Toy safety by age
Start with the age grade on the box, then look at what the toy has. Toys for children under 3 may not have small parts in the US, UK, EU or Australia; in the US, latex balloons carry a choking warning up to age 8, and strong loose magnets are allowed only in kits for 8 and up. Tick your child’s age and the toy’s features, and the checker stacks up the rules that apply, what to look for on the box, and safer choices.
For a child of 2 years · US, UK, EU and Australian rules
1 not for this age1 to check
Not for this age
Toys meant for children under 3 must not have any part that fits entirely inside the small-parts cylinder, which is 31.75 mm (1¼ in) wide and 25.4 to 57.15 mm (1 to 2¼ in) deep, even after drop and pull tests. A part that small can block a young child’s airway.
Check before you give it
A swallowed coin battery can cause internal chemical burns in as little as 2 hours. The battery door should need a screwdriver or coin, or two separate movements at once, to open, and should stay shut if the toy is dropped.
Toy safety law works on the age a toy is intended for. In the US, the regulator judges that from the maker’s stated age if it is reasonable, the way the toy is advertised and marketed, and whether it is commonly recognised as a toy for that age (16 CFR 1501.2). That is why the age grade on the box matters so much: it decides which rules the toy had to pass.
The checker turns that around. You give it a real child and a real toy, and for each feature it shows one block, strictest first:
Each block quotes the rule for the US, the UK, the EU and Australia. The UK copied the EU toy directive into its own Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011, so where the two say the same thing they share a line. Tick “A younger child lives here” and each block adds a note about brothers, sisters and visiting babies, because a toy bought for a 7-year-old can easily end up within reach of somebody younger.
Most toy rules hang on a few birthdays. These are the ones the checker uses.
| Age line | What changes | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Under 3 (36 months) | No small parts in toys intended for this age, tested with the 31.75 mm small-parts cylinder; no balls 44.4 mm or smaller. | US, UK, EU. Australia’s standard covers children “up to and including 36 months”, so a child of exactly 36 months is still inside it. |
| 3 to under 6 | Toys with small parts must carry “WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD – Small parts. Not for children under 3 yrs.” | US |
| 6 and younger | Reese’s Law, the US button battery law, is written to protect children 6 and younger. | US |
| Under 8 | Every latex balloon carries the choking warning for children under 8; toys for 3 to under 8 that contain a small ball or marble say so; toys are tested for sharp points and edges; strong loose magnets only in educational kits for 8 and up. | US |
| Under 14 | The US toy standard, ASTM F963, covers toys for children under 14; Australia’s standards for projectile toys and toys containing magnets do too. | US, Australia |
The example above is a typical gift question: a toy for a 2-year-old that has a few small accessories and runs on a coin battery. Two blocks stack up.
Block A is a stop. At 24 months the child is under 3 everywhere, so a toy intended for this age may not contain any part that fits inside the small-parts cylinder. If the box says “3+” or shows the 0–3 pictogram, the maker never meant it for a 2-year-old, and the accessories are the reason.
Block B is a check. Button and coin batteries are allowed in toys, but the battery door should need a screwdriver or coin to open, or two separate movements at the same time, and it should stay shut if the toy is dropped. A swallowed coin battery can cause internal chemical burns in as little as 2 hours, so the result adds the emergency numbers for each country.
A child who turns 3 in January 2027 is 2 years and 11 months on 25 December 2026. Put 2 years 11 months into the checker with small parts ticked and the block is still a stop: the rule changes on the birthday, not on the day the present is opened. If you have your heart set on a 3+ toy, keep it for the birthday, or choose one with large pieces now.
One month later the picture changes. At exactly 36 months the US, UK and EU rules treat the child as 3, and US toys for ages 3 to 5 with small parts carry the choking warning instead. Australia’s mandatory standard for young children’s toys covers children “up to and including 36 months”, so with Australia selected the checker keeps the stop until 37 months.
For a closer look at one feature, the other tools go deeper: print a small-parts tester, decode the symbols on the box, or check a battery compartment with the button battery checklist.
This is general information to help you choose, not legal or medical advice. The maker is responsible for testing and labelling a toy correctly; if a toy seems unsafe, stop using it and report it to the regulator where you live.
Print it, decode it, check it, look it up.
A choke-test template sized to the official cylinder, with a print-scale check.
CE, UKCA, the 0–3 pictogram, the Lion Mark and US warnings: what they mean and don’t.
Reese’s Law, the Australian standards and a checklist for products in your home.
Search the US, Canadian, UK, EU and Australian recall lists in one go.
Skills by age from the CDC, toy types that fit, and what to leave out.
Two free services for the online side of gift shopping.
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Try WebTraceCheckFrom 3. In the US, UK and EU, toys intended for children under 3 may not contain small parts; Australia’s standard covers children up to and including 36 months. US toys for ages 3 to 5 with small parts carry a choking warning, because some children still put toys in their mouths.
The age grade is about safety, not cleverness. A “3+” toy usually has parts small enough to choke a child under 3, however advanced they are. Keep it for the third birthday, or choose a toy made for their age with larger pieces.
Every latex balloon sold in the US carries a warning that children under 8 can choke or suffocate on uninflated or broken balloons, and that adult supervision is required. Blow balloons up yourself, keep deflated ones out of reach and pick up broken pieces at once.
Toys with magnets sealed inside, such as magnetic tiles, follow their age grade like any toy; check them for cracks. Strong loose magnets are allowed in US toys only in educational kits for ages 8 and up, with a warning. Desk-toy magnet sets are for adults.
Not much yet. The UK’s Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011 copy the EU directive’s safety requirements and warnings, and Great Britain accepts both UKCA and CE marks. The EU’s new Toy Safety Regulation applies from 1 August 2030, so the two may drift apart after that.
No. It is general information from the official rules, to help you choose. For a particular product, read its label and instructions and check the recall lists; if a child swallows something, get emergency help straight away.
Rules checked on 3 November 2026.