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1st December 2023
04:30pm GMT
Parents across the globe will have started their hunt for toys and gifts for little ones, according to their Santa lists.
While most toys targeted towards kids are safe, there can be issues with some options when it comes to age and safety.
In response to this, The Enchanted Nanny (Danielle Anne Manton-Kelly) on TikTok has provided some guidance to help parents make the safest choice, by sharing a list of toys she would 'never' buy kids at Christmas time.
Danielle has over 600,000 followers on the platform and as a mother to three girls, her advice comes from her own experience as a mum.
In her video, Danielle begins by saying: "These are the toys I would never have in my house, to help you make cautious choices just before Christmas."
Firstly, she spoke about the dangers of water beads, explaining: "If you want something that will give you the exact same sensory experience, please use [tapioca pearls - these are edible spheres made from starch]."
She then said that water beads "are literally made to expand when they hit water. If your child accidentally eats them, they form a massive obstruction that will just keep going and they’re also toxic."
Next up was anything with button batteries and she explains: "They look like a shiny sweet and if they come loose - which they often do, because they tend to be in quite cheap toys, -they form a massive choking hazard.
“But worse than that, the damage that they do when they’re swallowed is untold and can be fatal."
Danielle then said that although marbles are safe for older kids, you shouldn't give them this Christmas if you have young children or pets.
"They don’t break down and they can get stuck very easily. Just avoid them until your little ones are older," she says.
Then Danielle said she thinks it’s 'mad' that science kits are for sale and targeted at young kids at all.
"These are actually so dangerous," she says. "The stuff that you can end up making with these kits, I can’t even describe."
As a replacement, Danielle suggests that parents buy specific at-home science books instead. These contain much safer experiments that don't involve chemistry and therefore chemicals.
@enchantednanny #parentsoftiktok #toysafety #toydanger #buttonbatteries #aquabeads #christmasshopping ♬ original sound - The Enchanted Nanny
