Family play guides · gugiboard team · Published October 2026

Small pieces and choking: “not in the mouth” for little ones

Babies and toddlers explore with their mouths. The small pieces sheet shows which objects are too small and which toys are safe.

What gugiboard shows

The danger photo shows coins, buttons and small parts; the safe photo shows large toys right for little hands.

The rule is short so even a two-year-old can repeat it: “Not in the mouth.”

Hold up a real large toy and a small object (out of reach) and ask which one is safe.

Praise your child for bringing small things to an adult.

The contrast is size, not “toys are bad”: big toys stay and tiny things go to the box.

If your child repeats “Not in the mouth”, say it with them instead of adding new words.

Do a floor sweep together with a small torch and put everything tiny into one tin.

Sort a toy basket with an adult doing the sorting: big for me, small for the tin.

Keep button batteries, magnets and coins locked away; check toy age labels.

Do regular floor checks at child height.

gugiboard Kids Safety is a conversation tool for families, not a certified course or a substitute for adult supervision.