Done holiday shopping for your kids? Make sure your gifts are safe
If you're ahead of the game, all the holiday gifts are wrapped.
For procrastinators, shopping for the perfect gift is just beginning.
Either way, between sips of eggnog and sweeping up the shards of broken ornaments your dog knocks off the Christmas tree, it might be a good time to make sure you're not giving anyone, especially a child, a recalled product.
“You can’t look at a product and know it has been recalled," said Nikki Fleming, a spokesperson with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. "It’s important for consumers to be safe all year and not only during the holidays."
Recently recalled items are listed below.
Judge sues courts: Poughkeepsie judge sues court system over vaccination mandate
Why Wegmans works: A retail expert tours the Westchester Wegmans with us (for subscribers)
Infrastructure bill windfall? Schumer seeking $100M for Hudson Valley train crossings
The CPSC website lists recalls on all kinds of products (except food and drugs) and offers the ability to sign up for direct notifications on product recalls. It also shows available options for consumers, whether that's a refund, replacement or repair. CPSC also runs SaferProducts.gov, a searchable database of potentially harmful products. The database can be used to search for products or to report products people have problems or concerns about.
Shopping for new toys is also a good reminder to make sure recalled toys aren't already in the house, Fleming said.
In 2021, there were over 152,000 injuries treated in emergency departments that were related to toys, according to a CPSC report. That included two deaths − an 8-month-old who suffocated while lying on a stuffed animal and a 17-month-old who swallowed an egg-shaped plastic toy.
Non-motorized scooters accounted for the largest number of toy-related injuries in the report: 37,000 injuries among kids 14 or younger.
“We want families to have a safe holiday season and not end up in the emergency-room,” Fleming said.
Safe gift giving tips
One of the biggest concerns when shopping for toys is that they are age appropriate.
Consulting the age label on toys is important, Fleming said. When shopping online it might take a couple extra clicks, but looking at safety information, such as recalls or labels, is worth it.
With kids under the age of 3, a major concern is choking. During holidays and celebrations, it's important to keep an eye out for burst balloons as small pieces of them are considered a "hidden danger" for choking, Fleming said. Balloons should be kept away from children under 8.
Button batteries and high-powered magnets also pose serious health risks if swallowed and should be kept out of reach of small children.
Plastic packaging can also pose a suffocation risk and should be thrown away properly.
And if a new bicycle, skateboard or scooter is already wrapped and ready for a loved one this holiday season, "be sure to include the safety gear," Fleming said − a helmet, knee pads, elbow pads and wrist guards.
Recalled products to avoid
From lead paint to choking and fall hazards, here are some of the products for kids that were recently recalled:
Four-Piece Plush Toy Sets from Cloud Island
Children's clothing sets from Bentex
Discovery Cubes Animal Hide and Seek Activity Toys from HABA USA
Toddler’s Stainless Steel Bottles and Cups from Green Sprouts
Children’s Rainbow Stacking Toys from Professor Puzzle
Infant’s Yellow Footed Fleece Pajamas with Animal Graphic from The William Carter Company
Single-to-Double Strollers from Mockingbird
Stashables Finger Skateboard Ramp Sets from BS Interactive
Tangame Busy Houses from Tangame Toys
Bolt Foldable Children’s Scooters from Anker Play Products
Contact Diana Dombrowski at ddombrowski@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @domdomdiana.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Lead, choking and fall hazards: Make sure your holiday gifts are safe
