Children love to play. However, their toys are not always suitable for this, and sometimes even dangerous: the regular official tests of toys show that products are just as regularly found on the market that can jeopardise children's health.
"There have been frequent complaints about cheap toys in particular for years," emphasised Health Minister Korinna Schumann during a visit to our toy control laboratory. It is worrying that toys for children under the age of 3 have a particularly high risk potential. "Unfortunately, it is precisely in this respect that we often have to warn the public about such products," said Schumann.
Toys are comprehensively analysed at AGES: Mechanical and physical properties as well as flammability, chemical properties such as the migration of certain elements (lead, cadmium, mercury, chromium, etc.), testing for banned plasticisers and banned azo dyes and much more are tested. Testing for resistance to saliva and perspiration and checking the labelling are also part of the tests.
"Toys for children under the age of 3 in particular are subject to strict regulations," explains Daniela Schachner, toy expert at AGES. "For example, these toys must not contain any small parts that can be swallowed and must not release any chemicals in quantities that are harmful to health, even if they are sucked on for hours." Special care should also be taken with electric toys: Button cells can pose a great danger, as children can easily put them in their mouths and swallow them. "If the button cell gets stuck in the child's oesophagus, it reacts with the moist mucous membranes and electricity begins to flow, which can lead to severe internal burns," explains Schachner.
Tips for buying toys
- Only buy toys that bear the CE mark. This is the manufacturer's confirmation that the toy fulfils the requirements of the Toy Safety Directive
- Always observe warnings and instructions for use, especially age recommendations such as "0M+". The symbol (0-3), for example, indicates that this toy is not suitable for children under 3 years of age. In addition, it must be stated why this is the case (choking hazard due to small parts, strangulation hazard due to cord, etc.).
- Test toys for children under the age of 3 to ensure that they do not contain any detachable small parts - for example, pull on the button eyes of a soft toy to see if they can be easily removed
- Hold toy mobile phones briefly to your ear - if you find the sounds and melodies unpleasantly loud, they may pose a danger to your child
- Plastic toys that are exposed to light and the weather age more quickly. Therefore, always check whether sand toys, for example, are still in good condition. Parts of brittle plastic can break off with sharp edges and pose a risk of injury, but small parts can also come loose and pose a choking hazard
- Check toys with magnets regularly during the period of use. With intensive use, these toys can break so that magnets or magnetic parts small enough to be swallowed are accessible. If more than one magnet is swallowed, this can cause a blockage in the intestine, perforate or damage the intestine and/or cut off the blood supply to parts of the intestine
