Dear Jenny,
My kid is obsessed with LEGO ... and they're taking over our house! I vacuum them up, have moved family photos to make room for new builds, and step on them on a regular basis. Can you give me some ideas on how to get LEGO bricks organized so I can safely go barefoot in my house again?
—Susan, Cleveland, Ohio
Dear Susan,
Moms know LEGO play materials can take over your home. And stepping on one in the middle of the night?
@!?@#!*!
Don't despair! It is possible to get those bricks out from underfoot and under control. Here are my four easy tips for managing LEGO bricks:
1. Buy plastic tubs in a few sizes
- Get a few small tubs for specialty categories like people and animals, “special” parts, and weapons. You can even organize by color if you're feeling really ambitious.
- You should also get a few larger tubs -- size can be dependent on how many LEGO parts you have hiding in the carpet in your house -- to hold all the other pieces.
2. Only display what fits
- If your child is LEGO-obsessed and is running out of room to showcase favorite builds, consider adding floating shelves or an inexpensive bookcase just to display LEGO masterpieces.
- But also encourage your child to keep just their favorites — it's OK to break down a set to make room for something new!
3. Keep sets together
- If you have all the pieces to a set, consider storing it in a plastic sealable bag that fits in your large plastic tubs. That can make it easy for your child to recreate the build if they want.
- Don't have all the pieces? Divide the broken up set into your tubs for general use.
4. Donate!
When you just have too many bricks or your kids have outgrown LEGO, you can donate them! Consider asking your local school or daycare center if they could use them, or donate to a local thrift store. You can also send them to the LEGO Replay Program, which gives donated LEGO bricks to kids in need.
Free build!
Now that you have LEGO pieces under control, it's time to encourage what I call free building! Kids can use their creativity to make their own creations. Need ideas? Kids ages 5 to 9 can subscribe to the FREE LEGO Life Magazine which has games, puzzles, stories, and lots of great ideas. The magazine also has a section called "Cool Creations" where you can submit a picture of your child with their masterpiece and it might get published.
All the best,
Jenny
Jenny Dietsch, the owner of Getting it Done Organizing, is a Certified Professional Organizer who believes order and beauty in the home bring peace and contentment. She and her team are committed to creating functional and aesthetically pleasing systems for their clients and their families.
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Want more organization tips? Read Jenny's advice on setting up a space for at-home learning.
