Guide for Choosing Safe and Hygienic Baby Toys

Baby toys are essential for both learning and play, helping your child to develop healthily as well as keeping them occupied and staving off boredom. You need to be able to have peace of mind that the toys you give to your baby will nurture and engage him or her, not present a safety hazard as soon as you turn your back. To help you to make informed choices about the right toys for your child, here are some guidelines on how to select safe and hygienic toys for your baby.

Choose toys that are easy to clean

Making sure that your toys aren’t harboring harmful bacteria is crucial to keeping your child safe and well. Ensure you clean your baby’s toys in a fashion that’s appropriate for your child’s age and for the nature of the toy. Babies under 6 months should have toys that are easy to completely disinfect, like you would their bottle or pacifier, as their immature immune systems make them more susceptible to infection. Older children’s toys can be placed in the dishwasher or washing machine, or wiped over with a natural and harmless disinfectant.

Always get age appropriate toys

Manufacturers provide clear instructions on the age group that’s suited to each toy they produce, and to avoid risk to your baby, it’s best to stick to their recommendations. Of course, an older child can safely play with a younger child’s toy, but not vice-versa. Fluffy toys or those with ribbons or strings attached can present a significant risk to a young baby, for example.

Choose quality every time

Buying your baby’s toys isn’t the time to cut corners with cost. Make sure that they’re well-made and feature the appropriate safety symbols to prove they’ve been rigorously tested and approved as safe. If in doubt, check out the government website for more information. It’s best to buy from a reputable retailer, whether online or from a bricks and mortar store. Avoid cheap knock-offs and low-quality plastic toys that aren’t built to last and could come apart and present a choking hazard.

Check regularly for damage

Make a habit of going over each of your baby’s toys frequently to ensure that they’re in good condition; a damaged toy could lead to injury. Something as innocuous as a split plastic edge could lead to a nasty scratch, loose pieces can be choking hazards, and unraveled threads and strips of material could get entangled with a younger baby and cause suffocation.Author: Emma Mills