credit:pedrosimoes7Children get invited to many birthday celebrations and I’m sure you try to find a safe, age appropriate gift to give. But with all the recent toy recalls, the question on your mind is probably ” How do I know which toys are safe?” Yet most importantly, ”What’s being done to prevent harmful toys from entering the marketplace?”

Keep informed about recalled toys:

Check the Consumer Product Safety Commission web site, www.cpsc.gov for current recalls. Or, call their hotline at 800.638.2772.

Check The Mattel Toy Company website at www.service.mattel.com for a list of the toys recalled, along with color photos and toy model numbers.

As far as what’s being done to prevent this from happening again, I’m sure quality assurance in the toy factories in China are being heavily scrutinized. But if you really want to play it safe, try buying products made in the good ‘ol USA. Not to say this problem can not happen in American factories, but I think there’s a certain comfort level, knowing something is produced right here in our country vs. another country where many of us are not familiar with the standards, regulations, etc.

For more information on how you can prevent your child from being exposed to harmful toys, go to www.toytips.com.