Beware of Loud Toys Underneath the Christmas Tree

tyranny
Originally uploaded by 1001things

Did you know that playing with loud toys poses a risk to a child's hearing? If not, here's some facts you may want to know.

Almost 15% of children ages 6-17 show signs of hearing loss.

The acoustic standard for toys adopted by the American Society for Testing and Materials is 85 db for most toys and 65 db for toys held close to the ear.

Not all toys currently available on store shelves are within these decibel ranges.

The Pennsylvania Public Interest Group recently released their 24th annual report outlining toy safety guidelines for parents and citing examples of currently available toys that may pose potential safety hazards. They offer these common sense recommendations for parents when in comes to loud toys.

If a toy seems too loud for you, then it is probably too loud for your child.

You can put tape over the speakers of any toys you already own that are too loud or remove the batteries.

Specifically, the report cites the following toys as being louder than recommended when tested by their organization.

Mattel Secret Saturdays Cryptid Claw

Playskool Kota and Pals Stompers Triceratops

Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Learning Phone

Vtech Bright Lights Phone

The complete report entitled Trouble in Toyland can be downloaded here.