As we browse the endless toy aisles with our children, some consumer education tips on toy safety can help keep those little eyes healthy and bright.

Some of the dangerous toys on the market are:

• A toy pistol that fires hard, foam rubber bullets at 50 m.p.h.
• A toy helicopter with unprotected rotating blades.
• A water balloon slingshot.
• A power rangers product.

Many of these toys have packaging claiming that the product is safe or soft. That can be far from the truth-a child has already lost an eye from the water balloon slingshot.

The helicopter’s blades rotate fast enough to lift the toy 100 feet into the air; they could easily lacerate or puncture an eye. Launching it requires two hands and that puts the 20 inch diameter blades dangerously close to a child’s eyes.

Each year around 50,000 children under age 15 are treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries related to toys, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Today’s toy departments have a plethora of toy pistols, rifles, and rockets. When a toy’s ammunition is hard, fast or heavy, the impact on the eye is severe and the damage intense. Even soft, suction cup-tipped darts can stick to the eye.

Parents can do a lot to reduce their children’s eye-injury risk. Before you make your purchase, check on the following:

• Could the toy puncture the eye?
• Does the toy have sharp, protruding ends?
• How forcefully are the projectiles (balls, pellets, rockets, bullets, darts) fired?
• Could BB’s be substituted for ammunition?
• How fast do the toy’s moving parts rotate?
• How close must a child be to moving parts?
• Does the toy contain liquid or powder that could get into the eyes?

It is important to keep in mind that young children have limited dexterity and coordination, which are necessary when playing with things such as mascara applicators or eye shadow brushes.

Parents should test each toy a child receives for potential dangers. A toy that be appropriate for a 10-year old could be hazardous in the hands of a 5-year old.

Careful supervision of children’s play can greatly reduce the risk of injury with questionable toys.

Around the holidays, increased eye injuries also can occur because lights are often dimmed, furniture is rearranged and packaging or boxes clutter the floor.