December: Safe Toys and Gifts Month

One Christmas morning in the early 1980s, I watched a kid named Kevin try to use a toy called a "Pogo Ball." It was essentially a very firm kickball attached to a platform upon which a child was expected to stand while holding part of the ball tightly between his feet. Then, said child was supposed to hop. This is all true. Picture here.

Anyway, I watched Kevin excitedly run out of his front screen door with it, put it upon the ground, get his feet on it as per the instructions (while leaning against a garbage can), hop once and then immediately land with some force face-first on his driveway. He went back inside far less excitedly than he ran out.

For those of us who have to buy Christmas gifts for children, it's nice to know there are resources out there to help us make decisions that will keep them from doing high speed face-plants on the sidewalk or "shooting their eye out."

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has a veritable library of toy safety publications. Definitely worth a look for parents. Especially "Toy Safety Shopping Tips" and list of toy recalls.

The Federation of Public Interest Research Groups's Toy Safety Report 2010

Kidshealth.org--Choosing Safe Toys

World Against Toys Causing Harm (WATCH)--Their list of ten worst toys would be funny if the toys weren't real. My favorite: "Walkaroo II Aluminum Stilts."

American Academy of Pediatrics toy safety page.

Prevent Blindness America's site tells us more about buying eye-safe toys for children.