With christmas quickly approaching you will no doubt be desperately scouring the shops trying to find suitable presents for your children. As if picking out the perfect gift from the dizzying array that is available weren't enough, parents of younger children have an extra challenge: finding a toy that will be safe for their child to play with.<br><br>This can be a real challenge for any parent as previous years have seen the odd recall and scare of lead-based paint in toys. When it comes to your children you can never be too careful. If you follow these steps then you can be certain that your kids will be playing with the safest toys possible this christmas.<br><br>First and foremost you should take your child's age and interests into consideration before you go out toy shopping. This will determine hugely the type of toys you intend to purchase. During their youngest years, toys will have a much shorter life span due to the quickly changing needs of the child. Inevitably what will entertain a 1 year old would massively bore a 2 year old. A child of 3 years old who enjoys building bricks would have different needs to a similarly aged child who enjoyed more creative activities such as drawing and colouring.<br><br>Be sure that you read the labels that come with the packaging or the toy itself. Almost every toy label should tell you for what age child the toy is appropriate. This is mainly a rough guideline, however it is still fairly accurate. There may be instances where you will want to disregard the advice on the label as your child may have demonstrated significant ability to play with a certain type of toy in the past.<br><br>You should read any other directions carefully and double check them to ensure that any required toy assembly is carried out properly and safely when you get home. These instructions should then go over how the toy is to be played with and you should go over these with your child.<br><br>As with any child's playtime, you should properly supervise when they are playing with a new toy. Be careful of any parts that could be easily removed and placed in the mouth or for parts that could be broken off during rougher play. You should also set boundaries for playing with the toy. For example, toys with batteries should never be taken into the bath or indeed the bathroom. Observing the recommended precautions should also ensure that the toy will not be played with in any way other than it's intended purpose.<br><br>Make sure that you go on to check all your child's toys periodically. This is a task that many parents simply neglect to do. A basic monthly check of your child's toys can find any damaged or missing parts and it is a good way of quickly spotting which toys can be retired, replaced or simply thrown away.<br><br>Whatever toys you decide to spoil your children with this season, we hope that you have a very merry and safe christmas!