4 Tips for Living Peacefully with Lego

Lego is a genius toy, but it can be challenging to live with – especially in a small, busy home. Whether you’re an adult who loves Lego, or the parent of a kid builder, today’s post is for you!

Tip #1: Get Rid of the Original Boxes

Generally speaking, product packaging is designed to make selling and shipping easier. In the case of Lego sets, each box is significantly larger than you need to store just that set. This means you will be storing more air than Lego. Unless you have more storage space than you know what to do with (🤣), you are better off without the boxes.

If you plan to resell your sets one day, keep the boxes but break them down flat and store them elsewhere until it’s time to sell. Otherwise, recycle them.

Tip #2: Don’t Store Large Collections in One Giant Bin

As your collection gets larger, you will be tempted to upgrade to a bin large enough to hold all of your pieces. Don’t do it! Why? Two reasons:

1. Lego is heavy. A 12″ by 12″ by 12″ cube of Lego weighs about 10 pounds, and I see many collections in significantly larger bins. These bins are hard to move for adults – for kids, they are nearly impossible.
2. It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. Finding a specific tiny piece is overwhelming in such a large bin. If this doesn’t discourage play, it will encourage dumping out most of the bin (😱)to make that one piece easier to find!

Instead, store your collection across multiple small containers.

When selecting containers for Lego, keep the following in mind:

• Choose containers that would store no more than a single pair of men’s shoes or two reams of printer paper. (Smaller is fine!) These will be light enough for young children to move independently and small enough to store just about anywhere in your home.
• Learn from my mistakes! If using bins, go with open bins or ones with fully detachable lids. Hinged lids tend to get leaned on, either breaking the lid or flinging the entire bin’s contents across the room.
• If using drawers, choose a design that allows each drawer to be completely removed from the unit and carried over to the play space. This will make playing and tidying easier.
• Favor white or clear containers. The light will help your builder find the pieces they want.
• Leaving a little empty space in each bin or drawer will make it easier to move pieces around while searching, and easier to get everything closed back up when it’s time to clean up.

Tip #3: Use a Play Tray

I strongly recommend giving each builder at least one tray to use while building. Using a play tray helps in two ways:

1. It keeps pieces contained during play, making it less likely that random pieces will be left on the floor.
2. It makes it easier to share your space across multiple activities. For example, if building and eating share a table, a tray makes it easier to temporarily move the Lego when it’s time for dinner.

Size is up to you – just be sure you have a place where you can stash it horizontally when it’s not in use but still full of Lego. Also, be sure it is rigid enough to support the weight of Lego while being moved. Here are a few ideas:

• Fingerpaint trays
• Serving trays
• Waiter trays
• Cafeteria trays
• Sheet pans
• Plastic poster frames
• Banker box lids or boot box lids
• Cardboard trays under canned goods or beverages (think Aldi)
• Drawstring play mats

Looking for a really specific size or shape? Make your own tray! Glue together 3 pieces of corrugated cardboard cut to your specifications. Hot glue craft rope (10mm or greater) around the perimeter to create a raised border. For a more finished look and feel, cover the rope and raw edges with extra-wide tape.

Tip#4: Set a Space Budget for Your Lego Museum

Your builder may enjoy playing with their creations for some time – or even just displaying them! I call a collection of built sets a “Lego Museum.” Word to the wise: without drawing some limits your home will eventually be overrun with dusty Lego scenes. To prevent this, set a “space budget” for each builder. This might be a single bookshelf, the top of a dresser, a bin, or even a second play tray. They can store any Lego creations they want in this space for as long as they want – but only this space. Once their Lego Museum is out of room, something has to be taken apart to make room for the next masterpiece.

---

I hope at least one of these tips will help you spend more time playing and less time stressing! Ready for more Lego organization? See my post on sorting your Lego collection.

---

Kaloumi Small Home Organizing is based in Edgewater, Chicago. If you live in Chicago or in the near north suburbs and would like my help in person, please contact me today!