The KID-FIT Blog

Choose Toys Carefully:Protect Your Preschooler

If you’re heading off to go shopping for that special little toddler on your gift list,take a minute and prepare yourself before purchasing any toy. There are many things to consider to make sure your child doesn’t end up with a plaything that could cause considerable harm or even death.

The number one hazard is choking. Usually from small parts,small balls and/or balloons. Inspect all toys for tiny parts that could break off and become lodged in a child’s airway. Keep young children away from balloons unless under constant supervision (key word is constant)

According to the W.A.T.C.H. (World against toys causing harm) organization,parents need to carefully select toys for preschool age children. Some warnings include staying away from any toy with:

* Batteries
* Fur
* Hair
* Electricity
* Strings longer than 6 inches
* Small pieces that could fit into the mouth and cause choking
* Pointed tips
* Sharp or blunt parts
* Projectile or shooting parts
* Realistic looking weapons
* Flammable components
* Toxic surfaces and substances –like phthalates,Bisphenol A,cadmium and lead
* Items without warnings,age suggestions or instructions,especially marketed on the internet

For a list of the W.A.T.C.H. organization’s 10 Worst Toys of 2011,go to:http://toysafety.org/worstToyList_index.shtml. For other information on toys and safety visit their website at:http://www.toysafety.org/

Keep in mind not all toys are tested for safety so just because a toy is on the store shelf,does not necessarily mean it is safe. The CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) suggests adding the following items to your ‘beware’list:

* Cribs or furniture with formaldehyde
* Loud toys –15% of children ages 6-7 show signs of hearing loss
* Toys shaped like corks or toy nails
* Anything with a magnet that could be swallowed

If you would like to report a dangerous toy or toy-related injuries to the CPSC at www.cpsc.gov and to www.saferproducts. gov or call the CPSC at 1-800-504-7923

For a tip sheet on other toy safety issues,visit the U.S. Public interest Research Group (PIRG) and print out a free brochure:http://www.uspirg.org/html/TipsforToySafety2006.pdf

If you’ve had a bad experience with a toy,share it with others here. Help spare another child or family from a possible emergency.

A Healthy,Fun Halloween for Preschool Children

The average American eats about 25 pounds of candy a year. Around Halloween time,more than 2 billion dollars are spent on candy –more than any other holiday. Do preschool children really need a head start on associating holidays with candy overload? Absolutely not. In fact,if they learn from this age onward that [...]

Children Without A Voice

Lately I’ve been hearing a lot of horror stories in the news involving young children. The infamous Casey Anthony case,where absolutely no justice was served for poor Caylee Anthony. The sixteen-year-old mother who tossed her newborn in the trash can of a store. The Tennessee mother who suffocated her newborn twins at birth to [...]

Back-To-School Preschool Nutrition Basics

With preschool children returning to school,they need the best nutritional choices available for optimal health,learning and fun.

When shopping for foods,think about not just what is healthy but what is quick,easy to eat,appealing to your child’s palate and affordable. If you’re not sure,the following suggestions can help you maneuver [...]

Childhood Obesity,Abuse and Parental Rights

Recently the news reported the viewpoint of a Harvard Professor,who wrote a piece for the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. He suggested that in some cases government intervention may be needed to remove extremely obese children from the home. As you can imagine,this stirred up a lot of [...]

Preschoolers And Fireworks Don’t Mix

When I was a kid,the only fireworks we saw were those displayed by the fire department at our yearly carnival celebration. I grew up in a small hick town,with one traffic light,no police officer and one school. The very place you would expect to see people spending wads of money on whatever [...]

Preschool Food Selection Experiment

Changing unhealthy eating behavior as an adult or in older children is not always easy to accomplish. Food preferences and habits begin during the preschool years. Children develop a taste for fat and sugar from the moment they’re able to chew solid food. What would happen though,if you gave preschool children a choice between [...]

Marketing To Preschool Children:Why Can’t It Be A Good Thing?

Have you ever wondered why so many of the corporate giants in this world see the power of targeting their marketing to small children but those who can spread a positive influence don’t? Joe Camel wasn’t just a cute cuddly animal to appeal only to teens. No,he was designed to grab the attention of [...]

Childhood Obesity and Politics

It’s hard to believe that with the worldwide obesity pandemic anyone would be on the other side of childhood obesity prevention efforts. But that’s exactly what is happening here in the USA.

Michelle Obama has done her best this past year to bring attention to the dire fact that childhood obesity has tripled the [...]

Jan. 28th Is National Preschool Fitness Day –Help Promote It!

The last Friday in January is National Preschool Health and Fitness Day. Whether you’re a teacher,school director,club owner or parent it’s important to support physical fitness for preschool children. Here are some reasons why:

1. Childhood obesity is now recognized as having its roots during the preschool years. Recent studies have even indicated [...]

Archives

Categories

Free P.E. Activities