Toy Recalls: Web sites offer useful info
by Karen Bennett

The holidays have come and gone, and now that we’re into the long stretch of post-holiday winter, hopefully the kids are still enjoying all those toys they received as gifts not too long ago.

If you have not done so already, now would be a good time to check with various product safety recall Web sites to make sure the toys are safe for play.

A helpful place to start would be BabyCenter.com. This Web site features a page that lists recall information regarding specific toys, games, clothes, car seats, feeding sets and other babies’ and children’s products. Also featured on the BabyCenter recall page is a handy recall finder tool, where you can search BabyCenter’s database for recalls by brand name, category or timeframe.

Major toy manufacturers such as Mattel will commonly feature a Web page on thier sites that lists product recalls involving their toys. As the maker of Fisher-Price, Hot Wheels, Barbie and American Girl products, Mattel is a major player in the market and the company provides a page listing photos, descriptions, dates, product numbers and return information for each Mattel toy involved in a recall.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Web site contains a wealth of recall-related information, featuring a product recall list as well as the “CPSC”s Most Wanted” list of common types of products to be recalled. (These include toy tool benches, play yards and toys made up of magnets.)

Don’t be left out in the cold regarding toy recalls this winter. By doing a little online research, you can help verify the safety of all the toys your little one is enjoying.

Who couldn’t use a little extra peace of mind?