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Posted by: Georgia Center for Sight

The holiday shopping season is busy, and it’s a perfect time to create lasting memories with family and friends. During Safe Toys Month, we aim to provide our patients with safety tips for choosing the right gifts for children. Our focus is on helping you select toys wisely, especially since some types—such as air guns, projectile-shooting toys, high-powered lasers, and sports gear—are associated with childhood eye injuries. Having this knowledge enables you to make confident, informed choices and keep your children safe during the holidays.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology, a respected organization in eye health, offers important advice on choosing safe toys for children during the holiday season.

1. Be cautious with airsoft, BB guns, and similar projectile toys. Each year, many patients suffer severe eye injuries from seemingly harmless toys. Steer clear of toys with sharp, protruding, or projectile parts, like airsoft guns, BB guns, and other non-powder firearms—these objects can rapidly shoot into the eye’s delicate tissue.
2. Never let children use high-powered laser pointers. Recent U.S. reports indicate that kids have suffered serious eye injuries from playing with lasers ranging from 1500 to 6000 milliwatts. As these lasers grow more powerful, even a few seconds of exposure can cause significant retinal damage. The FDA warns against aiming or shining lasers at anyone and advises against purchasing laser pointers for children. This warning is especially important during the holidays when such seemingly harmless toys can unexpectedly threaten your child’s vision.
3. Always keep age recommendations in mind when purchasing toys. These guidelines help ensure you choose gifts that are safe and appropriate for your child’s age.
4. Don’t just give presents; be present. Always make sure an adult supervises children when they play with toys or games that might be hazardous and could cause eye injuries. Your presence helps prevent accidents and keeps playtime safe. This responsibility is crucial for ensuring our children’s safety during the holidays.
5. Know the appropriate actions and precautions. If someone suffers an eye injury, seek prompt medical care from an eye specialist. While waiting, avoid touching, rubbing, or applying pressure to the eye, or attempting to remove anything from the eye.

Following these tips can help ensure our little loved ones maintain healthy vision through many holiday seasons. We all likely remember Ralphie’s eye accident in the classic movie “A Christmas Story” and his mother’s warning, “You’ll shoot your eye out.” It’s a memorable holiday scene we prefer to keep on the TV screen, not in real life, for our children.

Enjoy the holiday season with the joy of gift-giving and celebration, but always stay mindful of SAFETY.

References: American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Optometric Association, and the National Eye Institute. This blog provides information and discussion about eye health and related subjects. The content provided within this blog and any linked materials are not intended and should not be considered medical advice. If the reader or anyone has a medical concern, they should consult an appropriately licensed physician.       

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