When shopping for children's toys this holiday season, put safety at the top of your list.

Safety and medical experts say the top risks to watch out for are small pieces and broken or easily breakable parts.

It's also important that toys have original packaging so you can read warnings and instructions, something not always possible with toys sold secondhand. So shopping at flea markets and other deep-discount outlets for toys requires an extra measure of vigilance.

But as Jonathan Midgett, a Consumer Product Safety Commission engineering psychologist, says, "No buying strategy will eliminate risk."

A review of recent toy recalls issued by the CPSC shows that as many involve traditional toymakers, including Playskool and Lego as they do little-known manufacturers.

CPSC does not screen toys or other children's products before they go on the market. It's the responsibility of manufacturers to ensure toys meet federal safety regulations.

Most manufacturers go beyond federal standards and adhere to voluntary safety rules that help guard against laceration, entrapment and strangling hazards. When toys meet these voluntary rules, they have markings saying they meet ASTM F963.

CPSC does catch at U.S. borders some imported toys that don't comply with federal rules. The commission also has set up testing labs in China to ensure compliance earlier in the process.

Midgett notes that when a product has a label saying it is for children "3 and older," it is there for an important safety reason. It's almost assured that toys with these labels have small parts that present serious choking risks. Children who are younger than 3 are at greatest risk. So even if you're buying for an especially bright 2-year-old, don't take the chance on toys for kids older than 3.

"The first thing that's going to happen is (the small part) is going right in their mouth," says Martin Eichelberger, a pediatric surgeon at Children's National Medical Center who chairs the nonprofit group Safe Kids Worldwide. "It can block the airways and be devastating."

A good rule of thumb: If a toy or a part of a toy can fit inside a toilet-paper roll, it's too small to have around children under 3.

Eichelberger has treated children who have parts ranging from small wheels to Barbie doll accessories in their throats. And Safe Kids says balls are linked to more toy-related deaths than any other product.

Also, when a toy says "supervision required," that means "you are playing with the child, not just checking in with the child," Midgett says.

It's important to keep toys meant for older children separate, especially during the hectic holidays.

While safety experts have different views on which toys are too risky for kids, Eichelberger strongly advises against motorized riding toys and trampolines for kids younger than 16.

Safe Kids notes: