I just wanted to add that I've started doing what Nan does. The invite only. In a shelf similar to hers. All the ever did was dump them all out. I didn't think they could be taught - but sure enough they can..LOL
Mine is in my kitchen.. which helps. And in it I have play dough, crayons, markers, kid scissors, glue sticks, paper, old magazines, potato head pieces and army guys.
I know the potato head pieces and the army guys seem out of place - but those were two toys that were NEVEr played with and yet always dumped. So I invite them to the kitchen table with a bucket and they play for a long time. Then if they want something else they have to clean up the bucket they have now. It is working for my 18 month old (shock!!!).
The toys in the play room are still getting dumped all over - and I'm working on it. But some of them I don't want to have "invite only" like all the kitchen food? I find it EVERYWHERE in my house - but I want the kitchen play area to be always accessable. And my house is too small to really create a full on kitchen area where the kitchen toys HAVE to stay in the kitchen area.
Some other things that are now invite only are puzzles, duplo blocks, hard colored blocks and Lincoln logs.
It is a work in progress.
Books is a sore subject
My little guys just want to rip the spines. I'll see them sitting there reading.. I walk away and come back and they are peeling at them. The book gets taken away - they get a TO. But they just all do it again (two kids in particular)
I've removed all of my sentimental books - the ones that I can't bare to have ruined. The only ones they have free range on is the board books (which they still peel
) and the rubber/plastic type books. All others are by permission only and are up high.