Guidance on toys for children under 3 years old

If you can prevent a customer buying an unsuitable toy for a young child, you may well be preventing that child injuring himself or herself. You will also be demonstrating to your customer the principles behind the Approved Lion Mark Retailer scheme - safety is ensured not only by offering safe toys for sale, but also by making sure that an inappropriate toy doesn't become an unsafe toy in the wrong hands.

Age labelling

Check age guidance instructions on the package. Age labelling is the manufacturer's guide to the consumer about the suitability of the product for a particular age group. Often, parents (and sometimes proud grandparents) overestimate the ability of young children to cope with toys which were not made for their age group. No manufacturer wants to limit his sales and it is safe to assume that a toy marked 'age 4-6' is pitched for those ages where awareness and interest begins at the younger end and tails off at the higher end.

This pictogram began appearing on toys during 1995. It warns that the toy is unsuitable for children under 3 years. The pictogram is designed to avoid the need to use many languages on the packaging and it should always be accompanied by a specific reason for the warning (e.g. – small parts etc)

When a manufacturer warns 'not suitable for children under (age)', and/or the pictogram is displayed, this is not an age recommendation, but a warning, and where possible, this should be pointed out to customers at the point of sale.

A simple question to the customer: "Are you aware that this product states that it is unsuitable for children under 3? Do you know why they have made this warning?" If they do, fine. If not, you should explain briefly.

Why are some toys not suitable for children under 3 years?

Beside obvious reasons such as the size of a toy or the abilities of the young child, the toy safety standards also give other reasons why some toys are unsuitable for young children. For example, components of toys for children under 3 years must be sufficiently large to prevent choking. A special gauge has been specifically designed to reflect the size of the throat in a child of 3 years and under. Items that do not fit entirely into the gauge are considered too large to cause choking. This test has dramatically reduced the incidence of choking on small items.

The Choke Hazard Test

'Under Supervision'

This phrase is often used on toys (for example, those played with in water) which need some form of adult involvement. It implies that while the manufacturer has made the product to the required safety standards, the product should not be used without adult supervision because children might misuse it in play. Again, you should inform your customer that the toy requires adult supervision.