How to Store and Organize All Your LEGOs

LEGO storage tips and ideas

You’re here because you have a growing problem. Lego is a unique, creative, skill-building toy that can entertain your children for hours. But it’s also the worst because Legos get everywhere. There are over 4 billion mini-figures around the world. I don’t think I can run my vacuum without sucking up a lego.

And we need to talk about the foot torture for just a second because we’ve all felt it. Hidden shards of plastic that penetrate your foot with such accuracy for pain, it’s hard to believe Legos are children’s toys.

Gratefully in today’s polite society, there are solutions for wrangling these STEM-building toys into an organized, civilized solution that will save your feet and your sanity. Here are some of our favorite lego storage ideas.

Compartmentalized Storage Cabinets

Storage cabinets with compartmental drawers are an easy, rational solution to Lego storage. You can sort Lego by color, shape, or size. There is no wrong answer as long as it gets the Lego out of the carpet.

By organizing the different pieces, it will encourage and spark your child’s inner master builder. Instead of hunting through the chaos for the right piece, your child can easily see all the possibilities and feel empowered to create. Of course, this does require more organization and a slower put away time.

Under-the-bed Storage

If you want to banish the Lego from sight, you may want to consider under-the-bed storage containers. These containers easily slide out for play and then can hide under the bed when they’re not in use. Under-the-bed storage is great for small spaces where you can maximize the room’s storage area.

Under-the-bed storage is excellent for easy cleanup but may create organized chaos when your child wants to build. You can always incorporate smaller containers inside the drawer for better organization.

Lego Organizer Totes

Lego makes Lego organizer totes. These cool totes are easy to transport, come with lots of compartments for organization, and even a spot for works in progress. Some of the totes come with clear windows that are great for accessories and mini-figures.

Lego organizer totes can store easily in a closet, under the bed, or in a toy bucket. Although be wary, traveling Lego can escape. Make sure your child picks up any pieces that may be lurking in the carpet after they play.

Lego Display Cases

While this isn’t a complete storage solution, Lego display cases are an excellent way to showcase your child’s favorite master builds, sets, or mini-figure scenes. Many of these display cases come with base plates to secure your child’s masterpieces from slipping and breaking.

Lego display cases can mount on a wall, sit on a shelf, or inside a toy cubby–they can be displayed from any flat surface. And some display cases can even stack for convenient storage.

Plastic Bins

Not glamorous and completely practical, plastic bins are affordable DIY storage solutions. Plastic bins come in all shapes and sizes. You can choose to use open bins for easy cleanup or a lidded container to keep Lego from jumping into the carpet.

You can store these bins against the wall in a playroom or bedroom. Or stick them in a cubby or closet. Open bins are nice for your child to keep larger unfinished projects without damaging them. And because they are so affordable, you can get quite a few for ultimate organization.

Tackle Boxes for Tiny Pieces

This isn’t a total Lego storage solution. It’s tailored toward the tiny Lego pieces. These are the worst Lego offenders that clog my vacuum bag. But you need them. These little one-piece legos and tiny bits provide added detail to your child’s creations. By getting a tackle box with lots of compartments for small pieces, you can sort and preserve these tiny details for when they are needed.

You can store the tackle box with the larger pieces or stick them in a closet or toy bucket. If you can’t find a tackle box, you could always try a bead organizer. Bead organizers are excellent plastic containers for storing small Lego as well.

DIY Lego Table

This is something you can build and customize to your child’s needs. A DIY Lego table combines a small children’s table with toy storage shelves to create the ultimate Lego building station. Add some big flat lego mats for a premium work area that won’t shift or break your child’s latest creation.

The best place to store a DIY Lego table is in your child’s room or playroom. This is not a suitable solution if you have a small space, but it could double as a school desk for homework too. Twofer.

Rolling Lego Cart

Turn an arts and crafts storage cart into a Lego organizer. This is handy if you have hardwood flooring or tile and allows some mobility for Lego creation. You’ll want a cart that is relatively sturdy and won’t knock over if a child pushes or pulls it.

A Rolling Lego Cart can be wheeled into a closet or playroom when it isn’t in use. A rolling cart can make clean up easy by wheeling to your child’s building area and sorting the bricks into their proper containers.

Color-Coded Bins

This is the ideal Lego storage solution for your perfectionist child who loves to sort by color. Color-coded bins are labeled plastic bins that designate the color of Lego brick. This is extremely handy for basic building pieces and busted-up sets that need a home. These bins can be stackable containers or fit inside toy shelves.

You can store color-coded bins in a closet, bedroom, or playroom. If you have small children, you may want to make sure these bins have lids to keep little fingers from finding a choking hazard. Of course, this is still a way better solution than the Lego choking hazards that hide in the carpet.

Swoop Bags

Made from durable canvas or water-resistant material, Swoop Bags are totes that cinch close but once opened can expand to a large open circle with a six-inch lip. For boys and girls who love legos and want a portable, easy cleanup solution for their Legos, swoop bags are tough to beat. Because they expand open, you can effortlessly search through the chaos to find the piece you need.

Swoop Bags can be stored in a closet or toy chest. Their portability and accessibility make them a cool alternative to other Lego bags. Of course, this will encourage roaming pieces, so make sure your child thoroughly sweeps their building area for any rogue pieces.

IKEA Bygglek LEGO Storage Boxes

They are designed specifically for storing Lego. These boxes are ideal for keeping sets together. And they have a Lego lid on top that can secure any creation that came out of the box. They also have a front label area to keep Lego sorted by color, shape, set, kid, train, etc. The boxes are relatively inexpensive so that you can get organized.

The IKEA Lego boxes can store on a shelf, in a closet, under the bed, or in a toy chest. And because they are easy to carry, if you organize them by set, you can easily take these anywhere your child wants to build. And the boxes are just the right size for kids to carry.

Brick Drawers

Brick Drawers, found at The Container Store, slide open for hidden storage. The drawers look like Lego bricks and come in all the primary colors. The drawers also stack for convenient storage. Made from durable plastic, these brick drawers would be a fun addition to your child’s bedroom or playroom.

Because they stack, you can build a storage shelf of stacked brick drawers. Put them against a wall or in a closet for easy access. And because they are small, children can carry them to another room to build.

Activity Table

An activity table built for Lego has compartments under or to the side of the main table. The tabletop is made of a Lego base that is inset into the table to keep Lego from falling on the ground. These activity tables are convenient, except they are designed for smaller builders. Kids older than eight will be too big for the table.

Activity tables do take up some room but can be placed against a bedroom or playroom wall. And since these tables are geared toward younger Lego builders, their compartments should be big enough to contain your child’s collection. Not so much for older kids.

Conclusion

The good news is there are lots of ways to store and organize Lego collections. To decide which storage is best for your child right now will largely depend on how they like to build and collect their bricks. Statistically, there are 80 Lego for every person in the world. That’s a lot of sorting.

Hopefully, one of these solutions will help you get your Lego under control and out of the carpet. Happy building.

Brett Gordon
 

The brains behind The Toy Report. Having clocked tons of time in toys research and online resource development, today, Brett is dedicated to making The Toy Report a trusted space in the world of toy reviews and recommendations.