CPSC amends age guidelines.

Because 1985 guidelines for determining the ages for which children's toys are intended was becoming outdated, CPSC staff has developed new ones. The guidelines were made available both to the public and to the toy industry.

Determining the age for which a toy is intended is important when the agency applies regulations, such as the Small Parts Regulation, to specific toys.

Timothy P. Smith, the CPSC engineering psychologist who helped draft the guidelines, is quoted extensively in the current issue of Consumer Product Safety Review, a quarterly CPSC publication.

Smith said the old guidelines did not address many toys now on the market.

"For example," said Smith, "when the 1985 guidelines were written, computer games and toys with embedded computer chips weren't that prevalent and so were not included. The old guidelines referred to 'records' but not to 'CDs.' We also thought that children's play and exposure to toys might have changed over the past 15 to 20 years, so we wanted the guidelines to be as up to date as possible."

Smith said the staff worked with experts in child development reviewing relevant literature and interviewing a small sample of adults about purchasing decisions. They also observed children interacting with toys.

One of the major differences in the new guidelines is that they include different types of toys, including computer and video games, educational software, and interactive toys.

There is also a new section titled "Children's Basic Abilities and Preferences," which analyzes how children are likely to use any toy.

Smith said CPSC would continue to rely on the "small parts tester," a hollow truncated cylinder whose dimensions are specified in the small parts regulation. If the toy fits entirely within the cylinder, it's considered a small part.

Toys are also subjected to use and abuse tests to simulate normal or reasonably foreseeable use, damage or abuse. Smith said.

Most toy manufacturers use similar tests to determine the safety of toys they market. Smith noted that age labels on toys reflect, to some extent, both safety and intellectual ability and interest. Many times toys intended for older children could present hazards to younger children.

CPSC has sent copies of the new guidelines to the Toy Industry Association. Smith said consumers could also benefit from information contained in the new guidelines.

Consumers can obtain the new toy guidelines on CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov/businfo/adg.pdf.