How does toy clean-up work at your house?

[acmom]

I have a 3 year old and 18 month old and feel like I am forever cleaning up toys! My 3 year often will sing her clean up song and do it herself (for example, she almost always cleans up playdoh when she is done without being asked). However, lots of things they both play with together just get left as they move on to other activities (play kitchen, little people trains, duplos, books).

I am struggling with it some bc my expectations for the 2 ages are obviously different and he often undoes what she may have cleaned up. I also want to establish good clean-up habits but also understand that some play is ongoing.

Anyone have a way that works well at your house (for this age group)? Do you clean up as you go (put away one toy before getting out another) or have a designated clean-up time (end of day, before nap, etc.)?

[AlbrightRC]

My son is 3 1/2 and since he was somewhere between 15-18 months old he has had to "help" clean up his toys at the end of the day. When he was younger he got more help from us and now he has to do most of it on his own. If at some point during the day I think the mess is getting to be overwhelming then i make him clean some of it up before taking out more toys.

[chozen]

we keep duplos,puzzles,games and the like put up out of reach before they can get something new out to play they have to pick up and put away. we do have a small amount of toys that are left out and we pick up together before nap.

[EllasMum]

My sister made toy clean-up a game. When she just had her DS, she would say, "Let's see how many GREEN toys DS can pickup!!" and he would scramble to pickup as many as he could. Then, she would change the toy color, until all the toys were picked up. Her DS loved the game! When my niece came along, my sister turned it into a competition - "Who can get the most BLUE toys!!" and the kids would wait with anticipation for what color she would call out, and then dash around trying to get the most toys.

Full disclosure, this really only worked until her DS was about 6 and her DD was 4. After that, they wised up. ;)

[wendibird22]

We clean up toys before taking out other one (especially legos, train, FP little people...stuff with lots of parts). DDs are 4 and 2 and so quite capable of doing most or all of it themselves. Sometimes we do have to make a game of it. Colors or types for DD2, counting items for DD1.

[vonfirmath]

I allow a certain number of toys to be out at a time (depending on how large/how many pieces there are. Oh and how close to Christmas/birthday we are). Then I make them choose a toy to put up before getting another out. If they were actively playing with several different toys at once, of course I would not ask him to put it up. But my experience is that one toy is generally left entirely while he moves on to another. he does NOT "play with several toys together" yet the way that is often talked about. Maybe a happy meal action figure with his Imaginext toys.

Usually, at bedtime, we put everything big away.