Photo:
Contemporary Kids, original photo on Houzz
Lego bricks offer limitless opportunities for exploring and constructing (no wonder they’re so popular!), but if you have a Lego-obsessed kid in the house, you also know what a nightmare it can be to keep those little pieces out from underfoot. While no amount of organizing can ensure complete freedom from enduring the pain of an occasional Lego under a bare foot, these ideas — from play trays and rolling carts to “mini fig” display shelves — will go a long way toward managing the Lego chaos.
Lego cart
Rolling carts are immensely useful, since they allow you to wheel materials right where your child is going to play, and tuck them out of the way when it’s cleanup time. Plus, if the Lego obsession fades (not likely, I know) you can repurpose the cart for art or homework supplies.
Building trays
The beauty of using trays for Lego construction is that they contain the mess and they’re portable. Kids can use them to spread out pieces to look for that just-right brick without scattering them across the floor, or to save finished creations. Just about any good-size tray can work as a portable Lego building platform — look for trays with a raised edge to keep pieces from spilling over, and handles to make carrying easy. And stock up: A whole stack of trays is better than one!
“Mini fig” display wall
Keeping the tiny Lego characters known as mini figs separate from the rest of the Lego bricks will save hours of frustrated searching. You could dump them all in their own bin, but giving them pride of place on the wall actually makes it easier to keep these little figures from getting mixed back in with the bricks.
Storage rails
A set of metal rails with detachable cups, like the ones shown here, can make grabbing smaller amounts of Lego bricks and characters easy. If your child is just getting started with Lego pieces, or is working on a special building project that requires organizing small amounts of bricks, this could be a good option.
Color-coded Lego bins
Depending on your child’s personality and Lego building style, storing Lego bricks by color can be an efficient and fun way to keep a large collection neat and usable. Does it slow down the cleanup process? Definitely. But for the serious (and visually oriented) Lego engineer, having rainbow-ordered bricks at the ready can really juice up the creative process.
Lego wall — not just in the kids’ room
Lego walls have been featured in several of the spaces we’ve looked at so far, but the owners of this home have taken the idea a step further, with a Lego wall right in the main living space! The genius thing about this is that it gives you an instantly accessible spot to stick those random Lego bricks you inevitably come across scattered about the house, without having to trek over to the kids’ room to put them away.
Lego workspace
A double- or triple-width desk makes an appealing surface for intensive Lego construction. Store extra bricks in bins beneath the desk, and expand construction possibilities with a Lego wall above. Just know that this setup tends to work best with older kids who are really Lego-obsessed and willing to sit in one place to work on their creations. Younger kids are more apt to grab a bin of bricks and head off to another room to play on the floor.
Quick cleanup bag
Toy storage bags, like the Swoop Bag, are designed with cleanup of small toys like Lego bricks in mind. Just open up the drawstring top and play on the floor, then swoop it together when it’s cleanup time. This method of storage is best for kids who would rather have one big mixed-up mess of Lego bricks to work with than fuss with little bins.
Lego display shelves
These can prove especially useful in households with Lego builders of varying ages — when mounted high enough on the wall, they provide older (taller) kids a place to save their Lego creations out of the reach of younger siblings. But for fairness’ sake, be sure to hang a few shelves low for the little ones too.
Lego cabinets
Homeowners with Lego-loving sons carved out space in the family room for tons of Lego storage, seen here — but with the cabinet doors shut, you’d never know it! When open, the cabinet doors reveal neat Lego bins and pullout desktops for working on. When playtime is over, the doors are closed, creating a calm and collected family room.
Lego construction table on wheels
If you’d like to offer more space for building but a Lego room is not an option, consider a table on casters instead. Wheel it out during playtime, and push it against a wall with stools tucked underneath when you need to make room.
Lego room
An entire room devoted to Lego construction is the stuff Lego-obsessed kids’ dreams are made of. To set up a Lego room that will get a lot of use, be sure to offer ample surface space for building, and storage for bricks and mini figs below. Deep counters offer room to display finished pieces toward the back, with building space in front.
Still overwhelmed? Pare back
If Lego bricks seem to sprout up everywhere you turn, it could be time to edit the collection. After years of purchasing Lego sets and receiving them as gifts, it’s easy for a Lego-loving kid to end up with a truly staggering amount of these colorful little building materials. If nothing you do seems to help stem the tide of Lego, consider paring back until the number of bricks comfortably fits in the space you have. Will some kids notice (and complain)? Sure. But many won’t bat an eyelash, and the sanity it will save you is well worth it.
Originally published on Houzz by Laura Gaskill
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