Watchdogs warn of deadly toys

Santa’s 2018 naughty list includes small wind-up cars, bath toys and a ride-on plastic motorcycle.

Toys recalled by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) in 2018 have ranged from a giraffe night light with feet that weren’t ‘‘sufficiently bonded’’ with its body and an electric scooter with a faulty charger.

The most recent toy to be recalled is a wind-up car that broke into small pieces when dropped too many times.

Martin Rushton, trading standards team leader at MBIE, said shoppers needed to think about the age of the child they were buying for.

‘‘In general, the smaller the child the larger the toy should be,’’ Rushton said.

‘‘Young children and babies explore their world by putting things in their mouths and can choke easily on small parts.

‘‘Curious kids can also put small parts in their ears and noses.’’

Shoppers could find the list of recalled toys online.

If the packaging didn’t include an age recommendation, Rushton encouraged shoppers to apply the ‘‘Six S’’ guide: ‘‘Size, surface, strings, supervision, smooth, and sound’’, taking into account swallowing hazards as well as loose pieces and strings.

A spokesperson for SafeKids Aotearoa said toy safety depended on the size and age of children.

‘‘Be aware of choking hazards in the very young and then the need for awareness of the risk that button batteries pose,’’ the spokesperson said. ‘‘Toys that contain them should be kept well away from the youngest of children. Chiefly because small children are explorers who explore the world through taste as a part of their normal development. Button batteries react quickly with saliva and will burn and even perforate tissue.’’

Every year, around 20 children require life-saving surgery after swallowing button batteries.

Christmas gifts with small pieces pose a risk to young ones.

This giraffe night light was recalled because its feet might come off.