Are Toy Cars Safe? A Guide for Parents and Guardians

You might be a parent who wants to give less screentime to your child. However, you might be worried if these toy cars are safe. Don’t worry because this blog post will talk about what you need to know and the precautions if you decide to let your child play with toy cars. But first, let’s answer if toy cars are safe.

Generally speaking, toy cars are safe since most are designed to be children friendly. However, some small parts from these toys can be a choking hazard. Lastly, toy cars can cause slipping if someone steps on them. Thus, it is a good idea to follow the recommended age labeled on these toy cars.

In this blog post, we will talk about the safety profile of toy cars. I will also give some tips such as what to look for when buying and some common things children do when playing with toy cars.

Are Toy Cars safe for children and toddlers? Are toy cars a Choking hazard?

Are toy cars safe?

As a general rule, toy cars are safe and can be an excellent source of entertainment for children. However, it is essential to check the age recommendation indicated by manufacturers to prevent any injuries such as choking hazards and wounds caused by sharp parts.

It is important to remember that safety is always the most crucial consideration when playing with toy cars.

Every year, hundreds of youngsters are injured because of their toys.

Cuts and bruises from toys are the most common kind of injuries.

Toys, in some cases, cause severe injury. In addition, there are times when toys can be deadly if they are misused. Thus, dangerous.

However, you can prevent such incidents if you supervise your child’s play with these toys.

It is essential not to allow any reckless or inappropriate play with toy cars as they can cause injuries.

Furthermore, toys that are jumped on or disassembled can cause injuries.

Keep an eye out for small, loose, or damaged toys.

A small toy or piece can quickly get stuck in a kid’s ear, nose, or throat.

Inhaling, swallowing, or choking on things like magnets, marbles, small balls, tiny pieces, or balloons can severely injure children.

For the first few years of your children’s life, keep all toys with small components out of their reach until they are old enough to understand how to play with them.

Always double-check the batteries. If a toy has tiny batteries, ensure that the battery container is secured correctly so that your child cannot get them out. Small batteries can become a choking hazard if swallowed.

Moreover, always keep toys in good condition. Any broken parts should be repaired or replaced.

Check for broken or damaged pieces, splinters on wooden toys, loose eyes or small parts in figurines and dolls, and exposed wires on electronic toys.

A broken toy may reveal sharp or pointy edges.

Keep your children’s playthings clean and free of rust. For example, metal toys should never be left outside overnight since they can rust easily.

Make sure there aren’t any potential fire hazards. These electric plug-in toys can cause burns and shocks if they are misused or overused.

This doesn’t mean that toy cars are 100% unsafe. On the contrary, they are toys for a reason. In fact, they are found to be beneficial for building spatial and verbal skills.

You can find the benefits of toy cars in my other blog post. Here is the link: Why kids play with toy cars.

If you’re a diecast or car kit modeler, make sure to keep all the materials used in modelings, such as glue, paint, tools, and many more.

These materials can also cause injury to children if left in an open space.

Since children are naturally curious, they see colorful and unique objects such as toy cars, paints, glue, and tools interesting.

Take note that model paint and glue are never meant to be swallowed. Thus, being extra careful is necessary if you’re into the modeling hobby.

Keep your models, particularly models that are at the 1:64 scale is tightly locked cabinets as these models are small enough to be a choking hazard.

Are toy cars choking hazards?

Toy cars, especially the smaller sizes, can be a choking hazard. Large toy cars can also be a choking hazard, especially if they have small parts that can easily be disassembled, such as their wheels. Thus, it is essential to always check the recommended age provided by the manufacturer on each toy packaging.

Toys are an essential and enjoyable element of every child’s development.

However, playing with toy cars is not without risk.

Choking is a potential risk for children aged three and under because they frequently put things in their mouths. That’s why parents must inspect their children’s toys, supervise when they play, and buy only safe and appropriate toys.

Children are curious as they are trying to explore their environment. Thus, they find small and unique objects fascinating.

