The holiday season upon us, and it's time to buy presents for families and friends. While we do that, we should take a few extra steps to be sure that the toys that we're giving to our children are as safe and non-toxic as possible.

This holiday, here are our top toy buying tips for keeping children safe.

1. Avoid inexpensive children's jewelry unless you trust the manufacturer or source.

This year, we have seen several recalls of cheap children's jewelry due to high levels of cadmium. Cadmium is an extremely toxic chemical that builds up in our systems and can have long-term adverse consequences.

It's nearly the same story that we told you a year ago: The Ecology Center has released research this week which reports that 1 in 3 toys contain lead, cadmium, arsenic or mercury.

While levels of lead in toys is decreasing, too many toys still contain chemicals which can cause health issues in children -- especially because they put many toys in their mouths or have very close contact with them. Bobbi Chase Wilding, director of Clean New York told the Times Union, "It's good news that lead levels are dropping, but alarming to see other toxic chemicals continuing to be used. The problem of toxic chemicals in products is more widespread than just lead."

Sarah Uhl of Coalition for a Safe & Healthy Connecticut talked to the New Britain Herald about this report, emphasizing the role of states in protecting their citizens. "In the absence of a federal toxic chemical law able to protect health, states like Connecticut are leading the way ... It’s time to enact strong reforms that phase out the worst toxins, particularly from children’s products."

New toy safety regulations are in the news again after the Consumer Product Safety Commission has granted the country’s largest toymaker an exemption.

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act requires third-party testing of toys to ensure that toymakers large and small are adhering to strict new guidelines. The guidelines regulate how much lead, among other toxic chemicals, are allowed in toys. The guidelines were instated in the aftermath of massive toy recalls in 2007.

Now the Associated Press reports that Mattel was granted an exemption from third-party testing. Instead the toymaker will be able to do its own testing, in its own labs.

New consumer protection regulations limiting the amount of lead allowed in children’s toys have taken effect.

The regulations are the long-awaited response to the massive 2007 toy recalls when so many toys were found to be contaminated with lead.

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act cuts in half the amount of lead allowed in toys, from 600 parts per million (ppm) to 300 ppm. The amount of lead allowed in the surface or paint coating toys will also be cut back, including the infamously contaminated toy category of children’s jewelry.

HealthyToys.org has released new toy safety testing results, based on the testing requests of parents. HealthyToys.org tested 13 of the most popular toys as voted on by HealthyToys.org supporters, along with over 500 other popular toys over the last few months.

Unfortunately, these test show that far too many toys still have elevated levels of toxic chemical in them.

There’s been so much in the news in recent years about dangerous children’s toys, it’s easy to get frustrated and confused when it comes time to go holiday shopping. What’s safe and what isn’t? Are all toys toxic?

There are many toys on the market that are safe for kids and don’t contain toxic chemicals. The people behind HealthyToys.org tested 1,500 toys this holiday season for toxins like lead. While one in three toys had significant levels of toxic chemicals, many toys were found to be safe. There are plenty of great options for safe and healthy gifts this year.

HealthyToys.org created a list of the safest toys they found.

Are the children in your life busy making a list of gifts they want this holiday season? You can make sure the gifts they ask for this year are safe, healthy and free of toxic chemicals by creating a wish list of toys on healthytoys.org.

This year the people behind healthytoys.org tested 1,500 toys to be sure they’re safe for kids. The toys were tested for the presence of dangerous chemicals, like lead, and given safety ratings based on the results.

Not sure where to start? A good place to begin is healthytoys.org's list of safest toys. Also, make sure your child's requests to Santa aren't on the site's list of worst toys.

Be sure your kids are asking for only the healthiest toys. On healthytoys.org you can browse for toys by brand, type or name. You can even request that healthytoys.org test a toy you’re concerned about. While you’re browsing, add the toys your child wants to your wish list. After you save your list you can share it with friends and family. Get started now at www.healthytoys.org.

Among the toxic chemicals HealthyToys.org tested for in children’s toys, lead is perhaps the most dangerous. Lead is found in many children’s toys, particularly painted toys and children’s jewelry.

Why does lead post a threat? Exposure to lead in childhood can cause a host of developmental problems including learning disabilities, delayed brain development and decreased IQ scores. Lead has also been listed by the Environmental Protection Agency as a probable human carcinogen, meaning it likely causes cancer in humans.

Despite all this information, lead persists in children’s toys.

Nine major toymakers have agreed to reduce the level of lead in their toys immediately as part of a settlement in a California lawsuit agreed to Thursday, according to stories in the LA Times and San Francisco Chronicle.

The toymakers were being sued by the state of California and the city of Los Angeles. In the settlement, toy manufacturers agreed to meet a new federal lead standard – which goes into effect Feb. 10, 2009 – immediately.

The toy manufacturers include Mattel, Fisher-Price, Marvel Entertainment, Cranium Inc. and others.

The lawsuit included retailers like Toys R Us, Kmart, Target and Wal-Mart, none of whom agreed to a settlement. The lawsuit against retailers will go forward.

West Hartford parents gathered Dec. 3 at Our Children’s Center daycare, patiently waiting as a representative from the Coalition for a Safe & Healthy Connecticut tested their children’s toys for chemicals of concern. Parents were drawn to learn what their toys were made of, and also to take part in the announcement of the new consumer guide to toxins in children’s products - www.HealthyToys.org.

One local parent, Elizabeth O’Neill, spoke about her frustration when she learned that a toy she had been told by the manufacturer was safe actually turned out to contain lead.