The Situation with Toys from China

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Fun and Games

Aside from being fun to play with, it is very important for toys to be safe. There are many things to consider about the safety of a toy: Does the toy have sharp corners or edges that could accidentally hurt someone? Are there any small parts that a young kid could choke on? Is the toy’s material safe if a little kid to puts it into his or her mouth?

Most of the time, toy factories are checked and inspected very closely and possible problems with toys are caught long before the toys get to the stores or your home. Unfortunately, sometimes there are still problems and a toy company will have to issue a “recall,” which is a notice for stores and people to send the recalled item back to the company because it has been determined unsafe or possibly unsafe. – In the last few years, this is what has happened with a lot of toys made in China.


Toy Troubles

Over the last few years, some big toy companies have discovered problems with the materials being used by their factories in China. The main problem has been that lots of toys were accidentally made using lead paint.

Lead is a heavy metal, and sometimes it is used in paints because it keeps colors bright for longer and it dries quickly. For a long time, people used lead paint for many things until they discovered that the lead was causing health problems. When ingested, lead paint or the dust and chips from surfaces painted with it can cause everything from headaches to brain damage. The risk is especially high in children because the body does not naturally get rid of lead that it takes in and a kid’s growing body is more sensitive to the effects of this build-up.

In the 1970s, the United States created rules for the use of lead paints to prevent people from illnesses related to accidentally consuming it. In the US, lead paint it is no longer used in homes or in the manufacturing of most goods – if it is used at all, it is mostly now just in industrial projects such as painting roads, where no one is at risk of ingesting any of the paint!

Unfortunately, toy companies have found in recent years that some of their factories were accidentally using lead paint and have had to recall hundreds and even thousands of items.

Now what?

Ever since the problems first arose a few years ago, most companies are now paying even closer attention to how their toys are manufactured, and people or stores who are buying toys are being more careful about checking that the toys are safe.

Did you have any toys that were recalled? If so, your parents probably explained that you needed to get rid of the toy. Even though it might be hard to give up a toy that you really like, if a toy was made with lead paint then it’s important to send it back. 

If you are worried about any of your toys, ask the grown-ups in your family to help you look up the lists of recalled toys on the Internet so that you can see if anything you own is on that list.

If there are or were any toys that you have to give up, try not to worry too much! Hopefully you can get a replacement that is just as cool (if not cooler!) and much safer. – And don’t underestimate getting creative: If one of your favorite toys needs replacing, consider making the replacement yourself! You might be surprised at how easy and fun it is to recreate your favorite doll or toy truck with some modeling clay, balsa wood, or a needle-and-thread in addition to a little bit of imagination!