8 Ways to Get Your Kids to Actually Clean Up Their Toys

If they leave something out and Mom finds it, it ends up in toy jail. The only way to free their beloved action figure or doll is to complete a chore on the toy bail bond card.

Do a sneaky sweep when things are getting out of hand, and if they don't notice that something is missing after a week, donate it. If they do miss a specific toy, only give it back to them once everything else is cleaned up.

Turn cleaning into a game by calling out a specific colors and seeing how many toys that are that color they can get put away per round.

Time the cleanup process every day and have a reward each time they break their personal record. This also encourages them to limit making a massive mess in the first place because it plays to their competitive side when they know they're going to be timed putting it all away later.

Younger children work best with specific instructions. Divide the room into zones, and put each child in charge of a zone per play session.

Each time they clean up after themselves without being told, give them a punch on the card toward a new toy for their collection.

If they leave something out, it ends up in the Uh-Oh Box, and the only way to get it back is by trading in a different toy. At the end of each month or season, whatever is in the box gets donated. This also helps keep the clutter from overflowing!

Encourage little ones to stay organized — even if they can't read — by using photos to label bins instead of words.