Toys are bought by adults but handled — and mouthed — by children, so packaging rules in this category are written for worst-case behavior. If you make toys or children's products, your packaging carries legal requirements of its own.
Plastic bag rules — the most enforced
Polybags inside toy packaging must meet minimum thickness (commonly 1.5 mil / 0.038 mm in the US under 16 CFR 1501; the EU has related requirements under EN 71), carry suffocation warning text, and include ventilation holes or openings designed not to seal over a child's face. These cost pennies to print at the factory and cause real problems when improvised later. Specify bag specs in the packaging order, not at the packing station.
Age grading and warning symbols
Age grading ("3+") is a legal claim, and the EU's "not suitable under 36 months" red-bar symbol has specific prominence rules under EN 71 labeling. US boxes carry similar Small Parts Warning statements tied to ASTM F963 testing. Reserve compliant panel space in the dieline — warnings added as stickers after printing look exactly like what they are.
The packaging itself as a physical object
- No sharp die-cut edges on windows, handles, or openings a child touches.
- Closures a child can open without trapping fingers.
- Low-migration inks for surfaces children will handle (and taste) — food-safe-grade ink systems are the pragmatic standard even though the box isn't food packaging.
Coordination with toy testing
Toy conformity (EN 71 in the EU, ASTM F963/CPSIA in the US) lives with the toy, but packaging materials and labels feed the technical file. The clean workflow: get material and ink declarations from your packaging factory, hand them to your testing lab, and let the lab integrate packaging into the assessment. Declare target markets at quoting — EU and US requirements differ in detail.
FAQ
Does toy packaging need separate certification from the toy?
Not usually a separate certificate — packaging materials and printed warnings are integrated into the toy's conformity documentation. Your factory's declarations plus your lab's assessment cover it; keep the paper trail per production batch.
Can we use recycled board for toy packaging?
Yes, structurally — but children's products raise contamination scrutiny. Use quality-controlled grades from established mills, request compliance declarations, and approve physical samples. Recycled content and child safety coexist fine with the right supply chain.