[Sethia Soliman]

Popular baby toy from Target urgently recalled over safety fears​

As the holiday season approaches, some of us may already be brainstorming what to give our loved ones for Christmas – especially the little ones! However, there’s one toy that every grandparent needs to watch out for.

A popular baby toy has been removed from Target’s shelves after Australia’s consumer watchdog spotted a potentially deadly defect.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) issued the recall of the Early Learning Centre (ELC) Little Senses Lights & Sounds Shape Sorter toy on Wednesday.

The educational toy, which claims it can safely be played with by babies aged 6 to 36 months, was sold online and in-store at Target.

Source: Amazon​

The regulatory watchdog said that the toy’s defect may result in a particular part of the toy–a red sorting cube with a clear top–breaking. The ball could pose a choking risk for young children and can lead to severe injury or death.

The ACCC urged customers to immediately get rid of the red cube from the product.

Consumers who bought the product from Target are advised to contact the company and request a replacement cube, which should then be satisfied free of charge.

Orders for a replacement cube should be emailed to Target through: [email protected]

If you’re wondering how to ensure that every toy you’ll be buying for your grandkids is safe, you may follow these shopping tips from Product Safety Australia below:

• Make sure no small parts can break off easily and become trapped in a child’s throat or windpipe.
• Feel the toy for any sharp objects. For example, a stuffed toy’s filling should be clean and free of objects or substances that may be harmful to a child.
• Check seams are securely sewn. If synthetic material like nylon thread has been used, check that the ends of the threads are secure and will not come loose. Long and loose pieces of thread on a stuffed toy can cause strangulation and choking.
• Only buy bean-bag-style toys if you are sure that the seams or material will not tear and allow the beans inside to escape. Polystyrene beads are harmful as young children might inhale them.
• Be aware that toys made from foam, such as bath blocks, may pose a choking risk if a child bites pieces off them. Foam toys are not recommended for children under three years of age.

What are your thoughts about this recall? How do you ensure that the toys you give to your grandchildren are safe? Let us know in the comments!

 

[Suzanne rose]

I usually only buy Fischer price and little tykes.
These I feel are trusted brands and I was very happy with them when my children were young.

I think there are too many cheap toys getting through from China.

 

[Ricci]

Whilst I appreciate that we all want our kids and grandkids to grow up safely I can't help but think we've all gone a bit overboard seeing problems where none exists. Maybe not in this case but in general. Kids need to experiment, they learn through trial and error. If their experiences have a frisson of danger the lessons are learnt for life. I'm sure we've all done some daft things in our lives that have been learning experiences and yet we deny our kids the same or similar opportunities.

 

[Ezzy]

As the holiday season approaches, some of us may already be brainstorming what to give our loved ones for Christmas – especially the little ones! However, there’s one toy that every grandparent needs to watch out for.

A popular baby toy has been removed from Target’s shelves after Australia’s consumer watchdog spotted a potentially deadly defect.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) issued the recall of the Early Learning Centre (ELC) Little Senses Lights & Sounds Shape Sorter toy on Wednesday.

The educational toy, which claims it can safely be played with by babies aged 6 to 36 months, was sold online and in-store at Target.

Source: Amazon​

The regulatory watchdog said that the toy’s defect may result in a particular part of the toy–a red sorting cube with a clear top–breaking. The ball could pose a choking risk for young children and can lead to severe injury or death.

The ACCC urged customers to immediately get rid of the red cube from the product.

Consumers who bought the product from Target are advised to contact the company and request a replacement cube, which should then be satisfied free of charge.

Orders for a replacement cube should be emailed to Target through: [email protected]

If you’re wondering how to ensure that every toy you’ll be buying for your grandkids is safe, you may follow these shopping tips from Product Safety Australia below:

• Make sure no small parts can break off easily and become trapped in a child’s throat or windpipe.
• Feel the toy for any sharp objects. For example, a stuffed toy’s filling should be clean and free of objects or substances that may be harmful to a child.
• Check seams are securely sewn. If synthetic material like nylon thread has been used, check that the ends of the threads are secure and will not come loose. Long and loose pieces of thread on a stuffed toy can cause strangulation and choking.
• Only buy bean-bag-style toys if you are sure that the seams or material will not tear and allow the beans inside to escape. Polystyrene beads are harmful as young children might inhale them.
• Be aware that toys made from foam, such as bath blocks, may pose a choking risk if a child bites pieces off them. Foam toys are not recommended for children under three years of age.

What are your thoughts about this recall? How do you ensure that the toys you give to your grandchildren are safe? Let us know in the comments!

Perfect timing. Not meaning to be disrespectful, but I wonder if sometimes when babies are concerned people buy with their hearts & not their heads. "That baby would love that item" rather than, "that is nice but what could be swallowed or broken off". Hard to avoid plastic because every child's item bought has plastic somewhere. Stricter regulations are needed to prevent these items even touching our shores, l feel.