If you have ever played with Nerf guns then I’m sure you must have been familiar with the warning “beware you will shoot your eye out”. Nerf guns are projectile toys that have been initially designed by the Hasbro. These toy guns use nerf darts of foam and disc. They are generally designed in form of pistols, rifles and machine guns of light weight. These guns are a source of fun to many but a deadly toy as well.
The warning related to these toys is not just a warning but a very deadly possibility. If you are playing with a nerf gun, there are several chances of hitting your eye and causing serious injuries to the eye. Yes, it can cause many deadly injuries such as internal bleeding, pain, blurred vision traumatic hyphema and even permanent blindness at times. The nerf guns are highly tested and reviewed but still they are not completely safe. So, if you don’t want your kid to suffer from any such problem you should try to restrict them from playing with these guns. If this is not possible and your kid is adamant to try on this toy gun,then as per doctors you are making your child prone to eye injuries. In any case you must take the following precautions seriously:
7 Warning Signs by Doctors About Nerf Gun for Kids
Aim the nerf gun away from the face and eyes
Make sure to tell your kids to keep the nerf guns away from their body when they play with it. If they aim away from the body, they may be able to avoid an evitable accident. Once aimed away from the body and the face, the projectile is likely to fall away from the body and even if the projectile goes in the wrong direction, it may not hit the person rather fall somewhere else. So, once you take chance of playing with this toy gun, whether you are a kid or an adult, make sure to keep it little away from yourself.
Wear protective eye wear while playing
After witnessing various cases of eye injuries due to nerf guns, doctors have advised to wear some protective eye wear while playing with this toy gun. You can easily adorn a pair of spectacles or goggles while enjoying your time hitting your aim with the nerf darts. This is indeed a great safety measure as it will restrict the eye from being hit by the dart directly, so the eye may not get a severe injury. It’s sad that you may break your glasses in the process, but I guess you will prefer losing your goggles over your glittering eyes.
Minimum age of playing with nerf guns
Every nerf gun comes with a warning label and certain precautionary terms. The minimum age to play with a particular nerf toy gun is mentioned on the gun. So, as responsible parents you must read the precautions well and gift this toy gun to your kids only when they have reached the appropriate age. 6+ is considered to be the appropriate age to play with it. But, It will be better if you decide the age when they must be given this toy. This toy must be given to them only when they are mature enough to use it safely. Moreover, it’s important to keep away little kids from this toy while the elder kid is playing with it.
Use official nerf darts only
As the online market is growing, many companies are offering nerf darts at a rather cheaper rate. People tend to buy these darts considering the low price, but they forget that these may lead to fatal accidents. Sometimes it leads to jamming of the nerf gun, but at times the dart comes out of the gun at a rather high speed, thus it may also disturb the projectile and cause injuries. So, in order to avoid any kind of injuries due to nerf gun malfunction, you must be a smart buyer and buy only the official nerf darts.
Even soft nerf darts are risky to some extent
Parents are aware of the risks of toy pellet guns. So, they think that soft dart guns will be safe for their little kids and they end up giving them this toy gun ignorant of the fact that it’s not the dart that causes the main problem, but the pressure of the projectile. So, it’s time to come out of this confusion and beware of the consequences. Parents must not rest assure that the nerf gun is safe for kids and take the necessary precautions, to avoid any eye injury in their little kids and people around.
Guide the children
Believe it or not,children are the most excited specimens on this earth. Once they get introduced to anything new, they will try all the adventures of the world with their new found toy. No wonder, they do so because they are unaware of their curious adventures. So, as parents it’s your responsibility to guide your children regarding the precautions and the correct way to play with this toy gun. Moreover, they should teach them to play with this gun properly and make them aware of the problems it can lead to. If they are not mature enough to understand all this, it’s better to keep then away from nerf toy guns.
Injuries should not be ignored
If your kid gets hit by a nerf dart, it should not be ignored. You must take him to the doctor immediately and get a proper eye checkup. Even if the outer injury gets healed. The medication should not be stopped and you should visit the doctor to check if there is an internal bleeding or not. You little ignorance can lead to fatal ailments such as cataract and permanent blurred eyesight later on.
Doctors have always warned parents against nerf guns. So, it’s advisable to all parents to not ignore the warning orelse in quest of little fun for your kids, you may lead them to fatal consequences.So, stay alert to stay safe and keep your kids safe.
