Can someone please advise me on how to get 2 toddlers and 2 preschoolers to pick up one set of toys?

before getting out another? I can't find anything that seems to work, and I'm getting tired of picking them of continuously throughout the day everyday. Any ideas??Can someone please advise me on how to get 2 toddlers and 2 preschoolers to pick up one set of toys?
Institute the 5-second rule. When polite requests are rebuffed, announce, ';Okay, please put away the toy before you take out another. You have 5 seconds to clean up that toy, or there will be repercussions. I'm going to count down from 5. If you don't put away the toy, you're going to lose it for X days (1 day per year old). You won't be able to play with it. 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Okay, you don't get to play with this toy.';





Then pick up the toy and put it away someplace out-of-reach and out-of-sight.





Several guidelines:





1) Be sure to ask them several times and make it clear to them what you are about to do.





2) It takes several embargoed toys before a 2- or 3-year-old remembers. If you get asked about the toy the next day, it's an opportunity to remind the children about repercussions.





3) Repercussions is a big word, but they'll quickly learn what it means and even how to pronounce it. Be consistent in your terminology so that the words ';you have 5 seconds'; and ';repercussions'; trigger a memory of what is about to happen if they don't follow your instructions.





4) Yes, the kids will cry the first few times they face repercussions. Don't expect the rules to work with visiting friends who have different rules at their homes.





This system works brilliantly with my 3-year-old daughter. By the time I count down to 3, she is on her way to clean up.





If I fall behind in enforcement and there are lots of toys left out, the enormity of the task is overwhelming. I direct her attention by pointing out specific toys to put away, and help her with the most troublesome tasks (such as cleaning up a group of tiny things like play food... it takes small hands forever to do it, but I can scoop them up in seconds). Helping your child on occasion will aid their willingness to do what's appropriate. And, being consistent when you lay down the law will let your children know when there's no use trying to test their boundaries.Can someone please advise me on how to get 2 toddlers and 2 preschoolers to pick up one set of toys?
i find my kids play better if i don't limit them to one set of toys at a time ... they're more creative if they get out the toy trucks to go riding on the roads they built out of blocks, and then they decide they'll make some signs for the trucks with paper and markers, and then they have to build a mountain out of pillows, and then ....





what i do is have cleanup time about three times a day when everything has to get picked up. (either i give them each a room to work on; or i'll assign one kid the blocks, one the stuffed animals, one the couch pillows(!), etc.; on days when i'm really feeling good i'll get out the flashlight and point it at what they're supposed to pick up next, or let them do it; or turn on music and let them freeze dance while cleaning up; etc.) in between cleanup times, i like to think of it as ';creativity';, not ';mess';. ;-)
I am assuming that you have tried time-outs already... what about a reward type system? How about a sticker for each person that helps clean up. The one with the most stickers at the end of the week gets a special sucker or something small.
Put them in a bin just high enough so they have to ask for help getting the next toy(s). At this point they return the original. In time, they will learn and you can incorporate the toy rule to their toy box which will be accessible to them.
invest in baskets... keep them on shelves where your children can't reach (and can not try and climb to get to...) they can take out one basket at a time (or one for each child) and have to clean up before taking out anything else. this will also help keep toys ';new'; and exciting for them because you can change out which toys you put in the baskets