November is “Toy Safety Awareness Month,” launched for the first time this year by the Toy Association. As part of the initiative, the Toy Association is encouraging the entire toy community to share safety tips with parents and caregivers ahead of the holidays.
On Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, the Toy Association will use the hashtags #PlaySafe and #ToySafety to raise awareness about safe toy shopping, safe product selection (including how to avoid counterfeit toys), and safe play at home.
Manufacturers, retailers, and other industry professionals can get involved by following the Toy Association and sharing its post on social media, as well as referring to the online toolkit. Resources from the toolkit include shareable assets — such as an infographic about avoiding counterfeit toys and the official Toy Safety Awareness Month logo — sample social media posts, a safe shopping guide, and a video about how toys are safely tested.
“We all want to make this holiday season magical for the children in our lives, but safety has to come first, and our goal is to remind shoppers of that as they check off their lists,” said Adrienne Appell, senior vice president of marketing communications at The Toy Association. “From how to spot dangerous counterfeit toys lurking online, to the importance of following age recommendations on toy packaging, to magnet and battery safety, our aim is to remind parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and other caregivers of our crucial play safety tips – and to highlight the toy industry’s year-round commitment to safe play.”