How can parents tell if a magnetic toy is unsafe for children, especially for their own kids?
• Sign up today for the CPSC Subscription Lists to be notified right away by e-mail whenever products are recalled. • Check Recall Owl and the CPSC Web site for up-to-date (and constantly updated) lists of magnet products that have been recalled. • Pay attention to and follow all warning labels on any toy package. • Examine the construction of any magnet toy to see if the magnets seem likely to fall out (and contact the customer service department of the company to ask about the safety of the toy’s construction if parents have any doubts). • Either give toys that use unsafe rare earth magnets only to age-appropriate children or do not allow those types of toys in the home at all. (If parents have any serious concerns about magnets, it is better to err on the side of caution and give kids one of the many kinds of building sets that use materials other than magnets, like wooden blocks or plastic LEGOs.) • In general, to protect both small children and pets from rare earth magnets, keep t
