Children love to play, but parents often worry if their children are playing with toys that are safe to use.  While it may be easy to look at a toy and see small pieces that might break off, most of the recent toy recall hazards has to do with lead paint – something you cannot tell by looking at a toy.  How do you know if a toy has been recalled and if so, what should you do?

There are a couple of ways to find out the latest toy recalls.  First, most stores post recall notices at their customer service desk.  This is usually located near the entrance of the store, so when you walk in, make it a habit to check the board that list recalls.  If there is a recall on a toy you have purchased, the notice will tell you how to get a refund or new product. 

Another way to find out the latest toy recalls is online.  Use your favorite search engine to search for “toy recall” and you will find many sites.  While you can usually find toy recall information at the home page of the toy manufacturer, one of the best resources is the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Hazardous Toy Recall page.   This page lists all toys recalled. Each link lists the toy, a picture of the toy, the manufacturer’s name, product number, where the toy was sold and during what time periods, what the hazard is, if any children have been hurt and how, and what to do if you have a recalled item.

Remember when you are looking at recalled toy notices that you make sure that your purchase date coincides within that listed on the recall information sheet and that you have the exact product numbers listed.  There are times when you may find you have an item that looks just like the one recalled, but you bought it at a different time or it has a different product number.  These items will not be affected by the toy recall.