Eye Health
Important Facts About Choosing the Right Toys & Celebrating Safely
American Academy of Ophthalmology
P.O. Box 7424, San Francisco, CA 94120

When choosing toys:

• Check packaging for age recommendations. Give only age-appropriate toys.
• Be on the look out for toys or games with sharp or protruding parts or projectiles
• Consider carefully before giving darts, pellet guns, potato guns or other firearms. These items may not be appropriate for some children.
• Make sure children have appropriate supervision when playing with potentially hazardous toys or games.
• If you're giving sporting equipment, consider this: sports-related eye injuries are all too common in children and can cause permanent vision damage. Have your child fitted with protective eyewear with polycarbonate lenses.

When opening a bottle of champagne:

• Keep the bottle cold. Make sure sparkling wine is chilled to at least 45 degrees Fahrenheit before opening.
• Hold the cork down with the palm of your hand while you untwist the wire hood.
• Point the bottle away from yourself and others. Place a towel over the top and tilt the bottle at a 45-degree angle. Slowly and firmly, twist the cork to break the seal.
• Keeping the bottle at a 45-degree angle, hold it firmly with one hand and use the other to slowly turn the cork with a slight upward pull. Continue until the cork is almost out of the neck. Counter the force of the cork by applying slight downward pressure just as the cork breaks free from the bottle.

A reminder about fireworks:

• Never handle, and stay completely clear of all fireworks. This includes firecrackers, sparklers, roman candles, and bottle rockets. There is no safe way to handle fireworks.
• Protect your children. Don't entertain the family with fireworks. Forty percent of those injured last year were under the age of 14, and many of them were bystanders. Ten percent of children injured by fireworks suffer permanent damage, such as the loss of an eye, finger or a hand.