For special occasions such as Easter, birthdays, and Christmas, people like to give their protégés toys in addition to sweets and useful items. After all, what would a holiday be without toys for children? Now, buying children's toys does not always seem as easy as it appears: a new product test by Ökotest magazine tested 72 different products and unfortunately, many failed.
Beware of hazardous substances
Children's toys often contain hidden plasticizers that are anything but healthy. Some items with these ingredients can certainly trigger allergies or serious illnesses. A fact that certainly makes parents shrink back. Nevertheless, there is a glimmer of hope to be discovered among all the black sheep, which even laypeople can recognize.
Buying toys the right way
Take your time when buying children's toys. Pick up the items purposefully and feel free to smell them: if a toy smells extremely like plastic, then in all likelihood there will also be a plasticizer or problematic chemicals in it.
Even if the children's toy bears a large CE mark, it does not mean that it is free of harmful substances. The CE mark, which stands for Communautée Européenne, is a declaration of conformity by the manufacturer and does not guarantee the quality of the product, but merely states that the children's toy complies with the most important requirements of the EU directives.
Important is the GS mark, which stands for tested and technical safety. This seal is awarded by DEKRA or TÜV and thus gives parents the security that the product is regularly checked. The only problem: the mark is sometimes forged by manufacturers. To be on the safe side, however, you can check with a certification body to see if the address specified on the children's toy is listed. A GS mark without the name of the testing institute is, according to the law, anything but permissible.
Read also: Buy a climbing tower for children
Photo by Sabine, meinhaushalt.at
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