Sick of Stepping On Toys

[holdyouup]

You know the feeling of cautiously walking through a room? Step over the doll, around the plastic chicken drumsticks, and right onto the stinkin' matchbox car! It hurts mamas!
So I am always working on a solution. My latest is taking every toy, sorting them into categories, putting each category into a bin, and placing each bin out of reach. I bought those wire racks at Target and stack the toys along the highest shelves. Each child can ask me for one bin/box at a time and only after they've picked up the last one. If I have a toy that does not fit into a specific category, I no longer own that toy.
It seems to be working well and the kids are recouping their love of old toys.
WARNING: If you do this with the shelves, don't forget to tether them to a stud in your wall, as they make for some fun climbing if you do that wild thing called using the bathroom!
Ok....so what do you do with the toys? I find all ideas seem to have a shelf life so when the one I am using expires, I would love a new one!
Blessings!

[mamacat]

Thats a good idea and then just taking down that one bin at a time and then everything goes back in after play. Its when all the bits and pieces get all intermingled like a big soup that makes it hard to clean up.

[holdyouup]

It also helps you to see why they are no longer playing with things. For example, when I was putting all their play kitchen toys in the bin I noticed a ton of plates and bowls but very little food and the food that was there they couldn't identify because it was "junk food" that we don't tend to eat. So when the next birthday came up and Grandma asked for gift ideas, I could say food!

[CelticJourney]

With so many little ones, it's going to be a daily effort (I'd say hourly, but I wanted to give you hope). I would try a couple of things. A special rug where cars must stay (they have cute ones with roads). If you have space, you might even consider a play yard that the kids can come and go from (maybe not pulled full circle) that is the toy's 'special place'. Also, the more you involve them in a regular chore of picking up, the sooner this problem with resolve itself.

because matchbox cars do really hurt!

[mamacat]

Oh yeah and Legos too!

[holdyouup]

The legos are worse than the cars! I keep them upstairs in the "boys dorm."

[HadassahSukkot]

I went to the hardware store and got 3 "32 drawer" Stanley sorters and two 9 drawer ones that is the same size. I have now sorted all matchbox cars and all regular Playmobil toys. The only ones that didn't fit were 2 boats, a larger dragon toy and 2 cars that I was able to fit in an Ikea SAMLA box and on top of the sorters. I am allowing only 2 drawers of playmobil at one time or 4 matchbox/hotwheel/silku cars per child. Once done, they are to be put back in the sorted box.

I'm working on the other stuff... trying to figure out the best way to sort and store the Playmobil 1-2-3 sets and the Duplo as they've busted a couple of the boxes I had them in. Those boxes are pricey.