Always check the packaging when buying and opening toy cars.

Warning labels provide crucial information about how to use a toy and the ages for which it is appropriate.

Make sure your child understands how to play with the toy properly.

To prevent choking, ensure all toys and pieces are larger than your kid’s mouth.

Furthermore, it is better to opt for bigger toy cars with fewer small parts.

Some large models might not look like a choking hazard, but the truth is, large toy cars can be a choking hazard if they have smaller parts that you can easily remove.

Toys that shoot objects into the air should also be avoided. They have the potential to inflict significant eye damage or choking hazards.

Also, buy high-quality toys as they are usually more sturdy and won’t break easily into small parts.

Always check that all of the parts of toys are secured and clean to prevent injuries.

Furthermore, avoid toys with tiny bean-like pellets or stuffing that, if swallowed, can cause choking or suffocation.

Buy solid plastic toys. Toys made of thin plastic are prone to breaking. Likewise, it would be best to avoid toys made of harmful materials since they may cause poisoning.

It would also help always to check the label of these toys as some labels have a “nontoxic” indicated on their packaging.

Children under the age of 12 must avoid using hobby kits and chemistry sets.

These are chemicals and may be hazardous. Ensure that your older child understands how to use these types of toys safely.

Lastly, keep the model paint and glue away from children as they tend to swallow them.

Are toy cars safe for toddlers?

Generally speaking, toy cars are safe and beneficial for toddlers as they can help them build their imagination through pretend play. However, extreme caution is necessary for parents since these toy cars and their parts can be a choking hazard to toddlers.

Car toys for toddlers encourage imagination through pretend play and can benefit children’s physical and psychological development.

Given that some toddlers spend considerable time in cars, it’s natural that they like incorporating toy cars into their play.

Your toddler will enjoy imitating adult driving actions and driving their cars to all of their favorite destinations.

You may look at toddlers playing with cars, and you’ll see they are fully aware of what they are doing while driving and making all those noises: squealing brakes and honking horns, and so on.

They’ll comment about signs, lights, buildings, and other sights they observed, all while exhibiting their growing knowledge of the world around them.

The safest vehicles are the best to go with are big toy cars with fewer parts.

Matchbox, Hot Wheels, and other small cars have pieces that pose a risk of choking. 

Also, avoid choosing cars that can perform tasks that your toddler can perform on their own. Vehicles that produce noises and have motors that move them ahead are some examples.

These features restrict your child’s ability to use their creative imaginations, which can lead to less free-form play. Hence, simple wooden vehicles are an excellent first step.

If your toy car has batteries included, make sure these batteries are tightly secured. You can also remove the battery altogether to make sure the child won’t take them.

The same principles for cleaning up apply to car play as they do to other types of toys.

A huge car collection can soon lead to a messy floor.

While it may appear that pratfalls involving toy vehicles are the things of cartoon legend, however, these mishaps do occur. Therefore make sure your toddler keeps toy cars away from walking areas to prevent slipping.

Unless your toddler is hurting another child, driving into your baseboards, or ruining furniture, it’s not a bad thing to hear them crash cars into each other and ram them into block buildings. They are only putting their newfound knowledge to the test in a fun and safe way.

Make sure your child understands which toy vehicles are allowed to get wet in the car wash so that they don’t use their imagination to wash them. In addition, some cars have metal parts that can rust or be damaged by water.

Furthermore, some toy cars with electronics and batteries are dangerous if they wash them due to a chance of short circuits.

Keep in mind that it’s not only cars that pique interest.

Many toddlers are equally interested in other vehicles such as dump trucks, garbage trucks, limousines, and motorcycles, so keep a wide range of options available to maximize diverse approaches to car play.

Only the things I love”

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So, here are the things I love when taking care of my Diecast Models.

Cleaning the Models

The first we are going to talk about is cleaning the models.

