How to Choose Pull Toys

by Margaret Dilloway

Overview

Pull toys develop the gross motor skills of infants and young toddlers, according to Dr. Mark A. Brandenburg, author of "Child Safe: A Practical Guide for Preventing Childhood Injuries" and Storknet.com contributor. Pull toys are appropriate for ages 8 months to 12 months, when children are first learning to be ambulatory.

Step 1

Look for pull toys with strings no more than 12 inches long. The American Academy of Pediatrics states that strings longer than this "could be a strangulation hazard for babies."
Step 2

Choose a pull toy that has more than the pull toy feature for extended play possibilities. For example, a plastic puppy or wooden frog pull toy can also be used as an imaginary pet, not just an object to be pulled around. The classic Fisher-Price Chatter Telephone includes a spinnable rotary dial and moving eyes in addition to the pull toy feature.
Step 3

Consider toy paint safety. Planet Green at Discovery.com recommends looking for new wooden toys that have been painted with nontoxic paint; their labeling will advertise this. Another option is handmade wooden pull toys, made by local craftspeople and purchased at a craft fair.

1
Check the Consumer Product Safety Commission's website to view any new toy recalls prior to shopping (see Resources).
Check the Consumer Product Safety Commission's website to view any new toy recalls prior to shopping (see Resources).