The holiday season is here and with it the traditional parental dash to the toy store. Once upon a time it was an easy task to satisfy childhood desires. Most toys were made relatively close to home from a handful of time-honored materials like wood, cotton, and metal.

Today, the situation in Toyland is more complicated. All kinds of synthetic materials from plastics to foams are being used to manufacture a new generation of playthings in places far removed from watchful regulatory eyes. The result is often a minefield of hazards as parents seek toys that entertain without harm. To make the job easier and your family's holiday healthier, we've assembled this guide to better toy shopping:

• First, avoid toys made in China, where lax regulations often mean that anything goes as far as toy safety is concerned. While not all toys from China are unsafe, the country's track record of producing hazardous goods demands a precautionary stance.
• Choose toys made in Western Europe, where countries have strong consumer protection policies. Toys made in America are a good second choice, but consumers should be cautious because lack of domestic regulation means certain hazards like phthalates (see below) may be present.
• Shop in small "boutique" toy stores and mail order catalogs. These merchants traditionally shy away from the mass-market offerings that are the most at-risk for problems and instead offer higher quality toys from more discerning manufacturers and imports from safer countries.
• Unless they're clearly labeled as "phthalate-free," avoid soft plastic toys, which often use these toxic chemicals to maintain pliability. Playthings that commonly contain phthalates include vinyl and other flexible plastic toys as well as polymer play clays. Toys made in Europe are generally safe as the E.U. has largely banned phthalates from children's products. New U.S. regulations will ban phthalates from toys starting in February 2009, but a recent regulatory ruling allows manufacturers to sell out their remaining stock of existing phthalate-contaminated items first.
• Watch out for lead, which in recent years has shown up in the paints and parts of all kinds of toys, including big name brands and vinyl items. Lead test kits are the only way to tell if lead is present in any toy you've bought. If it is, return that toy for a refund.
• Think twice before buying jewelry. Some of the biggest sources of toy-borne lead are children's jewelry products. Items like necklaces, rings, and earrings, especially if imported, have been found to sometimes contain an alarmingly high percentage of lead.
• If you have toddlers and other orally-fixated young children at home, be wary of toys containing magnets. Powerful neodymium magnets have become common in recent years, and if two or more of these often small magnets are ingested they can attract each other inside the body and cause serious harm.
• Make sure any children's make-up or similar products like nail coloring kits are made from non-toxic, water-based ingredients. Read labels very 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 these items. If you suspect a product is unhealthy, return it.
• Skip the super noisy toys. If it's too loud for you, it's too loud for your kids' sensitive ears. Test the sound levels of noise-making toys in the store first to make sure they're safe. If you're giving your child an MP3 player, use its volume limiter setting to lock in output at a safe level.
• Keep up with toy recalls at the Consumer Product Safety Commission. But don't rely on recalls and news reports to guide your holiday shopping. There are thousands of toys for sale in the U.S., and only a very small percentage of those with safety issues get noticed and recalled in time.

For more information about hazardous toys and a copy of 2009's Trouble in Toyland report, visit the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.

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photo: Naama ym