“All the toy recalls are so scary. The holidays have totally changed for us in our household,” said Katie Krantz of Lewiston, mother of two.

Recalls of millions of Chinese-made dolls, cars, action figures – and other playthings like Aqua Dots that scientists say contain a chemical that when ingested metabolizes into a harmful drug – have turned Christmas shopping into a nerve-racking experience for Krantz and other concerned adults.

Krantz said she is going to try to avoid buying anything from China.

And, she has prepared a what-not-to-get list for friends and family who will buy presents for her children. Among her “please pass on these” items are Fisher-Price Inc.’s Dora character preschool toys, “Cars” toys based on a character in the Disney-Pixar movie “Cars” and Aqua Dots.

“The hardest part is what do you do if your child picks something to get from Santa and you know the toy is not safe for your child? It’s so unfair to everyone that we almost need to keep our children in little bubbles to make sure they are going to be safe,” said Krantz.

Laurie St. Pierre, owner of Percy’s Burrow at the Lewiston Mall, stands by her Melissa and Doug brand toys made in China. Her store is full of wooden toys, puzzles, art supplies and giant plush stuffed animals. “They are a good company. I trust them,” she said. “They have their own factories that they don’t share with anyone else and they have their own employees testing in China.”

According to her, the company has been testing its products for 20 years and has an independent third party test its toys again when they enter the United States. St. Pierre doesn’t buy puzzles and toys from a company that makes them in the United States, she said, because the prices would be much higher. “People won’t pay that price on a budget,” she affirmed.

Kevin Leonard, manager of the lead hazard division at Community Concepts in Lewiston, said his office has received many calls from people who want their children’s toys tested for lead. He said this can be done but stressed that there are greater lead problems affecting children in many homes in the community. “There’s been so much about lead in the toys in the media but the reality is that the toys are not causing the child poison cases in the state of Maine.”

He urged parents to check out their home environment for lead hazards. Even if you don’t live in a house that may have deteriorating lead-based paint (if it was built before 1978), lead dust and soil can be tracked inside from outdoors or a work environment, he pointed out.

According to Leonard, the lead paint found on toys made in China is not something that can be scraped off and ingested like the lead paint found in older homes.

Dr. Alyssa Goodwin of Central Maine Pediatrics said that while children should not play with toys containing lead paint, there are other toy safety issues to consider. “Choose toys that do not have small pieces that can be choking hazards for children under 3, or for older children with younger siblings under the age of 3,” she advised. “It is also important to think about too many loud toys like guns, instruments and phones that, when held up close to the ear, can be damaging.”

Goodwin recommends toys that have some developmental value, encourage pretend play or outside play like books, puzzles, dress-up clothes, bikes (with helmets) and balls.

If the mass recalls have made you nervous and you don’t want to purchase anything from China, simplifying your shopping list so your budget can accommodate U.S-made products might be an option.

As the late Kay Willis, author of “Are We Having Fun Yet: The 16 Secrets to Happy Parenting” and mother of 10 children wrote: “I’ve often succumbed to the last-minute use of charge cards, spending more than we could afford on gifts I thought my children would flip over. The payments I made were rarely worth the attention these big-sacrifice items received.”

She noted that the presents the children loved most were ones that she and her husband put together themselves, like a mini-stage they constructed in their basement out of old plumber piping, framing a plywood base big enough to hold three or four children, complete with old drapes for theater curtains. She also filled an old trunk with dress-up clothes, including old bridesmaids dresses cut down to size for the children.

“A few years later,” wrote Willis, “I managed to locate a sturdy, very large dryer crate and it became a perfect storage spot for new sleeping bags Santa brought my sons. The giant flashlight we gave them rather than a toy one year has become a holiday memory, too.”

Willis had a shopping rule for what she bought each child: get something huggable, something musical, something readable and at least one item that has never been advertised on television.

Jacynthe Jacques of Lewiston said she will be doing some simplifying this holiday season. And, she noted, the recalls have made her pause and question whether children really need so many toys. “I liked giving books rather than plastic toys even before the recalls because they last a lot longer, and it seems like the children get more use and enjoyment out of them,” Jacques said, citing board games as another option.

Some U.S-made alternatives

If you want to avoid purchasing toys made in China, here are a few suggestions for playthings manufactured in the United States:

• Roy Toy Real Wood Building Sets made in Machias. The Miniature Log Cabin Set and the Tree House Set are sold in L.L. Bean’s Freeport store, the larger Log Cabin playset is available at Mr. Paperback in Lewiston. More information is available at www.roytoy.com

• Thomas & Friends Thomas Making Tracks Game for ages 4 and older. Players build a railway track and then move their engines by matching colors on the spinner to the roundhouse where Sir Topham Hatt awaits their arrival.

• I SPY 3-D for ages 5 and older. Everyday objects leap off the cards when players wear their oh-so-cool 3-D glasses. Players read rhyme cards and search to find floating objects that they can almost touch on a colorful game board they create using 40 3-D tiles and 10 rhyme cards.

• Dado Squares™ – winner of 10 toys awards. Used alone or interlocking with the original Dado Cubes™, Dado Squares™ offer fun building opportunities. Each set of Dado Squares™ comes with 35 3-inch squares of vibrant colors. They are made of durable, heavy-duty plastic.

• Some Little Tikes toys are made in the United States, including the Double Easel, Rocking Horse and Cook and Clean Kitchen, the classic Cozy Coupe II car and more. Check www.little tikes.com for a complete list.

• Vermont Teddy Bears are made in Vermont and guaranteed for life. Check out www.vermontteddybear.com.

• Tiddly Winks. This fad began in the 1890s and is still sure to delight children and adults.

• The Original Slinky for ages 5 and older. This is the same as the original from 1945, and you can get it in a vintage-style box.

break-out box:

According to the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development, lead is a highly toxic metal that may cause a range of health problems, especially in young children. When lead is absorbed into the body, it can cause damage to the brain and other vital organs. Lead can cause behavioral problems, learning disabilities, seizures and, in some cases, death. Symptoms of lead poisoning may include headaches, stomachaches, nausea, fatigue and irritability. Unfortunately, some children may show no symptoms.