It is week six of the Clear the Clutter Challenge and we are working on Kid Spaces! Today, I am talking about one of the biggest toy clutter issues in many homes. I am sharing some of the Best Lego Organization Ideas for all types of Lego builders. Whether you have a Lego Builder that likes to keep sets intact or a free spirited Lego builder that likes to mix and matches pieces, there is a Lego Organization system for everyone!
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Clear the Clutter Challenge: Kid Spaces
If you are just stopping by for the first time, Welcome! We are decluttering our entire home in 8 weeks. We are on Week SIX of the Challenge and we are working on Kid Spaces. For all the details of the Clear the Clutter Challenge START HERE!
Clear the Clutter Challenge Week-by-Week
Kitchen and Pantry Organization (Week 1)
Living and Family Room Organization (Week 2)
Bathroom Organization (Week 4)
Home Office + Paperwork Organization (Week 6)
How to Join the 2020 Clear the Clutter Challenge
1.Sign up for the Clear the Clutter Challenge HERE. You will receive my Newsletter with additional VIP tips including a 5 Day Jumpstart Decluttering Plan! You will also receive two freebie printables: 28 Day Decluttering Calendar +50 Things to Throw Away Today Checklist!
2. Purchase the Ultimate Decluttering Guide.This 42 page Decluttering Guide is a compilation of all of the ideas and checklists from our Decluttering Challenges PLUS new additional resources. You can work at your OWN PACE. The Ultimate Decluttering Guide will give you the push you need to tackle the CLUTTER in your home for good. Order HERE. (CURRENTLY ON SALE $7 (normally $12) until February 8th.
3. Join our Clear the Clutter Facebook Group and follow along with us on Instagram!
How to Organize Legos
Now, let’s get started on this week’s project. I decided to tackle the Lego clutter in our house for this challenge. I’ve worked on other kid areas in the home over the last few years, but one area that I’ve never really seemed to be able to get a handle on is how to organize our Legos.
My kids absolutely love Legos. While Legos can be a big mess, I am happy when the kids are doing something that doesn’t involve a screen!
Before you get started organizing Legos, you first have to ask yourself a few questions.Â
How does my child play with Legos?
There are different ways kids play with Legos. Some kids like to build a Lego set and then never touch it again. These type of Lego builders like the challenge of putting together a Lego set and then want to keep it on display. Then there are kids who might put a Lego set together and then like taking it a part. These kids enjoy getting creative with Legos and coming up with their own builds.
I thought I had it easy with Legos as my older two kids liked to keep Lego sets in tact. Then, my youngest got into Legos and he loves taking them a part and putting together new creations. The great thing about his Lego style is that he actually plays with his Legos all the time! He does not worry about mixing and matching Legos.
Depending on what Lego play style your kids have will help you determine what the best Lego organization solution is for your kids.
Do I want to keep the Legos for a long time?
Another question to ask is whether you plan to keep these Legos for a long time. Do you envision saving the Legos for your kids when they have their own kids? This answer will help you determine whether you need to save Lego manuals and boxes.
Do I care if Legos sets get mixed in with each other?
Some people would prefer that every Lego set has its own container. Other people might want to organize by color or Lego style. Decide what your organization priorities are for your Legos.
How big is the Lego Collection?
Do your kids have a few sets and a bin of Legos or is your Lego collection taking over the playroom? You need to get a handle of how many Legos you have to determine what kind of organization solution you need.
Do we want Legos left out or put away every day?
Are you okay with some Lego clutter or do you want Legos out of site? If you want the kids to clean up the Legos each time they are used, you will consider a storage option that allows for all the Legos to be stored away. If you are okay with unfinished Lego projects left out or a bit of Lego clutter, then you might want to consider a functional way to display Legos.
Best Lego Organization Ideas
Once you have gotten an idea of what kind of Lego play style your family has, then you can determine which of the best Lego organization ideas to use. One thing to keep in mind is that it might be a bit of trial and error to see what Lego storage solution really works. We have gone through a few different methods and some have worked and others not. Try out one or a few of these Lego storage ideas and see what works for your family!
Keep Small Collections Organized with Portable Containers
If your Lego collection is a manageable size, you might be able to get away with a small Lego storage solution. We had this Lego storage table  in the past and it is really great for younger Lego builders. This small Lego table is also nice because it is moveable. A few years ago, I found that my youngest son preferred to do his Legos in our main family room, so I was able to move the table downstairs. This Lego table option is great for kids who like to play with their Legos and create different scenes. These Lego tables are great if you have a smaller collection of Legos and can actually store them all inside the Lego table.
Another portable option is a Lego storage bag. We also have one of these. This is a good option if the kids are working on a project and you want to clean it up, but not take the Legos a part. You could gently cinch the bag up.
There are different size Lego bags and even the smaller size ones you could bring on a trip or to the grandparents house.
Display the Lego Collection
As I mentioned, my older kids like to put together a Lego set and then leave it alone. For these type of Lego builders, you want to look for options where you can display the Lego creations. We purchased these Ikea shelves for our Lego collection display. We have more Lego sets than can currently be on display, so we do need to purchase a few more shelves. Although, you could also rotate out different Lego sets for on display.
