| Safety/Other Issues |
| As our project was a toy that we wanted to give away, we by law, were required to adhere to the strict guidlines of toy making. For children 1-2, the CPSC, (US Consumer Product Safety Commission) the main governmental body of regulation for all safety issues including children's toys, suggests a set of blocks between 20 and 40 pieces. Solid wooden blocks, sanded down are an acceptable toy for all age groups. One of the safety standards from the US government is that no toy ball should have less than a 1.75" diameter. This is also the minimum size for any side of a toy given to them. However, the CPSC highly suggests, even though it does not require, a minimum side size of two inches in order to make them as safe as possible. We decided that 2" should be our smallest allowed dimension and planned our blocks as such. The CPSC also suggests that color would be a good edition to any block set, it helps with cognitive design development (for more click here). After careful thought, we decided that what Mr. Schulze had already bought for us (Minwax Water Based Stain) would probably be sufficient. Worried about the safety of the stain, we called Minwax and they sent us a letter certifying its safety. (To see the letter click here.) Our age group of children requires us to: 1. Makes sure that thermal shock is not a possibility- our lack of electronic components made this easy to follow. 2. No lead paint/toxic materials- Minwax water based stain contains no lead and is, as certified by the company safe for all children's toys. 3. Items with Latex must have a warning label- blocks contain no latex. 4. Unbreakable- Wood is one of the strongest materials and is highly suggested for use in children's toys. 5. No small pieces or parts which can become lodged in children's throats- the blocks were specifically designed to be too large for children to choke on. The smallest dimension we allowed was 2" which is well above the allowed limit and was the one suggested by the CPSC. 6. No sharp points or edges- this more specifically deals with sharp metal or glass edges but we decided to play it safe and sand the edges of our blocks. |