Toy Product Safety Week 2025

Toy Safety Week

From the 20th-26th of October, Aotearoa will have its first official Toy Safety Week. On average 1,250 toy-related injuries occur each year among our most vulnerable children (aged 0-3). This week highlights practical steps whānau and caregivers can take when buying, choosing and supervising play with toys for 0-3 year olds.

We encourage whānau and caregivers to take a moment this week to check your toybox, any new toys you're considering, or community toy boxes to ensure they are safe for tamariki.

What to look for before buying toys

Whether you choose to buy toys brand new or second hand, take a minute to think about safety.

Make sure to be aware of your child’s age and development when looking at purchasing new toys. It’s good to look at the instructions and packaging to make sure it’s age appropriate.

Children under the age of three are curious and may put things in their mouth, nose, and ears. Small parts of toys can cut, choke, poison or strangle young tamariki. So before you buy, take a moment to think about what harm could happen when a part of the toy is placed in the mouth, chewed, swallowed, inhaled or damaged during play.

It's best to avoid toys with button batteries, small strong magnets or very loud noises.

It’s also important that 0-3 year old's only play with toys fit for use and that they are appropriate for their age.

What to look for at home

Even well-loved toys can become a safety hazard. Regularly check toys to make sure they are safe for play. You can use te Six S’s check:

Size:

If a toy or a part of a toy is too small it can be a choking hazard for tamariki under 3 years old. If it’s smaller than 31mm in diameter and less than 57mm long (about the size of a 4x6 lego piece) then it’s not safe for play. You can also use a toilet paper roll as a size guide, if it doesn’t fit through the opening then it’s safe for play.

It’s still best to supervise play if possible. Small things such as button batteries are also hidden dangers. Check toys and make sure battery compartments are secured shut.

Surface:

Check your toy's surface and make sure it’s smooth and there are no sharp edges, cracks, or bits that could scratch. Check that paints that are used are also non-toxic, as well as fillings that also don’t come out easily.

Teething toys or anything that is designed to be placed in the mouth should be carefully checked for toxins.

Strings:

Check for long strings or tails on toys as these are not safe for your under 3 year old. Check that strings or tails on toys are short and firmly attached to the toy, so they don't cut off a child’s circulation.

Supervision:

The best safety feature is you. The best thing you can do to keep tamariki safe is to keep watch and play with them.

Remind older tamariki to keep their smaller toys away from pēpi and toddlers.

Sound:

Toys shouldn’t be too loud. If it’s too loud for you, then it’s too loud for a child. If it creates noise louder than a conversation (approx 60DB), and anything over 60DB, it can cause damage to little ears.

Specs:

The packaging tells you a lot about toy safety. Check the age label to determine if the toy is suitable for your toddler. Make sure to look for warning signs about small parts or choking hazards and always read the instructions, they show how the toy is meant to be used.

Look for safety standards marks and non-toxic material labels. Make sure you check that the product has been tested to a New Zealand, Australian or other international safety standard.

Toybox checks

It’s a good idea to do a spring clean of your toybox regularly. Check for things that are broken and either get rid of it or replace it.

Things like ripped stitches, broken parts, loose parts and screws, and strings long enough to cut off a child's circulation should be avoided. Also check for small, strong magnets and flashing or musical toys that include button batteries that can cause internal damage if swallowed.

Damaged toys that can't be repaired should go to the landfill or recycling and not sent to charity shops or toy libraries.

Avoid lead-based painted products

Some older toys and child products, such as old cots, rocking horses, coloured building blocks and other items may contain lead-based paint, which is harmful to children.

Tamariki may enjoy chewing on these items as lead-based paint tastes sweet, so it is important to check that any items do not contain lead.
More information about lead in paint can be found here

Product recalls

Keep an eye out for recalled products and follow the safety instructions that come with these notices. You can sign up here for alerts for toys you have at home so you know when a recall has been called due to safety concerns.

What to do if your child has been injured or could be injured by an unsafe toy

If your child has swallowed a toy or a toy part, is choking or having difficulty breathing, seek medical help immediately by calling 111 or going straight to a hospital emergency department. This is especially important if they have swallowed a button battery or small magnets which can join together, causing serious harm. If your child is choking follow the first aid guidelines for choking and resusitation.

For information on how to perform CPR, please see Hato Hone St John's instructions here

All products sold in New Zealand must be safe. If you have concerns about the safety of a product, or your child is injured by a product or has a near miss, let the retailer know.

You have the right to a repair, refund, replacement or compensation under the Consumer Guarantees Act.

It’s also good to report your concerns to MBIE’s Product Safety team. Incident and safety reports from the public help government agencies identify, assess and respond to issues. You can report an unsafe product through the form here.

If you need help to deal with a product safety issue or want to learn more, you can ask for help from MBIE Product Safety, your local Plunket, Citizens Advice Bureau or Safekids Aotearoa.

If you need help with a product safety issue you can contact Product Safety at:

Freephone: 0508 426 678
From overseas: 64 4 474 2750

Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm NZT (except public holidays)

Download our Toy Safety Guide Here

Other Resources: