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CPSC staff will begin using the 2020 Age Determination Guidelines on June 1st, 2020, at which time the 2020 Guidelines will supersede the 2002 Guidelines.

AGE DETERMINATION GUIDELINES: Relating Consumer Product Characteristics to the Skills, Play Behaviors, and Interests of Children

January 2020

CPSC STAFF DOCUMENT

Revised by: Melissa N. Richards, Ph.D., Diane L. Putnick, Ph.D., Joan T.D. Suwalsky, M.A., & Marc H. Bornstein, Ph.D.,

Child and Family Research Section, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD),

National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)

Khalisa H. Phillips, Ph.D., Psychologist Jill Hurley, M.A., Engineering Psychologist

Division of Human Factors Directorate of Engineering Sciences U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission1

(800) 638-2772 CPSC Hotline

1 This document was revised by NICHD and CPSC staff under Interagency Agreement #CPSC-I-14-0016 and has not been reviewed by, and does not necessarily reflect the views of, the Commission.

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CONTENTS

Page PRODUCT SUBCATEGORY INDEX ........................................................................................ III

INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1

BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................ 3 Small Parts Regulation ............................................................................................................... 3 Use and Abuse Testing............................................................................................................... 4 Age Labeling and Determinations ............................................................................................. 5 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act ............................................................................. 6 ASTM F963 Toy Safety Standard.............................................................................................. 7 Children's Toy ........................................................................................................................... 9 Child Care Article ...................................................................................................................... 9 Children's Products .................................................................................................................... 9

A USER GUIDE TO THE AGE DETERMINATION GUIDELINES........................................ 11 History of the Age Determination Guidelines ......................................................................... 11 Organization of the Age Determination Guidelines................................................................. 12

CHILDREN'S BASIC ABILITIES AND PREFERENCES........................................................ 19

EXPLORATORY AND PRACTICE PLAY................................................................................ 29 Mirrors, Mobiles, & Manipulatives ......................................................................................... 31 Push & Pull Toys ..................................................................................................................... 45

BUILDING PLAY........................................................................................................................ 55 Blocks....................................................................................................................................... 57 Interlocking Building Materials ............................................................................................... 71

PRETEND & ROLE PLAY.......................................................................................................... 81 Dolls & Stuffed Toys ............................................................................................................... 83 Play Scenes & Puppets............................................................................................................. 99 Dress-Up Materials ................................................................................................................ 109 Small Vehicle Toys ................................................................................................................ 121 Tools & Props ........................................................................................................................ 135

GAME & ACTIVITY PLAY ..................................................................................................... 147 Puzzles.................................................................................................................................... 149 Card, Floor, Board, & Table Games ...................................................................................... 159

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SPORTS, RECREATIONAL, & OUTDOOR PLAY ................................................................ 169 Ride-On Toys ......................................................................................................................... 171 Recreational Equipment ......................................................................................................... 181 Sports Equipment ................................................................................................................... 197

MEDIA PLAY ............................................................................................................................ 207 Arts & Crafts .......................................................................................................................... 209 Musical Instruments ............................................................................................................... 223

EDUCATIONAL & ACADEMIC PLAY .................................................................................. 237 Books ..................................................................................................................................... 239 Learning Products .................................................................................................................. 253

TECHNOLOGY PLAY.............................................................................................................. 263 Smart Toys & Educational Software...................................................................................... 265 Audiovisual Equipment.......................................................................................................... 277 Computer & Video Games..................................................................................................... 293

REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... 307 PRODUCT INDEX .................................................................................................................... 323

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PRODUCT SUBCATEGORY INDEX Page

Arts & Crafts............................................................................................................................... 209 Audiovisual Equipment .............................................................................................................. 277 Blocks ........................................................................................................................................... 57 Books .......................................................................................................................................... 239 Card, Floor, Board, & Table Games ........................................................................................... 159 Computer & Video Games.......................................................................................................... 293 Dolls & Stuffed Toys .................................................................................................................... 83 Dress-Up Materials ..................................................................................................................... 109 Interlocking Building Materials .................................................................................................... 71 Learning Products ......................................................................................................................... 15 Mirrors, Mobiles, & Manipulatives .............................................................................................. 31 Musical Instruments.................................................................................................................... 223 Play Scenes & Puppets.................................................................................................................. 99 Push & Pull Toys .......................................................................................................................... 45 Puzzles ........................................................................................................................................ 149 Recreational Equipment.............................................................................................................. 181 Ride-On Toys.............................................................................................................................. 171 Small Vehicle Toys..................................................................................................................... 121 Smart Toys & Educational Software .......................................................................................... 265 Sports Equipment........................................................................................................................ 197 Tools & Props ............................................................................................................................. 135

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INTRODUCTION

The 2020 U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Staff (CPSC staff) document titled, Age Determination Guidelines: Relating Consumer Product Characteristics to the Skills, Play Behaviors, and Interests of Children, supersedes the (2002) Age Determination Guidelines: Relating Children's Ages to Toy Characteristics and Play Behavior.

This document presents age-grading information in the form of guidelines for toys and other articles, children's toys, child care articles, and children's products. CPSC staff performs age determinations, in which the various characteristics of a consumer product are matched to the skills, play behaviors, and interests of children in a particular age group. For manufacturers, age grading is an important step in developing, marketing, and labeling consumer products. Using information from the Age Determination Guidelines to determine whether a general use product would be appropriate for children is an important consideration for them as well. Once manufacturers determine a target age for a product through age grading, CPSC staff encourages manufacturers to label, promote, and market it to that age group. Accurate age labels provide parents and other consumers with guidance for selecting age-appropriate products for children.

CPSC's regulations have long required that consumer products be constructed to withstand the reasonably foreseeable uses and abuses of children within specified age groups. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) imposed new obligations, such as requiring manufacturers of children's products to certify, based on third-party testing, that their products meet CPSC standards. The results of age determinations directly impact the type and severity of mechanical and chemical tests the samples may subsequently undergo to identify potential hazards.

Additions and updates to the age groups for products found in the revised Age Determination Guidelines are based on (1) observational research of children's play with products by Child and Family Research at NICHD/NIH under Interagency Agreement CPSC-I-14-0016, (2) public comments received by the CPSC, and (3) age grading by CPSC Human Factors staff. Staff has updated/expanded the Introduction, titling the new chapters, Background, and A User Guide to the Age Determination Guidelines. The Background chapter provides an overview of the relevant

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Introduction

statutes, regulations, and standards that are frequently consulted for age grading. The User Guide chapter provides a brief history of the Age Determination Guidelines, as well as information on how the material is organized. The guidance found in the following Background chapter is provided for convenience and may not necessarily reflect the latest version of the regulations in the CFR or other applicable statutes. Check the applicable statutes and regulations to determine the current requirements for an applicable law. For further guidance, you can also visit CPSC's Business Education website at: . The Age Determination Guidelines explain how CPSC staff develops its assessment of ages for consumer products. The Age Determination Guidelines are not a mandatory rule, and CPSC will not enforce them as such. Rather, they present CPSC staff's views on age grading. Manufacturers and others may use the Age Determination Guidelines to help them determine the appropriate age group for their product(s).

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