Parents generally know what's safe for their kids.
But if you're childless and don't have a clue about children's toys, relying on your non-parental instincts may not be a good idea. When my cousin Jayla was still an unborn mystery, I was set on buying her a bright yellow bouncer. I thought it was cute because it resembled a car with four plastic wheels outside the springs, a horn and several colorful rings attached to the dash. Imagine my disappointment when I found out she couldn't play with it. She wanted to put the colorful rings in her mouth but became frustrated because they were attached to the dash.