Small toy parts and other small objects found around the home (like buttons, coins, paperclips, hair accessories, etc.) can be a hazard to children under 3 and kids who still tend to put objects in their mouths. An easy way to check whether an object is too small to safely give your child is to use a Small Parts Tester!
The Small Parts Tester is an effective, easy-to-use tool. Its cylinder mimics the size and shape of a child’s throat—2.25 inches long by 1.25 inches wide. To test whether an object might be a choking hazard, place the object without compressing it inside the cylinder. If it fits entirely, it fails the safety test.
The Small Parts Tester is the federally approved tool for testing to see whether toys meet the size requirements outlined in the small parts regulation, which was developed using research and recommendations from pediatricians, child development experts, government officials, and industry experts and has been adopted around the world.
Small Parts Testers are sold on Amazon and at many toy and children’s stores.