The week of Thanksgiving is the biggest holiday shopping week of the year. According to SafeKids.org, nearly 181,500 children were treated in an emergency room for toy-related injuries in 2010. To make the most of Black Friday, avoid injury and keep the celebrations going this holiday season, use the following tips to choose gifts for the little ones in your life.

Look at recommended age labels. First, consider the age of the child. Toys that are appropriate for older children can be dangerous for younger children. The age recommendations on toy labels are based on the following:

• The child’s physical ability to play with the toy
• The child’s mental ability to know how to use the toy
• The play needs and interests present at the various levels of a child’s development
• The safety aspects of a particular toy.

Avoid choking hazards. Use a small parts tester, or a toilet paper tube, to test the size of a toy. If the toy fits through the tube, it can present a choking hazard to small children. Avoid toys that have small parts that could come off easily. Examples include buttons, eyes or noses on plush toys. Don’t let the kids play with latex balloons.

Mind where they ride. Keep riding toys away from stairs, traffic or bodies of water. Always supervise your child while he rides the toy, and make sure your child fits the toy properly.

Cut the cord. Long cords on pull toys can present a strangulation hazard. Choose toys that don’t have strings on them. Objects that hang in cribs and playpens should be less than seven inches long.

Trash the plastic. Plastic bags and wrappings for toys should be discarded immediately to prevent suffocation.

Be careful of flying objects. Many eye, ear and mouth injuries come from toys that shoot pieces of plastic.

Store toys safely. Toy chests with heavy lids can pinch or crush little fingers if they close suddenly. Don’t let your kids play inside the toy box so they do not get trapped inside.

Supervising your kids while they play with their new toys not only helps prevent injury, it’s the best part of giving the gift!