What Is The Best To Store Lego?

Lately I have found myself spending a lot of time thinking about… LEGO!!

As part of the boys’ bedroom makeover, I am planning on moving a lot of their toys from the living area into their bedroom. We are even creating an industrial style shelving unit specifically for that purpose.

One of those toys that needs storing is a growing Lego collection.

So that go me thinking about what is the best way to store Lego.

Well here’s a summary of three options for storing your child’s Lego collection.

Option 1. The Pinterest Way – Make It Look Pretty!

Search online now days and one thing you will soon notice is the number of ways one can organise a Lego collection.

Do you know, Lego pieces can be filed:

by COLOUR…

Kids Activities Blog

by TYPE…

Image via Pinterest

by KIT…

Image via The Homes I Have Made

and maybe more than one of these ways at the same time.

Image via Childhood 101

Yes, these collections look amazing!

Suggestions For Lego Storage Containers:

Over the door plastic pocket organisers,. Try the dollar store or Ebay.
The Ikea Trofast storage combination with assorted size trays.
Simple plastic storage containers with lids. Check out a store like Kmart or Target for those.
Plastic craft containers.
A tool box or other storage type container with compartments from your local hardware store.

Image via Pinterest

Surely this must be the best way to store Lego, then!

Yes, if you have numerous kits that you want to store individually and want to make it easier for your kids to find specific pieces such as wheels, or green doors.

And if you or your kids are willing to put every piece of Lego back in the right colour category or with its original kit when finished playing. Then this kind of storage would work great! However, I don’t reckon it is truly the best way to store Lego!

Why? Simply because such detailed organisation makes packing away more time consuming and involved. I wonder who spends more time keeping up these filing systems. Parents or kids??

“Ain’t nobody got time for that!”

Option 2. The Old School Way – Keep It Simple

All we had for our Lego setup when I was growing up, was a large deep storage tub with lid and a blanket. Basically, the whole collection of Lego pieces got tipped out on to the blanket. Then at the end of playing, the blanket was carefully gathered up and all the Lego got tipped back into the tub.

All thousand pieces or more got put into the same storage container! It was easy to set up and easy to pack away. Though finding one specific piece you wanted did take a little bit longer.

Now days you can get play mats like this one below specially designed to contain Lego pieces while playing and for storage afterwards. If all the Lego remains on the mat, packing away is a breeze!

Also it is a great way for shared Lego play among siblings or friends.

Lego Storage Bag & Play Mat

Another simple way to store a growing collection of Lego pieces is by using one large bucket or storage container with a lid, of course. Everything gets packed away into that. No complicated sorting necessary!

OK, this must be the best way to store Lego!

Well it’s definitely one of the easiest ways to store Lego and if you like simple, it might be a good way to go. It would also work well if your kids had one combined collection of Lego they played with.

However, a disadvantage of using a set up like this, is that it’s not really suited for storing half completed or finished constructions. Piling all the pieces into one big container would result in those models breaking apart.

Also it would be hard to find and then use tiny specific pieces this way.

Option 3. Another Way – Shallow Storage

Image via Smart Girls DIY

What about shallow storage boxes or trays?

Well, the Lego collection does not look as pretty and organised as one that’s sorted, organised and labelled by colour etc. But the advantage is that kids can play with it in a contained area, keep their constructions intact and have it all rolled out of sight when play is over.

It’s easy for the kids to see their pieces but doesn’t require a lot of effort to pack away.

Shallow under bed plastic storage boxes on wheels could be used for this purpose.

If going the DIY route, as I am planning to the boys’ bedroom makeover, options are a repurposed drawer, a tray or shallow wood box. Internal dividers could be added depending on whether this would be useful for your child.

A disadvantage is that it can take a lot more space and more importantly you need some where to put your shallow storage when not in use. Obviously that wouldn’t work in every home.

Image via Parents

So What Is The Best Way To Store Lego?

Really, there is no “magical” or “ultimate” way to store your kids’ Lego, as some Pinterest posts would claim.

The best way to store Lego will vary between families.

Consider:

The size of the Lego collection.
The ages of your kids.
How many kids you have.
How much space you want to make available for storage.
What your budget is.
Even whether your kids are messy when they play or fairly tidy.

More importantly, is to HAVE some kind of storage option so you don’t find yourself treading on those painful little pieces that have been strewn throughout the house.

For us right now, with two boys, aged 6 and 7, and one girl, aged 10, some kind of under bed shallow storage is the right option.