Some stocking stuffers to stay away from: candy and cookies that look like familiar toys.

We recently came across edible cookie Play Dough, which looks just like modeling clay and comes in similar-looking canisters. We’re not big fans of the candy Legos shaped like the building toys or the gummy snacks that look like operation game pieces, either—or any other food items that might encourage kids to put look-alike toys into their mouths.

A small child could choke on a plastic funny bone or a real Lego, and even though Play-Doh is nontoxic, you still don’t want your child to eat it. “These send a really bad message to young kids,” says Consumer Reports' Safety czar, Don Mays. “You don’t ever want to confuse nonedible with edible.”

This content was originally published in the December 2009 issue of ShopSmart magazine.