It is nice to be able to see all the Lego creations. Even though my older kids like to keep their sets intact, I have found that by having them on display, the kids will take them down and play with them. I like having Legos on display versus storing them in a box out of sight. For as much as Legos cost (and the time it takes to put them together), it is nice to keep them out on display.
Having Legos on display also helps you realize how many Legos you have! Before my kids ask for another Lego set, we really assess what sets they already have and which ones they like to play with the most.
Organize Legos by Type
If you have kids who love to make their own creations, organizing Legos by color or type might be one the best Lego Organization ideas for you. I love this set up that has shallow bins and label each one with a color. This would make clean up so easy as every single Lego has a home.
It is a really inexpensive Lego storage idea that has a lot of functionality plus looks really nice!
This color coded Lego organization system is nice and simple too.
These color coded system would be good if you have kids who really like to keep things organized and are good about putting Legos away.
DIY Your Own Lego Storage
If you can’t find something that works for your Legos, then consider making a custom Lego storage solution. This Lego table plus storage compartment holds a ton of Legos and is very functional. I like the shallow drawers because you can easily find the Legos you need. (Instead of dumping a huge bucket every time you are looking for a Lego!)
Keep it Simple
For those Lego creators that are not particular about whether their Legos mix and they do not keep them intact, perhaps the best Lego organization method is to keep it simple! Purchase a few large totes or bins and then do not fuss about how the Legos are organized.
This is a nice and less stressful approach to Lego organizing and you might find that your kids play with the Legos more because they are not worried about following any sort of Lego organization system!
While I like to keep most of our Legos organized, my youngest son really loves open ended play with his Lego sets. So, he has a large bin of Legos that he can do whatever he wants with them.
Set up a Lego Workstation
Legos are a really big thing in our house right now, so I wanted to make some changes to our Lego organization system.
While I do like how we display our Legos and we do have several ways to store the Legos, we decided to make use of an activity table and create a Lego workstation. We used a table we already had and then I purchased some inexpensive clear bins to organize the Legos.
We went with containers that did not have lids because I think my kids are more likely to put the Legos away without them. Plus, open containers make it easy to quickly grab Legos. I got clear containers just like these for the Legos.Then, we used our label maker to put a sign on each container. If you do not have a label maker, I totally recommend one! We use it way more than I ever thought including in the kitchen, medicine cabinet and toy organization!
I let my son, the biggest Lego fan of the family, organize the Legos how he wanted. Getting your kids involved in the organization process is KEY. I could have easily come up with my own Lego system, but who knows if it would have worked for the kids. We talked through a few ideas and then ultimately, he decided how he wanted to sort the Legos in the bins.
Besides the open bins, I also found a clear container with drawers to store all the minifigures. We have so many minifigures, but I had no idea until we sorted them all out!
I used a shelf organizer to store bins on two levels. This set up maximizes the actual work table space.
The work table has two shallow drawers that we used to store large Lego sheets and some Lego backgrounds. I’d love to get a taller work table (as the kids are getting big for this table), but it works for now!
What to do with Lego Manuals
Besides, organizing the actual Legos, you might need a system for organizing Lego manuals. While in general, I do not like to keep manuals of every kind, I can’t seem to part with Lego manuals. It seems complicated to find Lego manuals online.
You can organize the manuals in a binder or storage tote. Right now our manuals are piled in a bin with no system. Since we have decided we are keeping the manuals (as we plan to keep most of our Legos), I want to get the manuals organized by type (city, Star Wars, Friends, etc).
We just ordered these clear plastic pages that we will put into a binder. This is a good method for organizing Lego Manuals.
Next Steps
Our new Lego systems seems much more functional. The kids are very happy to have an organized Lego space to create and build! We still have a few more things to do before we will say this Lego organization project is complete.
- Organize the Lego Manuals into binders. As I mentioned, we just ordered some clear page protectors and we will make some Lego Manual Binders.
- Decide if there are any Lego sets we are willing to donate. Since our Lego collection seems to be growing and not decreasing it is time to assess if we have any sets that are no longer favorites.
- Decide on a long term Lego work table. Hopefully, we can get a taller table sometime soon.
Favorite Containers for Lego Organization
Does your family have a big Lego collection? How do you organize your Legos?
Get Organized
Are you ready to tackle toy clutter in your home this week? Break down your projects into mini tasks. Maybe you start with the Lego Collection or Barbie Collection. Or maybe you focus on one room at a time. For more inspiration and ideas, stay connected with me on Instagram. I will share more behind the scenes of our declutter projects and more Lego Organization ideas.
Now, take a look at how Keri. tackles kid spaces in her home!
Oh my gosh girl, I love it!! I needed these tips when the boys were young! They were LEGO CRAZY!!! I have saved most of them for their kids and they will tell yom they still like them. You are so good!
Ours are organized by color, plus there are tons my kids play with that are on shelves. We have manuals in binders.
Legos are on my list to look at so I love these tips! We have ours in 2 big bins which is fine but it is too hard for the kids to get them out so need to get some smaller options.
Love these ideas- such a necessity so we don’t step on them and injure ourselves-ha!