or parts can easily get stuck in a child's ear, nose, or throat.
• Children can be seriously injured or killed from inhaling, swallowing, or choking on magnets, marbles, small balls, toy parts, balloons and other similar toys.
• Watch your child carefully around balloons. Uninflated and broken balloons are a serious choking hazard. Your child can easily inhale pieces of the balloon when trying to inflate it or if they try to bite it.
• Always check batteries. Small batteries can be a choking hazard and cause lots of damage if swallowed. If a toy has small batteries, be sure the battery compartment is sealed tightly.
• Watch out for loose strings, ropes, ribbons, or cords. These can get tangled around a child's neck causing injury and strangulation.
• Have a safe play area for riding toys. Injuries can happen when children fall off these types of toys. Your child should not use these toys near streets, swimming pools or lakes . When riding other toys that have speed such as skateboards or scooters make sure your child always has both a helmet and safety pads on

• Look for damaged or broken parts, splinters on wooden toys, loose eyes or small parts on dolls, and exposed wires on electric toys. A broken toy can expose sharp or pointed edges.
• Don't let toys get rusty. Never leave metal toys outside overnight, as they may get rusty.
• Check for fire hazards with electrical devices  

• Store toys in areas that are easy and safe for your child to get to.
• Make sure toys are not kept near hazardous materials like cleaning supplies.
• It is bets to take the toys out of their original packaging.
• Staples and stiff plastic containers can cause cuts, and plastic wrap can lead to choking or suffocation.

1. Read the label. Warning labels give important information about how to use a toy and what ages the toy is safe for. Show your child how to use the toy the right way.
2. Think LARGE. Make sure all toys and parts are larger than your child's mouth to prevent choking.
3. Avoid toys that shoot objects into the air. They can cause serious eye injuries or choking.
4. Avoid toys that are loud to prevent damage to your child's hearing.
5. Look for stuffed toys that are well made. Make sure all the parts are on tightly and seams and edges are strong. Take off any loose ribbons or strings to avoid strangulation. Avoid toys that have small bean-like pellets or stuffing that can cause choking or suffocation if swallowed.
6. Buy plastic toys that are sturdy. Toys made from thin plastic may break easily.
7. Avoid toys with toxic materials that could cause poisoning. Make sure the label says "nontoxic."
8. Avoid hobby kits and chemistry sets for any child younger than 12 years. They can cause fires or explosions and may contain dangerous chemicals. Make sure your older child knows how to safely handle these kinds of toys.
9. Electric toys should be "UL Approved." Check the label to be sure.
10. Be careful when buying crib toys. Strings or wires that hang in a crib should be kept short to avoid strangulation. Crib toys should be removed as soon as your child can push up on his hands and knees. 

When buying a gift for a child, make sure to follow age recommendation on product packaging.  

The following is a list of toys that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends for specific age groups. Keep in mind, these are only guidelines. Parents should continue to watch out for mislabeled toys and always supervise young children.