Anything handed to a child is bought under different rules from everything else on this site. Libraries, pediatric practices, community events and family days all order in volume, and all of them need to be able to answer a safety question if a parent asks one.

Ask about small parts and age grading

Children’s products in the US fall under CPSIA, and items intended for under-twelves may require testing and tracking information. Anything with a detachable piece is a choking hazard question for under-threes. Tell us the age range you are handing to and we will confirm what the supplier certifies rather than guessing at it.

If an item cannot be confirmed as appropriate for the age group, the honest answer is to choose a different item.

Cheap and plentiful beats one nice thing

Unlike every other audience, here you want volume. Nobody wants to ration at a family day, and running out in front of a queue of children is worse than handing out something modest. Stickers, pencils, mood pencils and small novelties exist precisely for this.

The parent is the actual target

The child gets the toy; the adult reads whatever is printed on it. If there is a message — a library card signup, a clinic number, a programme date — put it on the item that goes home in the bag rather than the one that gets played with in the car.