Once upon a time if you had a storage problem that needed a storage solution you might have walked around your local mall or shopping strip, made a few phone calls, asked a few friends and one month later purchase something that doesn't fit when you get it home.
Now, however, there is Twitter.
This was our living room floor last week. An inch thick in Lego. This does not do the Lego problem justice as you can make out the beginnings of a sorting system (the very designer-looking ice cream containers).
Later that week the Lego was looking a little tidier but we realised we needed a real storage system because the all.in.one.bucket approach is no good when the 8yo wants to re-build Darth Maul's spaceship and it takes two hours to find the pieces. On Sunday I sent out the following cry for help via Twitter:
I need ideas on how to store Lego. Not all lumped together. Sorted by colour, transportable from room to room for rampant 8yo fantatic.
And Twitter answered.
Thanks to Ikea aficionados H&B and Kim and a non-Ikea idea from DancingMorganMouse I had plenty of ideas to start with and then the Ikea blog This is Home wrote this post based on my tweet with even more ideas.
Today I went out armed with my new knowledge and now looky at our Lego storage system:
A slide out box for each colour.
And sometimes two interlocking Trofast boxes. I love these smaller Trofast boxes and next time I schlep all.the.way.out to Ikea I will get some more. But that will be in another, oh, two years so I have a while to wait. That place is crazy. Even on a Thursday morning people line up outside waiting for it to open.
For the itty bitty wheels, cockpits, clear bits and rarer colours this partitioned tackle box from Howard's Storage. Mind you this box cost as much as all the Trofast boxes put together. Bleh.
On top of all this a yellow Trofast with all the unsorted Lego because sometimes one cannot be fagged to sort RIGHT NOW.
All these boxes can slide right out and be carried from room to room. The boxes are quite big and shallow because one needs to see all the Lego pieces at once, too deep and you never find them. You will also notice no lids (except the tackle box). I'm not good with lids, I like to throw things into boxes from a distance and this is the technique I've taught my kids.
And of course, one has to have a place for all those manuals. Really we are growing out of this box and will need a larger one very soon.
19 comments:
We use the same shelving and storage boxes from Ikea for our trains (albeit a shorter shelf unit). Trains go in one box, track in another (big) box and bridge units in a third. The small boxes are just light enough for Monkey to carry them to the lounge room, but I have to carry the track. I usually find out I have to do that when he peels back my eyelids at 7am and says, "Daddy - do trains?"
That looks like a great idea for Lego. I gave Junior my case that I used for nails and screws and washers so that he could sort all his droids, storm troopers and other assorted characters - that has worked well for all the tiny bits.
We use colour sorting and it works really well and is easy for the kids to work with. But every so often we get out of control and it is usually me sitting down for a few hours with a wine and a dvd who has to get it back to square one. We have a people box too, for the lego people and their accessories like scuba gear and swords.
Darl, you know you've made it when Ikea blogs about you (not the other way around!) We went the Expedit route to keep all our toys organised...one large bookcase and then a smaller one (with some drawer inserts). The playroom is now beautifully sorted.
Shall I tell you a very scary secret? One day...in the not too distant future... he will wake up and he will not want to play with LEGO ever again. And you will add up the cost of all the LEGO that you have in designer plastic boxes and you will feel slighty faint. I know because it happened to me.
I kept all my Lego from my youth and passed it on to Junior. He was very chuffed when he got that. Yes, one day he will be over it, but I will tell him that he has to pass it on to his kids. It never wears out, and kids have been playing with blocks since cavemen learned to carve.
My, that is a beautiful sight to behold! I do love a nice bit of storage. Howard's Storage World is honestly one of my favourite shops in all the world, although yes, so exy... however that doesn't seem to stop my mother and I from always finding somethng to buy. Hope your system lasts and makes Lego play easier!
Rob suggested putting a picture of what goes in the bin on the outside of the bin so they are more likely to go straight to the right one instead of just chunking into any bin. We did that for our Thomas collection: train picture on the front of the train bin, track picture on the front of the track bin, etc.
Worked well for the most part, but like Stomper Girl said, sometimes it gets crazy and you have to re-do.
I have weird kids who refuse to break apart the kits they make. They remain together sitting on shelves like trophies. They even discussed whether they should put a spot of superglue between each block to ensure they cannot be broken.
I STILL play with Lego, whenever I get the chance! You may grow too cool for it but once you are over that, Lego regains its charm.
there is nothing quite liking stepping on a tiny leg piece hidden in the carpet and putting all your weight on that foot...ouch! Good system - I thought the whole thing might be on wheels to take from room to room...maybe Mark II!
PS Last time I went to IKEA, M. got about 1 min in and chucked a fit and went outside. It's INSANE. 2 years is probably my limit too.
Glad to be able to help!
You know me...I have a system for storing all the girls toys - even a highly elaborate sorting system for the bimbola of Barbies: shoes and accessories in one box, clothing in another, naked Barbies in the third and a box just for all the Barbies' toys...windsurfer, motorbike, esky etc. The only flaw with my systems? Getting the girls to frickin' follow them. When you work out that bit, could you please write the manual (and I'd patent it too if I was you, as I'm sure it would be worthy of a Nobel Peace prize at some stage).
Stomper: We have a Trofast box devoted to the people and their accessories too! Essential part of the system. So many people missing their bottom halves...
Bugmum: love the drawer inserts for Expedit.
Alice: that is indeed a scary thought. Like Boy says, it'll be handed down to his children. Storage included.
Melinda: Great idea from Rob. Off to organise some pics...
PPatcher: My kids want the Legos to stay together but it is generally their friends who do the damage unfortunately. The BIG Legos like the Millenium Falcon are in very high places.
Jacqui: I did think of putting wheels on the system but not sure if it would be stable?
Fairlie: You and Domestic Goddess are the queens of intricate storage.
OK, you've sold me on the Trofast w/ the clear containers.
I picked up two packs of the Glis boxes at Ikea yesterday ($5.95 for 3) to store the little pieces like light sabers and hair and people and assorted tiny other things that feel like a shard of glass when you step on them in the middle of the night) but really hummed and hahed over the overall storage solution. We'd need two of these but yes, you have proved it is the answer.
And I can't believe I've found someone who is as committed to the idea of colour sorting their lego storage as I am.
Oh, and Howard's Storage World? It's a code word for HIGHWAY FUCKING ROBBERY.
I am missing out on so much being a twit at twitter :( Great idea, only we have so many 'sets' that to store by colour would be too confusing... Technical lego has a lot to answer to!
Superstar! I fear that we will need something similar for meccano. So many little pieces...
I can't wait to need these sorting boxes! I'm gonna lego-up ASAP. Oh, and the best time to go to IKEA is on a Thursday / Friday evening! They are open late around here, and usually, nice and uncrowded after 6.30pm, when people are home doing the dinner thing. I usually go straight from work - everybody wins except hubby who has to get the kids bathed & into bed by himself :)
We have been Trofast fans since Miss A was 3 - fantastic for sorting texta's, crayons, scrap paper and all sorts of other stationery plethora not to mention all the boys toys with lots of little pieces. Haven't got any space left for the lego but did go through the big 3 or 4 day session a few months ago sort it all into colours - currently in either snap lock bags or icecream containers. It makes it so much easier to actually find the pieces and make the item therefore needing less space to store loose bits - win win.
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