My kid is the same way. I only clean the living room like once a week because of it. I don't want to be picking up the same toys everyday
I think little ones get super overwhelmed when there’s too much to choose from/ is in a mess of toys. When it’s tidy they can see it clearly, perhaps do a rotation of toys x
Making the mess is the playing x
I loved to take tissue boxes and tape up the hole so only their hand can fit in without seeing and stuff it with lots of different stuff like scraps of fabric or wash cloths. They would both love to empty it and put it back in again. And yes it's normal for babies to dump shit out.
I have a 16m old. She makes a mess every day and usually 2-3x if not more, we tidy it up together. Right now she’s exploring: take out, put in, pick up, set down, throwing. Cause and effect are fascinating to her as well.
18month olds looooove a good dump out. The game is putting things away and dumping them out over and over and over LMFAOOO I’m 95% it’s a developmental thing.
My little girl at that age loved taking things out of baskets, posting things under the sofa etc. it’s just their way of playing they don’t have the cognitive/imagination skills yet. I actually just put random things in baskets/boxes for her to take out. Like I filled a shoe box full of bunched up socks and she sat for ages taking them all out and unbunching them 🤣 I also made holes in a shoe box and tides ribbon to them so it was long and she could pull them but they wouldn’t come off.. loved that too! It’s just play and totally normal. My daughter didn’t start properly “playing” until she was almost 2. The rest was just making a mess or pretending to feed everyone and annoying the dog 🤣
Google Montessori on this! She has some interesting findings about how children get overwhelmed with too many options! It’s fascinating 👀
They think they’re seeing something new when they’re tidied up 😂 I take out toys like they’re brand new with my son who’s like 22 months I think almost two basically. Works every single time, don’t know why he hasn’t caught on