Keeping Choke Hazards from the Little One

I have a BIG age gap between my kids they are currently 3, 10 and 14...so this has been an issue for us multiple times. My suggestions are similar to some of the other posts...choking hazard toys can be relegated to sissy's room with no brother. Or if she cannot be trusted not to drag them around maybe they do need to go up...if you keep the little things in a container on the top of the fridge then she can have supervised play in the kitchen ( we baby gated ours off)
say on the kitchen table. 5 is old enough to understand the risk...I did buy a caboodle way back when for her to put little things in but another option that works is a craft box or even a fishing lure box because my daughter
seemed to think picking up little things was fun if she could put them into individual compartments.

Assuming she has her own room there should be a baby gate there and little brother is 86'd from that room and sissy can have all her choke hazards out without worrying. Train sister too about how dangerous it is so she will know what to look for and what to do if he does get something in his mouth. That will make her feel big and superior.

My oldest had to keep all of his small things (legos, gi joe guns, and other small accessories in his room. By two he shouldn't really be placing non edible things in his mouth that often if at all.

why not make them toys for her room only? Then she can shut out the little brother.

Or, get her a table that is only for her, and she can keep her little toys on it. My daughter has a little folding table from bed bath and beyond that wasnt very expensive. Put it in a corner of her room and reinforce that the brother cant play with it. Maybe he can have his own little corner of only his toys.

One thing that's worked for me is to put the older child into a porta-crib/pack and play with her itty-bitty pieces (barbie, polly pocket or whatever else...great for legos, too) when she wants to play around the rest of the family. If she doesn't want to be in there, then she can play in a gated room, as another poster suggested. Things do fall off the counter/table, so we still have to be vigilant.

If it were me, I'd also put those bins up in a closet out of reach so that she has to ask before she plays with those things. This isn't that you don't *trust* her, but that you will be notified when she is playing with them. Explain to her that you are both a team in keeping her brother safe, and that this is why she needs to ask before getting into those bins. If she feels included in something, so much the better on her end. It can make her feel very important and *big*!

I have a 4 and 2, anything that poses a real hazard is kept up on a shelf in a room the kids don't go in unless with an adult. When she does play with them, she sits at the table. And a few things just aren't played with at all, we save them for trips to grandma's house. My 2 doesn't put too much in his mouth anymore, and he is just now being allowed to join in with big sis's play at the table where he sits strapped in a booster and I am right beside him.

Maybe she would improve with making sure she doesn't leave anything out if you kept the toy once it was found out/not put up? That way you aren't confiscating everything, and you're giving her the chance to do a better job of picking up while emphasizing how important it is for bro safety.

But really you probably only 6 more months of careful watch, if that, and then he will have his own playthings with lots of small pieces!