separating baby and big sibling toys

[Oliver's Mama]

I just can't figure out how to set things up, now that my 6 month old is getting around and into things, and I have a 3 year old (meaning the house is carpeted with legos and other small toys All. Day. Long. no matter what)
We have a tiny townhome, so we spend our time on the first floor which is just one big room. I can't really separate the kids by doing a playpen or gate, because they both want/need to be within arm's reach of me constantly, and they love interacting. It's just a constant battle to keep the small toys away from the baby, even though ds1 understands and tries, it's just too easy for things to stray. I have a little table for him, but it's only a matter of time before the baby pulls himself up, then that's fair game.
Ds1 won't play at the kitchen table either- only on the floor, practically on top of me and the baby.
I considered packing away his toys and only using them for the occasional hour or two during the day when the baby's asleep, and then the rest of the day he'd just have the baby toys (which is fine by him playing with baby toys, but I don't really like to do)
The boys share a room, so an alternate room in the house for his toys is not an option, and he wouldn't play in a separate room anyways.
Or, I was trying to think of some toys that are age-appropriate for a 3 year old that aren't a choking hazard or can be easily destroyed by baby so they can play together... not much luck though!

[ivymae]

This is a huge thing in our house, since we have a 4 year old (Legos! paints! polly pocket!), a 2 year old (stuffed animals! playdough! colored pencils!) and a just getting mobile baby (blocks! rattles!).

For us it meant getting really organized, so we could get out the glitter and glue quickly when the 4 year old wanted to play with it, and put it away quickly when it became an issue with the youngers. There is no more leaving the barbie shoes all over the floor, or the paintings out to dry on the coffee table. I am not a cleaner/organizer by nature, but the constant battles about who could play with what/she ruined my thing/etc forced me to be so, at least for now.

Something else is the older kids get more independent, because i can help them set up the dollhouse, but I can't sit with them and build the k'nex rocket - they either figure it out, make something else, or they put it away and find something else to do, without whining about it too much.

On the flip side, it's made me broaden my horizons on what I find to be 'appropriate' toys for each age. If all three kids need entertaining, and DD1 wants to paint, then we can get out the paint and just let everyone get messy. I've also been pleased that my older kids have rediscovered the joy of blocks and those teether rings that all loop together (beautiful jewelry).

[jenfl]

I'm trying to limit the playroom to things they can use together. Wooden blocks, Little People, larger dinosaurs, Duplo, etc.

However, we do have the luxury of tucking the really small things away in DD's room once DS is into everything. In your case, I might limit the "out and about" toys to what's safe for both, and just bring out the little things during nap times or when the younger can be distracted away from the older.