LEGO is one of the best toys for kids – it develops creativity and teaches skills like construction, following directions, and spatial awareness. It’s also a timeless toy. Many kids start playing with LEGO in their preschool years and never stop.
There’s only one frustration with LEGO: storage.
There are thousands of little pieces that are easy to scatter and challenging to pick up. If you don’t have a good organization system, your kids will have the entirety of their collection on the floor every time they want to build something.
If you’d like to avoid the clutter (and the agonizing pain of stepping on a stray LEGO), we’ve curated some of the best LEGO storage ideas from around the web. Read on to find the LEGO storage solution that works for your family.
Things to Consider
Before choosing from these LEGO storage ideas, you should first take a few factors into account to help you choose the best way to store LEGOs for you.
- How big is your LEGO collection? If it’s quite large, you’re going to need a more complex organizational system.
- How much space do you have? Do you have space in your kid’s room or playroom? Would you be better off using wall space or the space under the bed?
- How great are your kids at organizing? Does their building style require a complex organization system? Some kids create their own complicated designs and would benefit from well-sorted LEGO. Others just need to keep them somewhere so they can build as they go.
- How often do your kids play with LEGO? If they play frequently, you’ll want them in a place that’s easy for your kids to access on their own.
Best LEGO Storage Ideas
Below are some of the best ways to store LEGO, including solutions for a range of situations. We have ideas for messy kids and tidy kids. There are also ideas for larger and smaller spaces and different size collections.
1. Shelf and Table System
The IKEA Trofast storage series is great for storing all sorts of toys because everything is neatly put away but also easy for kids to access. You can mix and match deep and shallow containers to help with organization.
We like this setup from Just a Girl and Her Blog. The hanging shelves save space and the units underneath do double duty as a play table.
2. Drawer Dividers for the IKEA Trofast System
The IKEA Trofast system is great, but you may wish that you could sort LEGOs by color or some other system a little better. Otherwise, the LEGO storage containers can get a little cluttered.
The Handyman’s Daughter came up with a solution by crafting these awesome drawer dividers. These are great to use in shallow drawers and give you more organization possibilities.
3. Train Table Redo
If your kids had a train table but are now older and into LEGO, don’t throw it away. Instead, you can repurpose it by removing the tracks and adding base plates. This one from Sunny Day Family has color-coded baskets to organize bricks. Store larger bricks in the drawers underneath.
4. Stackable Storage Bins
For families with a sizable LEGO collection, storage can be challenging and expensive. If you’re already spending that much on LEGO, you don’t need to spend extra on storage.
These plastic storage bins with labels can handle almost any size collection. Labels like the ones used by Boy Mama Teacher Mama help kids find what they need. You can also get bins in different sizes to accommodate different types of bricks.
5. Hanging Storage Bins
Are you short on space to store LEGOs? Using a wall is one of the best LEGO organization ideas. Happiness Is Homemade created DIY LEGO storage with materials from their local hardware shop.
Start by attaching metal rods to the wall. The plastic bins hang from the rods. The plastic bins can also be removed for easy building. If you run out of bin space, simply add another rod and more bins.
6. Pick-Up and Play Mat
Smaller kids often need a different storage solution because they don’t yet have organizing skills and they play with LEGO differently. They may prefer to have their LEGO in a pile so they can grab and build.
Swoop Bags are perfect for little LEGO lovers. The bag opens and lies flat, giving kids a surface for playing. When they’re done, they can just gather it up, pull the rope, and everything is tidy and ready for storage.
7. Under the Bed LEGO Storage
If you’re short on space, underneath your kid’s bed is another great spot for LEGO storage. While plastic bins will work, if you don’t mind doing a little DIY LEGO storage, then this under-the-bed rolling cart by the Happy Housie is a great solution.
We like this one because the wheels make it easy for kids to take out and put away. If you don’t want to build the entire cart from scratch, you could find a shallow wooden box at a flea market and then add the casters.
8. Coffee Table to LEGO Table
A coffee table is a good option to transform into a LEGO table because it’s the perfect height for kids to kneel and build. If you’re feeling extra, you can DIY a LEGO table that’s functional for storage and fun for playtime.
