Is there anything more thrilling than watching your child or grandchild open the present you got them when you know it’s exactly what they’ve been wanting? Of course not. But if you don’t pay attention to the noise level of the toys you buy them, you could inadvertently be putting their hearing at risk.
How Loud Is Too Loud?
Any sound over 85 dB can cause permanent hearing damage with eight hours or more of exposure. For reference, that’s about the volume of passing highway traffic or a busy café.
It’s also important to think about how your child will play with the toy. While you might hold it at arm’s length and think it seems quiet enough, your child will more than likely hold the toy close to their face or even put the speaker up to their ears.
Loudest Toys of 2021
The Sight & Hearing Association compiled a list of the loudest toys of 2021:
- Disney Moana Squeeze and Scream HeiHei: 109.7 dB
- DJ Mix & Spin Studio: 107.8 dB
- Outdoor Discovery™ Hoot n’ Holler Animal Caller: 104.5 dB
- 4-in-1 Ultimate Learning Bot: 103.6 dB
- Baby Einstein™ Neptune’s Friends Play-a-Sound® Book: 102.6 dB
- Light & Sound Garbage Truck: 99.5 dB
- Peppa Pig™ Learn & Discover Book: 98.4 dB
- Laugh & Learn® On-the-Glow™ Coffee Cup: 96.0 dB
- Dino’s Delightful Day Book™: 94.5 dB
- Rock & Bop Music Player™: 94.3 dB
- Scout My Peek-a-Boo LapPup: 92.7 dB
- Bright Beats™ Juniors BeatBo™: 91.4 dB
- Paw Patrol™ Rescue Mission Dashboard: 91.1 dB
- Crawl Along Musical Unicorn: 89.6 dB
- Cocomelon Musical Yellow School Bus: 89.2 dB
- Peek-a-Roo™ Panda-Roo and Baby™: 89.1 dB
- Fun Sounds Hammer: 88.4 dB
- Little Learner™ Roll ‘n Glow Robot: 86.6 dB
- Peanuts Snoopy Goes to Space Book and Flashlight Set: 86.0 dB
- furReal Snackin’ Sam the Bronto: 84.7 dB
- Little Learner™ My First Little Bot: 84.6 dB
- Pets Alive Poppy the Booty Shakin’ Pug!: 84.5 dB
- PJ Masks Time to Be a Hero Learning Tablet: 82.8 dB
Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon Baby Tuk Tuk Toy: 78.4 dB
How to Play with Loud Toys Safely
If your child’s toy appears on this list, or even if it doesn’t but you’re worried about how loud it is, it doesn’t mean you have to take the toy away or that your child can’t play with it anymore; it just means you have to take some precautions.
You may be able to get away with simply removing the batteries. However, if this makes the toy less enjoyable for your child, there are other options.
If your child is old enough to understand, have them play with the toy at least 10 inches away from their ears.
You could also place a piece of packing tape over the speaker. According to one study, placing packing tape over the speaker of popular toys reduced the sound pressure level from an average of 103.9 dB to 87.9 dB. For more information or to schedule an appointment with a hearing expert, call Augusta – Aiken ENT & Allergy today.