We're all trying to find the best deals we can for everything from Christmas gifts to stockings, but there really is value in making sure that the toys and accessories we're buying for our kids are up to the job. Today Nottinghamshire County Council’s Trading Standards warned parents to check the Disney Frozen snap bracelets bought from - in general - auction sites. When the pretty Frozen veneer is lifted, it looks like these 'kids accessories' have a dangerous inside, cut from a metal tape measure.
Now, I'm no DIY/handyman, but my dad used to have a metal tape measure and I've used them a few times. I'm not convinced that they're as dangerous as all that, but would I hand one to my children in the guise of a toy? Probably not. In general, really, you want toys that don't risk cutting your kids. I don't imagine using it as a snap itself is what will cause damage, but a child grabbing one from a sibling, or fighting over it - not only my kids, right? - could possibly cause a cut.
And even if the risk of that is really very small, that's kind of not the point: kids toys shouldn't be made with materials not fit for purpose. The Trading Standards office is urging consumers to think twice about buying products from within the EU that haven't been safety tested.
Further investigation from parents into other snap bracelets have shown similar problems. A PlayPennies Parent sent us these photos of a snap band her children were given at a safety event - oh the irony. When she opened them up to have a look, she found it to contain quite a sharp metal strip, also covered in thin plastic. 
So, the moral of the story - check the goodies you buy your kids! Don't get a gift that turns nasty.
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