Did you know that most toy purchases take place each year from Thanksgiving to Christmas? SafeKids encourages parents to educate themselves and offers the following safety tips for purchasing toys:

• When purchasing toys for children, consider their ages and skill levels. Most toys have an age specification on the packaging, such as "For 3+" or "Not for Under 3 Years."
• Make certain toys for older kids are stored separately from those for younger children. Older children might receive toys with small, detachable parts, but are unlikely to put the parts in their mouths.
• Make sure toys with small, detachable parts are kept away from children under 3 years old. Small, detachable parts are choking hazards.
• Check the toys your children have for any damage or breakage that could cause injury.
• Always supervise young children playing with toys that are battery-powered, electric, or operated by remote control. This season, particularly, watch out for toys that fly and toys that climb walls and can fall on children.
• Always supervise young children playing with toys that have small balls, strings, small parts or contain magnets.
• Always supervise children playing with any kind of riding toy or toys that might create a fall hazard, such as trampolines, swings or pogo-sticks or toys that resemble those. If you are thinking about purchasing a toy with wheels, you may also want to get a helmet to go with it.
• Remember: According to SafeKids, active supervision means keeping children within sight and reach while paying undivided attention to them as they play.

And, as always, parents should stay informed about any unsafe toy products on the market by checking the Consumer Product Safety Commission's recall website at http://www.recalls.gov and by checking in with us at http://www.ChildSafetyBlog.org.

Best wishes for a safe and happy ramp-up to this season of holiday gift-giving!

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