Removing Dust

  1. Air Brush – For me, this is the best since it not just removes dust but you can use it in painting/clear coating.
  2. Air Duster – This is a good alternative to Airbrush
  3. Normal Brush – If you are short on budget, you can use a normal brush. However, make sure that the brush has soft bristles because there are some hard brushes than can cause scratches. That’s why I recommended a good brush that can do the job properly.

Cleaning and Shining Hacks

Well, here are some of my cleaning hacks for removing scratches, oxidation, and so much more.

  1. Removing Decal Adhesive – Use Goo Gone on those hard-to-remove decal adhesives. It works fast and works like charm!
  2. Waxing and Polishing – Here is something a lot of people don’t know. Waxing protects the clear coat and paint while polishing shines the model. Instead of buying it separately, use a 2 in 1 to save money. Get this instead.
  3. Beginner Wax – The wax I recommended earlier is good and provides the best results based on my experience. But a beginner might have a problem especially if they’re not good at applying wax. Solid wax reaching hard to reach surface can be hard to remove. You have two choices here. One is to use a qtips to reach those surfaces, another is to use a liquid wax I recommended.
  4. Cleaning Wheels, Rubber, Plastic – Do not forget that rubber and plastic surface are quite different, especially in the cleaning process. Just wiping it down won’t do the job. That’s why I use Meguiar’s Vinyl and Rubber Cleaner and Conditioner. Works like charm!
  5. Make the Wheels Shine! – Making our models look good won’t be complete without tiny details such as shiny wheels! Do not forget this because however small this is, the difference can be as big as night and day.
  6. Remove Scratches Easily – Tiny scratches are not the end for your model. Here is a simple trick I’ve been using to make my models look scratch-free even without repainting. Use T-Cut.

Painting the Models

Painting Tools

Make sure when you paint models, have these ready.

  1. Tape – A tape is important if you are painting a straight line. Furthermore, it will prevent your paint to scatter on other parts. I recommend Tamiya Tape since it is really made for models. Furthermore, they stick really well preventing paint splatters.
  2. Brush (Beginner) – Find a good set of brushes to paint your models. Of course, you can opt for an airbrush but it’s quite expensive.
  3. Airbrush (Intermediate/Expert) – This will yield a significantly better result than an ordinary brush because you can easily spray the paint evenly. I recommend this if you know what you’re doing.
  4. Stand(Optional) – Stands are good because it can be hard to manually hold the models while painting. It is optional but in my opinion, the price is well worth it for the comfort it gives.
  5. Drop Cloths – Drop Cloths will protect your surroundings from the paint.
  6. Primer – The most common beginner mistake I see is painting models without any Primer. A primer will prevent imperfections such as bubbles or paint not sticking to your models. It is a small price to pay for quality results.
  7. Clear Coat – A clear coat will protect the paint of your models. This will make the paint last longer. Also, it is the one responsible for making your models shine.

Paints

Of course, you can’t do painting properly without paint. So here are the ones I recommend.

  1. Acrylic PaintGood for beginners because it dries quickly. However, it doesn’t produce results as good as enamel paint.
  2. Enamel PaintProvides a good quality finish and longer-lasting paint. However, it takes longer to dry and requires expertise to use.

Model Maintenance

Model Storage

  1. Simple Wood Cabinet – While it doesn’t let you display your models, wooden cabinets are good storage for these models. For one, they are not heat conductors which means that the temperature inside will remain constant and remain cool. Furthermore, they prevent light from reaching the models which can cause oxidation.
  2. Clear Cabinet with Lock – If you want to display your models, then I recommend this. It closes so dust won’t easily get to your models. I also recommend you don’t put more than 1 model in each compartment since metals are good conductors of heat.

Model Photography

So you want to show off your models to others? Well, I got you covered.

Here is my beginner-friendly model photography tutorial that teaches everything from taking pictures to the editing process.

You will also see me doing hands-on photography in that tutorial.

Here is the link: How to Take Pictures of a Diecast Model or Model Kit | Helpful Illustrated and Video Guide

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