Avoiding kids’ dressing up hazards this Christmas

Kids love dressing up...and what better season for it than Christmas? Sparkly beads, tiaras, wands and decorations - our kids just love playing with them and getting dressed up as snow princesses or fairies or whatever else takes their fancy. But many parents can forget that dressing up can sometimes pose safety risks to their kids. Here are some great tips to safeguard your children’s safety this festive season!

Avoiding kids’ dressing up hazards this Christmas

If you can think of any other kids' dressing up hazards that are especially related to Christmas, please let us know by leaving a comment.

Dressing-up can sometimes be dangerous

We all love seeing our kids dressing up for Christmas. Whether it's that cute snow bunny outfit your younger child loves, or those red and green beads your older kid must have as a dressing up accessory, they certainly look adorable when dressed up for the festive season. Some older children even enjoy playing dress-up with mummy's jewellery.

But did you know that popular dress-up items like beads or bracelets can sometimes be dangerous for your children? And grown-up jewellery may sometimes contain substances like nickel or lead that can be dangerous if ingested by a child.

We bring you 5 tips related to dressing up to keep your child safe this festive season!

Check your child's accessories

Make sure your children’s accessories are not fragile or contain small parts that might easily come off. This will minimise the risk of a younger child swallowing them.

Some popular kids accessories that little girls often love playing with are princess tiaras, beads and wands. Be aware of the hazards these items may pose especially to a younger sibling, who might try to swallow the beads, or injure himself on the pointy edge of the star at the end of a wand.

Please don't eat that!

Do educate your child that it is unhygienic and dangerous to put anything apart from food into their mouth. This will make it easier to ensure your child’s safety.

Of course, if you have a younger child, it's always best to monitor him or her during playtime, especially if he or she is playing with an older sibling. This way, you can ensure your baby doesn't try to swallow any small pieces that may have come away from an accessory.

Buy from reputable brands

Purchase your children’s accessories from reputable brands. Reputable brands often place safety as a high priority so their products are more suitable for your children.

Reputable brands will also clearly mark their toys or accessories with a warning sign if it is not suitable for younger kids and/or pose a choking hazard.

Stay aware of safety recalls

Take note of any children’s items that have been removed from toy stores due to safety concerns.

You can call the SPRING hotline number 1800 773 3163 to check for the latest updates.

Check with other mums

If you're really unsure if a dress-up item, accessory or toy is suitable or not for your child, why not seek the opinion of other mums? They might have already bought the item you are unsure about, or have information about how appropriate it is for kids.

Written by

Sean Foo

SafetyChristmaschildrengiftsdressing up