Q: I'm wondering if anyone can help me out with this. I love to find older "vintage" toys for my son to play with. Not only do I live the style, they are also usually good quality, and built for imaginative play. However, the only thing I'm concerned about is the fact that they were not built to today's safety standards. Is there some guide or thing I can look for to determine whether the paint and other materials are safe for little children?
Sent by Marg
Editor: We love vintage toys too! Can anyone help Marg with this question? Are there any types of vintage toys you stay away from for safety reasons?
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Comments (6)
I can't speak as to the safety of the toy, (the less moving parts the better) but you can buy lead testing kits at most hardware stores.
it's not just the toy, but the child. how old is he? is he still putting things into his mouth?
"today's standards"? They're non-existent.
If you're worried about it, give them a wooden spoon, a pot, a cardboard box, a stick out of the yard and a handful of leaves. They'll be happier with that anyway.
We have lots of vintage toys. I keep them up high and take them down for "special" playtime, when I'm playing too. That way I make sure the toys don't get wrecked and also nothing goes in the mouth.
I spent my childhood in France playing with all the toys my family saved for generations, up to my great grand father.
Forget about metal toys, most of the time. Little fingers get stuck easily, and tiny metal soldiers are made of lead, most of the time. But if the child can pay attention, I remember fondly playing with my grand father toy train.
The paint is also a problem, especially if it looks like it darkened, whitened or if it looks like it coruugated the toy.
Other than that, I'm still here, doin' ok after lots of fun with vintage toys. I wish I brought some of them with me for my son to play with.
I really like the toys made by Melissa & Doug. Most of them are made of wood and have an old-fashioned style, plus the parts and paint are safe for little ones to chew on.