Dangerous toys – help keep children safe this Christmas

By Katrina Phillips, Chief Executive, Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT)

Everyone loves to bag a bargain, especially when it comes to Christmas shopping. Unfortunately, some things are too good to be true, and unsuspecting parents may be buying toys that are unsafe, with easily accessible button batteries, super strong magnets, or choking hazards. With online platforms making it easier than ever to shop for children’s toys, it’s more important than ever to help families recognise which ones might be dangerous and avoid buying them.

That’s why this Christmas, the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) is working with the Office for Product Safety and Standards to raise awareness of how some bargain toys may compromise on safety and encourage families to take a moment to think about what they’re buying and to make sure it’s safe for children.

CAPT recently hosted a lunchtime webinar – Dangerous toys and how to avoid buying them – speaking to two mums who are product safety experts and giving the lowdown on how and where to buy safe toys when shopping this Christmas. Why not take a look at the recording of the 45 minute session, available on YouTube, at a time to suit you.

You can help the families you work with avoid dangerous toys this Christmas by spreading the word on toy safety. 

Visit CAPT’s Buy safe toys online hub, where you’ll find plenty of safety advice and free, downloadable resources to share with the families you support, including: 

• A visual guide to why you pay more for safe toys than cheaper copycat products.
• Photos, videos, and visual aides to help identify dangerous and safe toys.
• A free poster, leaflet and social media assets from the Office for Product Safety and Standards.

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Everything you need to know about toy safety this Christmas