This upcoming holiday season, many parents and family members are going to be shopping in search of a great toy to give to a child. It’s such a good instinct and a nice thing to do, but it’s also important to remember that not all toys are safe. Just because they’re sold in stores is no guarantee—dozens of children are injured every year from toys that were bought at mainstream outlets.

Doing your homework on toys will guarantee that you are putting in your best effort to buy toys that are going to be not only fun, but safe. According to the CPSC, in 2015 alone there were about 185,000 injuries treated related to toys in the ER, with 11 deaths of young children due to the same cause. The cause of a lot of these injuries were riding toys—just something to be aware of in case your niece really wants a Barbie jeep.

We’ve collected all the tips in order for you to safely shop this holiday season. If you’re going to buy a toy, it’s better to buy one that isn’t going to cause injury. With that in mind, read on to find out more.

Read the labels.
If a toy is not recommended for a certain age group, don’t buy it for a child of that age! Shopping by the labels will help you figure out what you’re buying.

Don’t buy toys with small pieces for young children.
Toys that have small pieces, even attached, are likely to dislodge and find their way into kids’ mouths and their throats, posing a choking hazard. Consider how a toy is constructed before purchasing.

Check out the recall page offered by the CPSC.
Search for this site and you can search for toys you’re thinking about buying to see whether it’s been recalled, or just get an idea of what not to buy.

Remove plastic film and avoid toys with magnets.
Removing the plastic film off of toys before giving them wrapped up will make them significantly safer. Toys that come with small magnets also pose a threat. Children may swallow them and have to have them surgically removed—and swallowing two magnets or more can make it even more dangerous as they attract in the stomach area. Worse, magnets may fall off and lay hidden under furniture for years, ready to be scooped up by an eager toddler.

Avoid toys with long strings or cords.
This one’s as horrific as it is obvious; kids are at risk any time they’re around a length of cord, string, or rope. What may seem fun is a significantly dangerous toy to many young children as it poses a risk for strangulation.

Don’t buy toys with circle batteries and evaluate electrical toys before buying.
Circle button batteries are small and easily swallowed. You may want to check with parents about electrical toys before buying as well to see how they feel about them, as they often require supervision to operate.

Read the worst toys of the year list.
This list will help you avoid any dangerous but popular toys for the holiday season. Knowing what not to buy is half the battle!

Don’t buy dangerous toys—be aware this holiday season! If you or a loved one experiences an accident, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer at The Law Offices of Payas, Payas, and Payas today.