Hazards hidden in children’s toys have been all over the news lately.

In general, avoid toys made in China. While it is hard to tell for sure whether a Chinese-made toy contains harmful ingredients, the recent flood of news reports suggests precaution is warranted.

Look for toys manufactured in Western Europe. The European Union has some of the strongest consumer protection regulations in the world. Toys made in the U.S. are good second choices.

Try to shop in small or boutique toy stores or their online counterparts. While there are no guarantees, smaller merchants tend to offer alternatives to the mass-market offerings that are most at-risk for ingredients issues.

Avoid soft plastic toys, especially where babies and toddlers are concerned. These toys can contain phthalates, chemicals added to plastics to make them flexible. Phthalates have been linked to hormonal disruption and can easily leach out of toys that contain them. Also avoid vinyl and other soft, flexible plastic toys as well as bake-able polymer play clays, unless they carry a “phthalate-free” label.

Get the lead out. Lead has been showing up in all kinds of toys, especially those featuring popular children’s characters. The only way to be sure a toy is lead-free is to test it yourself, with a home lead screening kit. While the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has cautioned consumers that led testing kits can be unreliable, we still think the kits are a good way to let you know if lead is present, even if they can’t pinpoint the level. When it comes to lead, we think parents should opt for a zero-tolerance policy.

Don’t buy costume jewelry. Cheap children’s jewelry products often contain a high percentage of lead.

Be wary of toys containing tiny magnets. Powerful neodymium magnets have become more prevalent in recent years as their price has decreased. If two or more of these magnets are ingested, they can attract each other inside the body and cause serious harm.

Make sure children’s make-up and like nail coloring kits are made from non-toxic, water-based ingredients. Read labels carefully. If you smell strong chemical odors when such products are opened, this likely indicates the presence of hazardous volatile organic compounds like toluene and benzene, which have been found in such items.

For more information on safe toys, visit http://www.uspirg.org/issues/toy-safety (USPIRG).