With the holiday shopping season well underway, keep safety in mind when seeking the perfect toys for the children on your list.

Check the label to make sure a toy is appropriate for a particular child. In general, most toys on the market today are safe. But injuries still happen. The first step in preventing toy-related injuries is to know what to look for.

Toy makers follow guidelines established by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in determining the age grading of a toy. Follow the age grading when selecting toys. When shopping for younger children, note that the CPSC requires labeling on toys that are designed for children between the ages of 3 and 6 but can pose a choking hazard for children under age 3. The labels must specifically state that the toy is unsafe for children under age 3 and the reason for the warning.

Remember that toys for older children could be dangerous to younger children. Take the following steps to prevent injuries.

Choking Hazards

• Don't let your toddler (ages 3 and under) play with small toys and parts. Children in this age group still "mouth" objects, and they can choke on small parts. A small parts tester can help you figure out if an object is a choking risk.
• Make sure that the toy is sturdy and that no small parts (such as eyes, noses, buttons or other parts) can break off the toy.
• Don't allow young children to play with latex balloons.
• Don't let young children play on beanbag chairs that contain small foam pellets. If the beanbag chair rips, a child can inhale and choke on the pellets.
• Be aware that an arrow, dart or pellet can be a choking hazard when shot into a child's mouth.
• Avoid toys that have small batteries (particularly button batteries) or loose magnets. These can cause serious injury if they get into your child’s mouth, nose or ears.

Suffocation and Strangulation Hazards

• Remember to get rid of any plastic wrapping the toy came in. Plastic wrapping can suffocate a small child.
• Keep string longer than 7 inches away from babies – and especially avoid hanging objects in cribs and playpens. They can strangle an infant.
• Remember that a string, rope or cord can strangle a child if it gets tangled around a child's neck. Keep toys with these features away from small children, especially babies.
• Be alert for loose or long parts of clothing, such as dangling hood cords. These could strangle children when tangled or hooked on playground equipment.

Other Injuries

• Eye injuries often result from toys that shoot plastic objects or other flying pieces.
• Playing with electric plug-in toys or hobby kits may cause burns and shocks, particularly from frayed cords, misuse or prolonged use.
• Chemistry sets and other hobby kits may contain toxic substances or materials that can catch fire or explode and cause serious skin and eye injuries or burns. They can also cause poisoning.
• Loud, rapid-fire noises made by some toys may be too loud for young ears. Noise levels that are higher than 100 decibels can damage your child's hearing. Caps are dangerous if used indoors or closer than 12 inches from your child's ear.
• Toy chests and other storage containers can pinch, bruise or break tiny fingers and hands when a lid closes suddenly. A child also can suffocate if trapped inside a toy chest.
• All children should wear a CPSC-certified helmet when using riding toys or equipment, such as scooters or skateboards.

In addition, to protect children from injury, always watch them when they are playing with toys.

For more information about toy safety, contact the CPSC Office of Compliance at 800-638-2772, or at their website, saferproducts.gov.