It turns out that this year’s hottest holiday toy is safe after all. After the recent media coverage around toy safety, many parents are left wondering if other toys on their children’s wish lists are safe, too. I thought it would be helpful to share some tips for making sure children’s toys are safe during this holiday season, courtesy of Safe Kids New Jersey:

1. Before shopping for toys, consider the child’s age, interest and skill level. A fun, but inappropriate toy for a particular child can be dangerous.
2. Make sure toys intended for older children are stored separately from those for younger children.
3. Keep toys with small parts away from children under age 3. They can choke on small toys and toy parts.
4. Check regularly for damage that could create small pieces that are choking hazards. Make any necessary repairs immediately, or discard damaged toys out of the reach of children.
5. Actively supervise children when they are playing with riding toys as well as any toy that has small balls and small parts, magnets, electrical or battery power, cords and strings, wheels or any other potential hazard. Simply being in the same room as your child is not necessarily supervising. Active supervision means keeping the child in sight and in reach while paying undivided attention.

According to Safe Kids, most toys are safe, especially if you buy from a reputable retailer. Parents can stay informed about harmful products by visiting http://www.recalls.gov/ and signing up for email alerts on recalled children’s products.

 If secondhand toys are purchased, or received from friends or relatives, parents should visit http://www.cpsc.gov/ and make sure the toy hasn’t been recalled for safety reasons.

Safe Kids New Jersey has more tips and resources on toy safety to help parents keep kids safe this holiday season-as well as important information about kitchen safety and holiday decorating safety.