The Toy Association™ Urges Gift-Givers to Beware of Dangerous Knockoffs, Use Squishy Toys Safely, and Take Age Labels Seriously to Ensure a Happy, Healthy Holiday Season

NEW YORK, Nov. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As families and gift-givers gear up for the holidays, The Toy Association™ is issuing a reminder to all shoppers: Safety comes first when buying toys for kids — and once the gifts are unwrapped, supervision during play is crucial.

As part of its 6^th annual Toy Safety Awareness Month, The Toy Association will be sharing safety tips throughout November on social media and at PlaySafe.org, highlighting the importance of avoiding dangerous knockoff toys; tips for safe play with squishy toys; why you should always follow the age grading on toy packaging; how to monitor for toy recalls; and more.

“The holidays are a joyful time, and toys bring an added element of fun, enrichment, and bonding to gatherings with family and friends,” said Joan Lawrence, The Toy Association’s “Toy Safety Mom” and senior vice president of standards and regulatory affairs. “But there are some precautions shoppers need to take before checking off their holiday shopping lists, including knowing how to spot counterfeit and knockoff toys sold by fraudulent sellers — especially when you’re trying to snag that must-have toy. This year, with the popularity of squishy toys, we’re unfortunately seeing an influx of dangerous knockoff squishies that are not compliant with U.S. toy safety laws.”

Legitimate toys sold by responsible brands and retailers are compliant with over 100 strict federal toy safety standards and tests covering hazards such as small parts, magnets, batteries, and physical and chemical properties. Counterfeit products often do not meet these critical safety requirements, making them more likely to break and produce small parts that are choking hazards, or contain chemicals that are banned in children’s products, among other safety concerns.

THE HOLIDAY TOY SAFETY CHECKLIST

1. Spot the Knockoffs
A new Toy Association survey of 1,000 U.S. parents, conducted by Wakefield Research, found that 87% say a counterfeit or knockoff toy’s lower price isn’t worth the potential safety risk to their child. Yet there is often a gap between understanding that counterfeit products are risky and knowing how to properly identify them.

The Toy Association has created a Toy Shopping Checklist for holiday shoppers, which includes these tips:

• Buy authentic products from known brands and trusted retailers.
• If a toy is sold out, wait for a trusted retailer to restock it.
• Avoid unfamiliar sellers, products with very few or negative reviews, misspellings and poorly edited product images, and missing safety or age information. These are all red flags that it’s a knockoff.

2. Give Squishy Toys a Closer Look
Because squishy toys are so popular, counterfeiters are increasingly replicating these products. While authentic squishy toys from responsible brands are compliant with U.S. toy safety standards and offer hours of fun sensory play, knockoff squishy toys are likely to tear or burst, releasing small parts or filling, and may contain hazardous chemicals that are prohibited in children’s products. Despite these risks, 84% of parents believe that knockoff squishy toys are safe for play.

The Toy Association’s Tip Sheet on How to Spot Fake Squishy Toys has advice for gift-givers, including these tips:

• Look for a clearly identified manufacturer or brand name on the product packaging and embossed on the squishy toy itself.
• Legitimate squishy toys will come with complete product information: an age label, safe-use instructions, and company contact information.
• Never heat, freeze, puncture, bite, or misuse any squishy toy in ways popularized by dangerous social media trends.

3. Check and Follow Age Labels
The age grading on toy packaging is not a suggestion — and it isn’t about how smart your child is, either. Age labels offer crucial safety guidance about what is safe and appropriate for children of different ages. It’s especially crucial to follow 3+ age labels, as these toys may contain small parts that are a choking hazard.

Concerningly, 35% of parents believe toy age recommendations are merely suggestions. That misconception is even more common among Baby Boomers, many of whom are now grandparents, with 49% saying age labels are just suggestions rather than guidance about what is safe for children at each age.

Before gifting a toy, check its age label — and share The Toy Association’s age-label infographic with grandparents and other holiday gift-givers, too.

4. Check for Recalls Before Buying Secondhand
Before buying a secondhand toy or accepting a hand-me-down, check Recalls.gov to make sure it hasn’t been recalled. While toy recalls are incredibly rare, they’re an important safeguard that removes faulty products from stores and homes. Remember: A reputable seller, retailer, or company will not sell recalled products.

5. Not Everything is a Toy
Sometimes, kids are gifted products that are not toys, such as party supplies, costumes, desk accessories, home décor, watches, and electronics. These products may not comply with strict toy safety standards, and may contain small batteries, non-toy water beads, and/or high-powered magnets that children can access and are dangerous if accidentally swallowed. (Note: When used in toys, water beads, small magnets, and batteries are subject to strict federal standards for their safe use.)

The safest choice for play is a toy designed for children and used as intended. For more guidance, watch The Toy Association’s Toy Safety 365 Days a Year video featuring advice from a pediatric emergency medicine physician.

MAKE SAFETY PART OF EVERY GIFT

A little extra care before checkout — and during play — can help families protect what matters most while making lasting memories this holiday season. Visit PlaySafe.org for year-round toy safety resources and follow The Toy Association on Instagram (#ToySafetyAwarenessMonth and #PlaySafe) throughout November for more holiday shopping tips.

About The Toy Association™ ToyAssociation.org, ToyFoundation.org, PeopleOfPlay.com, TheGeniusOfPlay.org, and PlaySafe.org.
Founded in 1916, The Toy Association represents companies involved in creating and delivering toys and youth entertainment products for kids of all ages. It serves as the industry’s voice on the developmental benefits of play and promotes play’s positive impact on childhood development. The organization has a long history of leadership in toy safety, having helped develop the first comprehensive toy safety standard more than 50 years ago, and remains committed to working with medical experts, governments, consumers, and the industry to support toy safety, advance industry standards, and help families make informed choices about play.

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SOURCE The Toy Association