How to purchase safe toys for children

This month is Safe Toys & Gift month in the US, well timed for choosing gifts for the festive period. This should be an awareness day globally, as there are some many unsafe toys worldwide that are causing damage to children. Here at Little Omo, we wanted to pause and remind families of the importance of considering the safety measure of the items when deciding on the perfect gift.

We're proud to say each of our toys here at Little Omo, go through rigorous inspection from our manufacturers who are experts and have been in the business for more than 50 years - to ensure there is no risk all of our flashcards have rounded edges to prevent paper cuts and don't have any plastic or laminated covering as that could be a choking hazard.

Our puzzles have small pieces and have passed testing (suitable for children from 3 years and above). We ensure that our pieces don't break or cause harm, making us the perfect balance between recycled sustainable materials to being safe and durable, the perfect formula to keeping the little ones safe and happy.

Here are a few things to look out for:
- Look for the CE symbol and UKCA mark, a lot of people might not know what this is as it's not really something that is spoken about much. The symbol and mark is a claim by a manufacturer to say that the toy you've purchased meets the regulatory requirements. If you don't see these logos on the toys you're purchasing, it may mean that it's not safe for children to play with,
- Avoid purchasing toys with loose pile of fabric or hair which sheds very easily as this is a choking hazard for a child. 
- Unclear bath toy holes, small components, sharp points, edges and finger traps. It's very important to look at the age recommendation of a product as well, even if your child is advanced enough to play with it - safety comes first.
- Don't purchase a toy that could cause any damage to the child from toys that have shooting objects or toys that are too loud that can damage your child's hearing.

This is an example of the symbol and logo on our face puzzles, As parents, we are always very careful with what we purchase for our little ones for their special day or milestone, and sometimes we do also make mistakes when purchasing toys and realising it's not age appropriate or may be harmful.

For the adults purchasing gifts, we would say it's always important to ask the parent what they want for their child as they may have it already or are particular about the materials that the toys are made from. Even though it's a present and meant to be a surprise, you can ask these questions about 2-3 months prior to Christmas - keep it in mind for next year.

For more information you can visit these websites below for more information 
https://child-familyservices.org/december-is-national-safe-toys-and-gifts-month/