Toy Safety This Holiday season

TYLER — Still weeks away from Christmas, East Texans are already packing into stores like Target trying to get a jump on buying their kids the hottest toys. KETK reports Jennifer Freeman is visiting family for Thanksgiving and getting a little shopping done for her 4 girls.

“My kids this year are wanting American Girl Dolls, Our Generation Dolls, some of the accessories that go with that,” Freeman said. And when you’re dealing with kids toys, you’ve got to be careful what you buy. Watchdog groups like U.S. Pirg point out what they say are the most dangerous toys every year that deal with choking hazards, lead content, and even noises that can hurt a child’s hearing. Freeman says she doesn’t really pay attention to those lists, but she does use caution. “Certainly when my kids were a younger age, I did if they had small parts. Or I would buy a toy and throw those small parts away that came with it I didn’t think were necessary,” Freeman said.

And reading the labels always helps. “Almost all games now are marked with age groups and safety issues on them, so please be careful; if it says 4 and your child is 3, it’s meant for a 4-year-old and not a 3-year-old. I know that sounds close, but there’s a reason for that,” said Mike Garrett with Tyler’s Target.