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The Toy Association has started its sixth annual Toy Safety Awareness Month, sharing holiday toy-buying and play-safety guidance throughout November. Its campaign highlights counterfeit toys, squishy toy misuse, age labels and recall checks; survey findings cited by the group point to gaps between parents’ safety concerns and their understanding of specific risks.
The Toy Association has launched its sixth annual Toy Safety Awareness Month, a November campaign offering holiday shoppers guidance on counterfeit toys, squishy toys, age labels and product recalls. The initiative matters to families buying gifts because the group says knockoff products may not meet U.S. toy safety requirements, while age guidance and safe-use instructions can help caregivers identify potential hazards.
The association says it will post safety guidance on social media and playsafe.org throughout November. Its materials include a Toy Shopping Checklist and a tip sheet on identifying counterfeit toys. Topics include checking product information, selecting age-appropriate toys, using squishy toys as directed and looking up recalls before buying secondhand toys or accepting hand-me-downs.
The organization cites a Wakefield Research survey of 1,000 U.S. parents. It found that 87% said the lower price of a counterfeit or knockoff toy was not worth the potential safety risk to a child. At the same time, 84% of parents surveyed believed knockoff squishy toys were safe for play. The association did not provide further survey methodology in the supplied report, so the findings should be understood as responses from that survey, not as proof of how all parents behave.
The association warns that counterfeit toys may fail to meet federal safety requirements. It says broken parts could pose choking hazards and that some products may expose children to chemicals prohibited in toys for children. Knockoff squishy toys may tear or burst, releasing small pieces or filling, or may contain hazardous chemicals, the organization says. Its advice is to look for manufacturer details, age labels, safe-use instructions and company contact information on packaging and products.
Safety Checks Before Holiday Purchases
The campaign focuses on decisions shoppers make while comparing gifts, especially when a low price or hard-to-find item leads them to an unfamiliar online seller. Counterfeit products can be difficult to identify, according to the association, and the group says missing manufacturer details, misspellings or absent safety information can be warning signs. Its recommendations give shoppers practical checks to use before buying rather than relying on price or product appearance alone.
The advice also applies after a toy is purchased. The association cautions against heating, freezing, puncturing or biting squishy toys, and says caregivers should follow their safe-use directions. It also points out that party supplies, costumes, electronics and home décor are not necessarily designed or tested as toys. Those items may contain hazards such as small batteries, non-toy water beads or high-powered magnets, the group says. For families, that distinction matters when children receive or handle products during holiday gatherings.
Age labels are another part of the safety message. The survey found that 35% of parents viewed age recommendations as suggestions; the figure was 49% among Baby Boomers surveyed. The association says age grading provides safety guidance, particularly because toys marked for children ages 3 and up may include small parts. The survey result records respondents’ views; it does not establish how often age labels are ignored or whether a particular toy is suitable for a particular child.
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The Campaign’s Holiday Safety Guidance
The Toy Association describes this as the sixth annual Toy Safety Awareness Month. The current campaign is aimed at holiday shopping and play supervision, with information distributed during November through the association’s website and social channels. Its materials direct shoppers to buy from known brands and trusted retailers, be cautious of unfamiliar sellers and listings with signs such as misspellings or missing safety details, and check recalls.gov before buying used toys or accepting hand-me-downs.
In a statement reported by The Toy Book, Joan Lawrence, the association’s “Toy Safety Mom” and senior vice president of standards and regulatory affairs, said shoppers should learn how to recognize counterfeit and knockoff toys, particularly when looking for popular products. She also pointed to concerns about knockoff squishy toys and their compliance with U.S. toy safety laws. Her comments represent the association’s warning about these products; the report does not identify specific sellers, brands or recalled items.
Families can find the association’s holiday checklist and squishy toy tip sheet at playsafe.org. The campaign is guidance from an industry association, while the source report does not describe an enforcement action, a new regulation or a product recall tied to the launch.
““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.””
— Joan Lawrence, The Toy Association’s “Toy Safety Mom” and senior vice president of standards and regulatory affairs
What the Survey Does Not Show
The supplied report does not include the survey’s full questionnaire, sampling approach, field dates or margin of error. Its percentages therefore describe the 1,000 parents surveyed, but the report does not provide enough information to assess how closely that group represents U.S. parents overall.
The association’s warning about counterfeit toys is general: the report does not identify a specific product, seller, injury, enforcement case or recall connected to this campaign. It also does not say how many knockoff squishy toys were tested or what evidence supports the stated increase in such products. Shoppers should not read the campaign launch as notice that any particular toy has been found unsafe.
The report does not specify the exact dates or format for each November social media post. It also does not give details about how the association distinguishes counterfeit products from other toys that may simply be sold by unfamiliar retailers.
November Guidance and Shopping Checks
The Toy Association says it will share additional guidance throughout November on social media and at playsafe.org. Shoppers can consult the Toy Shopping Checklist and squishy toy tip sheet, review product packaging for manufacturer and age information, and check recalls.gov when considering secondhand toys or hand-me-downs. The report does not announce a later event or deadline; the next stated development is the campaign’s continuing release of holiday safety materials.
Key Questions
What is Toy Safety Awareness Month?
It is The Toy Association’s annual November campaign. The 2026 initiative is its sixth and focuses on safer holiday toy shopping and play.
Where can shoppers find the campaign’s resources?
The association says its Toy Shopping Checklist and squishy toy tip sheet are available at playsafe.org. It also plans to share guidance on social media during November.
What should buyers check when purchasing a toy?
The association recommends looking for manufacturer information, age labels, safe-use instructions and company contact details. It also advises buying from known brands and trusted retailers and being cautious of listings with misspellings or missing safety information.
How does the association recommend handling squishy toys?
It advises following the product’s directions and not heating, freezing, puncturing or biting squishy toys. It warns that some knockoffs may tear or burst, but the report does not identify specific products.
Should shoppers check recalls before buying used toys?
Yes. The association recommends checking recalls.gov before buying secondhand toys or accepting hand-me-downs. Buyers should also review the toy’s condition and age information.
Source: toybook.com
