toys?

A

anna

Guest
I know that hard toys are a nono in the car , along with objects that are had and become projectile in car accidents etc..but what about a soft toy? Are soft toys okay for the car you think? What about those plastic links to hang a soft toy?(hanging it from the headrest Im thinking)
 
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Robert

CPST Instructor
The best toys for in the vehicle are the soft or cloth type toys. Any thing hard can cause in injury in a crash. I would stay away from hanging anything in the car bacause these objects can also fly around. As far as the plastic links its your call.
 

Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
I am comfortable using links in my car because they don't hurt when I hit myself in the head with them. :)

I use links A LOT, in LOTS of different places. :)
 

southpawboston

New member
I am comfortable using links in my car because they don't hurt when I hit myself in the head with them. :)

I use links A LOT, in LOTS of different places. :)

agreed. if the toy in question passes the "ouch" test, then it should be fine. that is, hit yourself hard in the head with it. if it doesn't make you say "ouch", then it probably won't be a harmful projectile in a high speed crash.

i use link-a-doos also, to tether the toys so that if they fall down on the floor, the driver doesn't have to contort his or her body while driving to retrieve it.
 

canadianmom2three

Active member
For really long trips I have allowed the kids to pack a backpack full of small toys, some of which do not pass the ouch test (leap pad would be the biggest and hardest of the lot, and the one my DD loves the most:eek: ). I make sure they only have one at a time out (which I know would be a projectile in the event of an accident while it was out), and get them to keep the packs zipped between. The packs are buckled into the ajacent seats. What do you all think about this? I'm not 100% happy with it, but it is hard to find enough soft ouchless things that the kids are keen on. We are planning the annual trek south again, and I would welcome comments on the above, or alternatives. We have 3 kids to amuse 10, 7, and 4 for a drive that totals 24 hours. Thanks in advance:D
 

tchrgrrl

New member
We drove 10+ hours each way with a 2 year old and 4 year old with only soft toys and paperback picture books. We had been in a major accident the week before and it was not a risk I was willing to take, even the borrowed leap pad and DVD player were left at home for safety's sake. I had a big soft reusable grocery bag full of "new" soft toys (some from the second hand store, some put away for awhile) and loads and loads of new to us paperback books (Goodwill & Library book sales for 10-50 cents each). We also went to Target the day before our trip and let each child pick out 2 soft new toys - the kids picked out big Lightening McQueen and Towmater pillows (think like 3 feet long each LOL) and another, forgettable toy. They were occasionally crabby but did really well.

We also do the "ouch" test - we even had one day where my 4 year old tried to convince me that a particular toy would pass and he asked me to hit him in the head with it. Oops, it did not pass and he was soooo sad that his toy failed AND that his momma had hit him in the head with a toy. A real shining parenting moment for me. :eek:
 

Jewels

Senior Community Member
I have done the links with soft toys hanging from the links. When DS was RF he hated the car, I ended up linking the links together and haning it from one end to the other so the toys could hang down. I don't know if I would now wouldn't recommend this but it made our car rides sooooo much better :rolleyes:

I was also told that my infant seats handle HAD to be down, but I have now since learned that the Graco infant seats handle is allowed to be left up. Next time I think I would use the links on the carseat handle while baby is RF and in the infant seat.
 

southpawboston

New member
the Graco infant seats handle is allowed to be left up. Next time I think I would use the links on the carseat handle while baby is RF and in the infant seat.

that's exactly what we did when our DDs were each in the snugride. now we hang the linkadoos from the roof-mounted grab handle.
 

Jewels

Senior Community Member
that's exactly what we did when our DDs were each in the snugride. now we hang the linkadoos from the roof-mounted grab handle.

Did you feel this was safe?

I felt it was ok, but I did go get my seat checked and they said that it really wasn't safe (they wouldn't do it) and that I should take it down. They told me I would be amazed at what could break/shard upon impact (including the handle if it was up) and plastic pieces flying around my vehicle just wasn't safe. Now I am not sure what to think, because my Graco infant seat was tested with the handle up and they say that it is safe to leave up! Plus if it was to shard then what would it matter if the handle was up or down :confused:

I am curious as to what others think about this, if it is safe or not?
 

Dillipop

Well-known member
If it has been crash tested, it is fine to leave the handle up. Combi requires it, I believe. The new option to leave the handle up on Graco's came from them reinforcing the handle, so it wouldn't shard if in an accident. I personally leave the handle up on our safeseat when it is really cold out. It saves me a few seconds where I can get DS1 in his seat before we all get really chilly.
 

southpawboston

New member
the tech who inspected our snugride setup said we could leave the handle up, so we did... but on the other hand, he said a lot of things that were really incorrect (such as using the center LATCH in our elantra, a double-no-no: no-no for hyundai as well as no-no for a triumph 5)! he said the linkadoos were okay but he had a problem with our suction-cup rolldown window sunshades (and we agreed--those came down immediately).
 

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