TL;DR
Prime made for students and young adults
- Fast, free delivery for dorm and study essentials
- Prime Video and Amazon Music included
- Member-only deals
The Toy Association has started its sixth annual Toy Safety Awareness Month, sharing holiday shopping and play-safety guidance throughout November. Its advice addresses counterfeit toys, squishy toy hazards, age labels and recall checks; survey findings cited by the group show gaps between some parents’ perceptions and its safety warnings.
The Toy Association has launched its sixth annual Toy Safety Awareness Month, urging holiday shoppers to watch for counterfeit toys, follow age labels and use squishy toys as directed. The organization says it will share advice throughout November on social media and at PlaySafe.org, as families buy gifts and prepare for children’s play.
The campaign focuses on how to identify counterfeit and knockoff toys, play safely with squishy toys, understand age recommendations and check whether a product has been recalled. The association has published a Toy Shopping Checklist and a squishy-toy tip sheet for consumers. It advises shoppers to look for manufacturer details, age labels, safe-use instructions and contact information on products and packaging.
The association warns that counterfeit toys may not meet U.S. safety requirements. Potential hazards it identifies include small parts that can cause choking if a toy breaks and exposure to chemicals prohibited in toys for children. Knockoff squishy toys may tear or burst, releasing small parts or filling, or contain hazardous chemicals. The organization advises consumers not to heat, freeze, puncture, bite or otherwise misuse these toys.
The Toy Association also recommends buying from known brands and trusted retailers, avoiding listings with misspellings or missing safety information, and checking recalls.gov before buying a secondhand toy or accepting a hand-me-down. Its guidance notes that party supplies, costumes, electronics and home décor are not necessarily designed or tested as toys, and may include hazards such as small batteries, non-toy water beads or high-powered magnets.
Safety Checks Before Holiday Gifts
The campaign addresses practical risks that can be harder to spot during holiday shopping, particularly when consumers compare prices or purchase from unfamiliar online sellers. A toy that resembles a familiar brand may not have been made or tested to the same requirements. Checking the seller, product labeling and recall status gives families information to use before a toy reaches a child.
Age labels are a safety guide, not just a suggestion about whether a child will enjoy a toy. The association says toys marked for children ages 3 and up may contain small parts that pose a hazard to younger children. Its warning also extends beyond products sold specifically as toys: household and party items can attract children without having been designed for their play.
The organization cites a Wakefield Research survey of 1,000 U.S. parents. It found that 87% said the lower price of a counterfeit or knockoff toy was not worth the potential safety risk. At the same time, 84% believed knockoff squishy toys were safe for play. Those figures point to a possible gap between general concern about counterfeits and parents’ perceptions of a specific product category; the survey does not establish that every knockoff toy is hazardous.
Popular right now
Ninja Flip Toaster Oven & Air Fryer, Large Capacity, Stainless, SP151
Ninja Foodi Air Fryer, 8 Qt DualZone, 6-in-1, Grey, DZ201
Breville BES870BTR Barista Express Espresso Machine, Black Truffle
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
What the November Campaign Covers
This is the sixth annual Toy Safety Awareness Month organized by The Toy Association, a U.S. trade group for the toy industry. The campaign is timed to holiday shopping and is intended to provide consumers with safety guidance during the month. The material supplied for this report does not give a precise launch day.
In comments reported by The Toy Book, Joan Lawrence, the association’s “Toy Safety Mom” and senior vice president of standards and regulatory affairs, said shoppers should know how to spot counterfeit products, particularly when searching for popular gifts. She also pointed to concern about knockoff squishy toys, saying the association was seeing an influx of products that it said were not compliant with U.S. toy safety laws. That characterization is the association’s statement; no product count or independent assessment is provided in the source material.
The association’s resources are available at PlaySafe.org, and it says it will post additional guidance on social media during November. The campaign brings together advice on product selection and supervision rather than announcing a new regulation, recall or enforcement action.
““The holidays are a joyful time, and toys bring an added element of fun, enrichment, and bonding to gatherings with family and friends.””
— Joan Lawrence, The Toy Association’s “Toy Safety Mom” and senior vice president of standards and regulatory affairs
Limits of the Safety Claims
The source material does not identify particular counterfeit products, sellers or recalls, and it does not quantify the alleged influx of unsafe knockoff squishy toys. The association’s warnings describe potential hazards; they do not establish that every counterfeit or knockoff toy contains a safety defect.
The survey figures are attributed to Wakefield Research and cover 1,000 U.S. parents, but the source does not provide the survey dates, sampling method, margin of error or question wording beyond the summarized findings. The results should be read as reported survey responses, not as a measure of the prevalence of unsafe toys or parents’ behavior across the country.
It is also unclear from the supplied report which specific products have been tested, what enforcement steps may be underway, or whether the campaign will include updates tied to individual recalls. Consumers can use the cited recall resource, but no new recall is announced in the report.
November Guidance and Shopper Checks
The Toy Association says it will continue posting safety advice on social media through November. Shoppers can consult the checklist and squishy-toy tip sheet at PlaySafe.org while comparing products, checking labels and reviewing recall information.
For families considering secondhand toys or hand-me-downs, the association recommends checking recalls before use and paying attention to age guidance and product condition. The campaign’s advice also calls for supervision and proper use, including avoiding actions that could damage squishy toys. The source does not specify a later campaign event or report date, so the next confirmed development is the planned release of guidance during the month.
Key Questions
What is Toy Safety Awareness Month?
It is The Toy Association’s sixth annual November campaign offering holiday shopping and play-safety guidance. The association says it will share information online throughout the month.
What should shoppers look for when buying a toy?
The association recommends checking for manufacturer information, age labels, safe-use instructions and company contact details. It also advises buying from known brands and trusted retailers and avoiding listings with warning signs such as misspellings or missing safety information.
What does the association say about squishy toys?
It warns that some counterfeit squishy toys may tear or burst, releasing small parts or filling, or may contain hazardous chemicals. Its guidance says not to heat, freeze, puncture or bite squishy toys, and to follow the product’s instructions.
Why do toy age labels matter?
The association says age grading provides safety guidance, including warnings about toys that may contain small parts. It cautions that toys labeled for children ages 3 and up may not be suitable for younger children.
Where can families find the campaign’s resources?
The Toy Association’s Toy Shopping Checklist and squishy-toy tip sheet are available at PlaySafe.org. The association also says it will share additional guidance on social media during November.
Source: toybook.com
