- Public Service Announcements
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Media Kits
- Save Your Vision Month: Healthy Vision at the Computer
- National Glaucoma Awareness Month
- Eye-Friendly Toys for a Safe Holiday
- National Diabetes Month
- Ready for School
- Summer’s Almost Here! Help Protect Your Eyes from Harmful UV Rays
- Keep Spring in Your Step
- Healthy Vision Month
- A Little Prevention Goes a Long Way
- Be Wise About Your Eyes
- Calendar of Eye Care Events
- Optometric Outreach
- Doctors on the Frontline of Eye and Vision Care
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Press Releases
- Hold Medicare claims, AOA Washington office advises
- Statement from the CMS: Claims Paid Under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule
- Doctors of Optometry Urge Contact Lens Wearers to Be Vigilant with Lens Hygiene and Compliance in Flood Areas
- Protect Your Eyes and Attend Professional Fireworks Displays
- AOA Champions National Effort to Combat Diabetes
- An Eye Opening Reality: UV Protection for Eyes Especially Important During Summer Months
- Majority of Sports-Related Eye Injuries are Preventable with Protective Eyewear
- Vision Discomfort Associated with Computer Vision Syndrome
- AOA Introduces Electronic Coding Resource Exclusively For Members
- Reduce Your Risk of Developing AMD, Leading Cause of Vision Loss in Older Americans
- Barry J. Barresi, O.D., Ph.D., Appointed Executive Director of the American Optometric Association
- New Research Shows Consumers Who Purchase Contact Lenses Online Face Greater Eye Health Risks Due To Not Following FDA Safety Recommendations
- Early Detection Critical to Treating Glaucoma, Preventing Blindness
- Diabetes: A Top Cause of Blindness Among Adults
- New Survey Shows Few Americans Taking Care of Their Most Valued Sense: Eyesight
- Warning for Consumers: Popular Halloween Eye Wear Accessory Can Permanently Damage Eyes
- Computer Vision Syndrome Threatens Returning Students
- Doctors of Optometry Support AMO’s Voluntary Solution Recall, Urge Contact Lens Wearers to Discontinue Use
- Survey Quizzes Americans’ Knowledge of Eye Care Topics
- Project Team Explores Board Certification Process
- Congress Rejects Attacks on Optometry
- Diabetes Is the Leading Cause of Blindness Among Most Adults
- AOA Low Vision University Receives Support From Kemin Health
- AOA Backs Contact Lens Patient Safety Bill Sponsored by Kentucky's Rep. Whitfield
- Former President Carter and American Optometric Association Celebrate InfantSEE's First Birthday by Announcing Results
- American College of Nurse-Midwives Endorses American Optometric Association InfantSEE® Program
- Doctors of Optometry Support Bausch & Lomb's Solution Recall, Urge Contact Lens Wearers to Discontinue Use
- Federal Agencies Investigate Soft Contact Lens Use, Solution as Cause of Serious Eye Fungus
- Eye Fungus Reports Increase as Cases Emerge in United States
- Optometrists Anticipate “Boom” in Eye Diseases as Baby Boomers Turn 60
- AOA Children's Educational Materials Features New Animated Characters
Eye-Friendly Toys for a Safe Holiday
The holidays are filled with anticipation of gifts and new toys. When making decisions for selecting new toys, parents need to tell Santa and loved ones to pick eye-safe and age appropriate toys for children.
So, in general, what toys should parents avoid? Toys with pointed, sharp or rough edges or pieces. Blocks are great for almost any age as long as corners and edges are blunted to reduce the risk of eye injury. Also, to avoid eye injuries, beware of long-handled toys, like mops, brooms, pony sticks and rakes. Check to make sure that they have rounded handles and watch closely children under 2 with such toys.
Be careful to avoid toys that may be age appropriate for an older child but could be dangerous for a younger child. Always supervise children in situations when they might share an inappropriate toy with a younger sibling.
Avoid slingshots, dart guns and arrows for children under 6. Ideally, these toys should be avoided completely, especially when there are younger children in the house. If that is not possible, supervise any child with these toys, because have the potential to be harmful."
Great toys for children are those that stimulate visual development, improve hand-eye coordination and demonstrate spatial relationships.
Great toys for children are those that stimulate visual development, improve hand-eye coordination and demonstrate spatial relationships.
Toys for children under age 2 include:
- brightly colored mobiles
- stuffed animals
- activity gyms
- blocks, balls
- stacking and nesting toys
- buckets and measuring cups
- puzzles
- shape sorters
- musical toys
Appropriate and eye-friendly toys for children over age 2 include:
- child-sized household items like brooms
- vacuums
- rakes
- lawn mowers
- refrigerator and stove sets and outside toys like sandboxes
- riding toys and backyard gyms and swings.
Magnetic letters, stringing beads, toy cash registers are great for fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
Some toys are simply not safe and may be recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). For a list of toy recalls, call (800) 638-2772 or visit www.cpsc.gov.