Kids want what they want, no questions asked. This year, the most demanded toys seem to be fidget spinners, the propeller shaped toys that spin around your fingers, and can be hours of fun. Older kids have been taking them to school, collecting them, and trading them, but the suitability factor for younger children is not very clear. If you have a younger child, there may be some safety issues to consider — are fidget spinners safe for toddlers?
When taking toddlers into consideration, it's important to look at the safety aspects of toys. Since toddlers have the tendency to put things in their mouth, toys with small parts are usually a safety hazard. (Also a sibling hazard as big kids lose their mind when their toddler brother or sister eats a toy.)
According to Popular Mechanics, fidget spinners are small spinning widgets with a bearing that spins around your finger. Some fidget spinners have a single bearing, while some have multiple bearings. They come in a variety of colors and options, including glow spinners and light-up spinners.
They sound fun, but a grandmother in Georgia recently took to social media to warn families about the choking hazard fidget spinners pose. According to WSB-TV 2 Atlanta, her 3-year-old grandson was riding in the car with his mother, when his fidget spinner came apart, leaving small parts in his hand, including a tiny light-up battery that he could have choked on. Luckily the mom caught the safety hazard in time, but thought that she should still warn others of the risks.
Some sellers label their fidget spinners with hazard warnings, suggesting the age to be 6 years old and up, while some don't label them at all. On Amazon, the CAPAS fidget spinner ($17) specifically noted in the product description that the toy poses a choking hazard and is not suitable for kids younger than 3 years old.
If the toy is small, made of smaller parts, and isn't made with safety provisions for young children, it's probably not a safe choice for toddlers. When it comes to little ones, safety should be the number one priority, fad or not.