You can find a coffee table with glass panels and replace them with base plates, like the DIY LEGO table crafted by Infarrently Creative. Plastic bins underneath can hold your child’s collection.
9. LEGO Wall
A LEGO wall is a great display piece for any kid’s bedroom. We love this one by The Martin Nest because there’s plenty of room to build. The containers underneath are also a nice touch and will help kids to stay organized.
10. Storage Baskets
If you’re looking for another way to utilize your wall space, you may want to try Amber TYSL’s idea for hanging baskets. You can use hooks so your child can take them down, or string them on a curtain rod if you’d like them to stay where they are. If you want something more durable, consider metal or plastic buckets.
11. Hanging Storage Pockets
Hanging shoe storage pockets, featured on Kids Activities Blog, is one of the best organization ideas. It’s easy to install and inexpensive. You can sort by color to keep bricks organized. If your kids are too short to reach the higher pockets, you can take it down at playtime and then hang it back up.
12. Small LEGO Storage
One of the most challenging aspects of LEGO storage is the tiny pieces. When you put them in a container with larger pieces, they inevitably fall to the bottom and kids will dump the whole thing when looking for a piece.
Small toolboxes are the ideal LEGO organizer for tiny pieces. We like the ones Jinxy Kids uses because they have small compartments so you can sort the pieces by size and color.
13. Drawer Hardware Cabinet
This hardware cabinet storage setup from Frugal Fun 4 Boys is another genius idea for managing smaller pieces. You could put a different color in each drawer and set it on top of a larger shelving unit that stores larger pieces.
14. Minifigure Storage
Storing Minifigures is a challenge all its own. While you can put them all in a container or sort them by body parts, you can also use them in a cute display in your child’s room or playroom.
This one from Practical Perfection is designed especially for Minifigures and even has a LEGO strip running across each shelf to keep Minifigures in place.
15. LEGOs-to-Go
Many kids would like to take their LEGO on a car trip but are reluctant because they don’t want to risk losing pieces. Mama Papa Bubba has solved this problem by creating a LEGOs-to-go solution.
They put a baseplate in a metal lunchbox. Kids can store their LEGO and then prop it open for play in the car or away from home. This LEGO organization idea is nice because it gives kids one more thing to do while on long road trips.
16. Storing Individual LEGO Sets
Some kids are a little more particular about their sets. They may display some of them but also want to keep other individual sets together so that they can build and rebuild them. Style and Well solves this problem by using inexpensive bins to store each set.
You can put the instruction manuals inside, or just tape the cover to the inside and use the LEGO app for instructions.
17. Scrapbook Drawers With Dividers
If your child is serious about LEGO building and storage, then these scrapbook drawers with dividers are the ideal solution. You can sort each draw by color and type, so you can easily get to the exact LEGO you need with little interruption from building time.
Note that these are a little pricey and require a lot of organization, so these are a good solution for older kids who take construction seriously.
18. LEGO Sorters
Even with a great organization system in place, your kids may not want to sort out their LEGO every time they play. It’s a time-consuming task. A LEGO sorter can be a great help and are even fun to use.
While there are some available for purchase, Love and Renovations made an easy DIY sorter. While it won’t sort by color, it does make it easier to get like-sized pieces together.
19. Brick Stacking
For an innovative, but somewhat time-consuming method of storage, consider stacking bricks. It takes a little bit of practice, but you essentially stack like bricks in such as way that they’re easy to take apart and get to what you need.
This is a good option for kids who are serious builders but don’t have the funds to invest in divided draws or something similar. Once bricks are stacked, store them in basic containers to keep them neat.
20. The LEGO Dream Wall
If it seems that your kids are LEGO fans for the long haul and you want to invest in a serious storage solution, this wall from Mother Daughter Projects is every LEGO fan’s dream come true. It has bins, containers, and drawers of all sizes for the ultimate sorting. Higher shelves are used as a display area for special sets.
Parting Thoughts
LEGO organization doesn’t have to be rocket science. Simply think about what type of storage solutions work for your home and your kid’s building style and personality. One of these suggestions is sure to work for you. Happy sorting!