Help! Drowning in toys

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Please share with me your tips for keeping the number of toys in your house under control.

I have a 4 year old and a 4 month old and no room for any more storage furniture.

They are lucky to have very generous extended family but I can't cope with all the stuff they are being given.

I've tried to go through toys with my 4 year old but everything I suggest getting rid of they want to keep. Do I just need to do it without them and risk tears afterwards?

I'd be grateful to know what everyone else does.

My 5 yr old is only willing to get rid of his younger brothers toys. It's amazing how a toy no one has played with in years becomes an irreplaceable favourite the second I suggest getting rid of it. So far the "let's give your old toys away so children who don't have toys can play with them" or "there won't be room for any new toys for Christmas" lines aren't working.

What I have started doing, is hiding away toys that rarely get played with. If they don't ask after the toy or mention it for a few months, I feel pretty sure that they won't notice or care if it goes permanently. And if they do say "where is x?" before then, it's easy enough to reappear the toy.

I've got a lot more ruthless with duplicates too e.g. we've gone from 3 slightly different singing tractors pulling a trailer of farmyard animals to one.

That's exactly like my 4 year old. Good tip to put stuff away for a few months. Might have to hide some toys in the loft for a while. Thanks

We've got a small house and prefer less clutter, but have a 1yo with obsessively generous grandparents.

We started to talk frequently and in detail to the grandparents about our plans to declutter the house and just have one toybox etc. We also told them about stuff we read online about children's development being enhanced by having a few good quality toys rather than bucket loads of tat. We talked in vague terms about how grateful we were when they liaised with us RE gifts and how tricky it was when 'other people' bought us unwanted stuff that added to the mess. We have never explicitly asked them to limit their buying but they are very controlled now.

You have to go through the toys when they aren't there and then hide them. Get rid of anything broken straight away. Says me with two overstuffed toy boxes full in my living room.

Happy we have tried to tell the grandparents we're full to bursting with toys but it doesn't seem to have worked yet. We'll have to try the children's development line and see if that works.

In terms of more toys coming in - w have suggested to grandparents and aunts that they club together for an annual pass for a local attraction. The Dc gt days out for free all year and no toys!!
However we still have a mountain of toys and books to streamline so following for tips on that!

Thanks dylsmimi. Good idea about the annual pass especially with another year to go before school.

We've found it really useful especially whe you have an afternoon free and can just pop out to a place that you wouldn't pay the full admission for unless it was for a whole day
Inspired by you we have slinmed down the books - and the dc were actually ok with getting rid of the noisy books - phew!! Still have lots to do
Toys next!

Following. DC1 is nearly 4 and DC2 is nearly one. I'm loathe to get rid of toys that DC2 will grow into and she hasn't really had any new ones. Need to be a bit more ruthless I think!

My dd's have tonnes of toys but we got completely new storage where everything has a home and it has completely changed their room, they have more room to play and can find whatever it is they are looking for. My rule is toys live upstairs only, the lounge has to be cleared of toys each evening so me and dp can relax! If they don't fit something has to go - they choose or I will!

I bought the ikea kallax and an empty beanbag cover for the mountain of dust collecting teddies :)

They have one 'odds and ends' box for random shit that comes from party bags/mcdonalds toys once it's full something has to go. (I occasionally throw broken bits when they aren't looking!)

Go through stuff when they are out/asleep
Hide bag in loft or somewhere
If they mention a old toy that you really don't want to bring back into circulation make vague noises about not bring sure where it is.
Throw bag away 6 months later