Clean up in seconds with Lay-N-Go ~ a totable mat for everyone in the family

Now that we’re in the early stages of re-baby proofing our house for our new little one, I’m realizing more than ever all the small choking hazards that litter my floor as the kids play. Since getting rid of toys that have small parts isn’t really an option with a LEGO fanatic and a whole house full of miniatures, I’ve been brainstorming ways to corral the toys and keep the little ones safe. I’d be mad at all the little pieces everywhere but it’s not entirely their fault as our current system involves dumping bins which causes small pieces to scatter. And, in all fairness, they are actually quite good about picking up the pieces when they are done playing, which is why the bin system works for us. It was an obvious improvement upon the toy box system which had little pieces in thin layers along the bottom of the box, but clearly neither option is going to work well once we have a mobile baby.

While looking for something that allowed the small toys to be put away while still allowing them to be accessible, I found an awesome company called Lay-N-Go. Not only do they solve the problem of how to store all those small toys, their products also add the benefit of giving the kids a safe place to play with those toys, and an easy clean-up process.

I know, I know, it sounds impossible, right? But, it’s not impossible, it’s amazing.

Lay-N-Go is an activity mat, cleanup, storage and carry-all solution in one. When empty, the bags are incredibly lightweight and can be stored wherever. But, when you fill them, that's when the real fun happens. Whether you fill them with LEGOs, blocks, cars, tiny doll accessories, puzzles, games, or a mixture of all of these, they can hold a surprising amount of all the stuff kids tend to collect. Then, when it’s time to play, you simply set the bag down and untie the top to spread out the circular play mat to give a nice spot for playing. It takes mere seconds to lay out so you can get right to playing without having to set everything up. And, I love that while you play the rim of the mat keeps all those little pieces together without scattering them across your floor. And, cleanup is just as easy. Instead of chasing down all the little pieces {and inevitably missing some}, you simply gently lift the sides to move everything toward the center, then pull the cinch strings and use the cord lock to secure everything inside. The ease of setup and clean up means it’s easy to play on a whim without having to have hours set aside, and makes it perfect for young kids who don't have long attention spans. 

As great as a quick clean up is, the best part is the lack of arguing when it comes time to clean up. In fact, our kids beg to be the one who cleans up the toys, which is not something you hear very often. Or, you know, ever. When was the last time your kids asked to clean up and then squealed as they simply pulled a string to tidy hundreds – or thousands – of little pieces all at once?  

While the design of Lay-N-Go is pretty simple, it’s the details that make it awesome enough to have been awarded the PTPA Seal of Approval. With a lightweight and sturdy poly denier shell and a poly ripstop lining, the whole thing weighs less than most rain jackets. It's fully washable so you won't have to worry if you take it with you on vacation, and comes with a nylon cord and cord lock so you can securely store all those little pieces away when babies and toddlers are around. A velcro front storage pocket helps keep the cord secure when cinched, and also provides storage for treasures.

Available in multiple sizes, colors, and configurations, there’s a Lay-N-Go for everyone – from little kid to adult. Since our Lay-N-Go is solving a specific set of problems and needed to accommodate two kids and be portable, I focused on the 44" medium sized Cinch. The Cinch is cool in that it not only closes like a cinch sack, it also comes complete with backpack straps so you can make your play portable and take toys to Grandma’s, over to friends’ houses, and even on vacation. When I first heard of Lay-N-Go, I knew it would be perfect for all of our little building blocks and figures since the kids play with those constantly and have a hard time corralling the little pieces, but I didn’t realize how much I would adore the design. I love that the open Cinch bag is the perfect activity mat to hold their farm, their construction site, their town, or their mess of dolls, but I also love how much less stressful playtime is when it doesn’t involve buckets of small pieces being dumped into my living room only to be scattered by playing kids.  
 
If you have toys with small parts, building toys, or thousands of figurines that need a practical and fun place to call home, you will absolutely love Lay-N-Go. I love ours so much that I am ordering some more bags for our toys and even plan on getting myself one, too. Whereas I first found them as part of my spring clean up/babyproofing, I'm realizing that there are thousands more uses for this ingenious design and that it could help us all get a little more organized.Want to find out more about Lay-N-Go? Check out all their many uses and see what color options and size options would suit each member of your family.

What would you store in a Lay-N-Go?
A big thank you to Lay-N-Go for sending their Cinch bag for review. As always, all opinions are 100% ours.