Holiday gift check: toy safety rules from CPSC

Steps

1. Read the age label and pick toys that fit the child's age and abilities. CPSC says toys that are a choking hazard for kids under 3 must carry an age label.
2. Keep small balls and toys with small parts away from children under 3, and deflated or broken balloons away from children under 8.
3. Anything with a button or coin battery (light-up toys, remotes, greeting cards, key fobs): make sure the battery compartment needs a screwdriver or tool to open. CPSC says a swallowed button battery can burn through a child's throat in as little as two hours.
4. Skip water beads. CPSC urges families to remove them from homes with children and urges schools and childcare to avoid them entirely.
5. Riding toys, scooters and new bikes: buy the helmet and safety gear at the same time, and make sure it's used every ride.
6. Buying online or secondhand? CPSC recommends buying from trusted sellers and checking CPSC.gov/Recalls for used items.
7. After gifts are opened, throw away plastic wrap and packaging right away.

In an emergency

• Suspect a swallowed button battery? Go to the emergency room right away and call the National Battery Ingestion Hotline at 800-498-8666 or Poison Help at 800-222-1222.
• Suspect a swallowed water bead? CPSC says to seek medical treatment right away. Poison Help is 800-222-1222, 24 hours a day.
• Report an unsafe toy or an injury on SaferProducts.gov.

For PTAs

Running a toy drive or classroom gift swap? Ask for new, unopened toys with age labels, say no water beads, and set aside any donated item with loose button batteries or small magnets. A one-line reminder in the December newsletter with a link to CPSC's toy page is enough.

Sources

CPSC: Toys safety education center — https://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/Toys

CPSC: Button cell and coin batteries — https://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/Button-Cell-Coin-Battery-Information-Center

CPSC: Water beads information center — https://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/Water-Beads-Information-Center

CPSC: Unsafe holiday presents warning (Dec 2025) — https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2026/Dont-Be-Left-Out-in-the-Cold-This-Holiday-Season-with-Unsafe-Presents-Buy-from-Trusted-Sources

Poison Control (National Capital Poison Center): Don't toy around — https://www.poison.org/articles/foreign-body-ingestion-toys

Related

• December school-parent checklist
• November school-parent checklist
• New phone, tablet or console for the holidays? Set up parental controls first

FAQ