southernm Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 This has to be WHY I step on them in every room I enter! How on earth does everyone keep them organized? My kids just always seem to have them in their hands where ever they go...and subsequently drop them too. I've thought of just sweeping them up and into the trash but the kids don't seem to notice, and well, legos aren't cheap. I've thought of a lego table, but most are made for younger ages and I wouldn't want them to outgrow it too soon. They don't care for "sets" or follow directions. They prefer to build their own creations. This is great for their imaginations but it's making me crazy! Currently, they are stored in DS desk drawer. I had them in a bucket but that was way too easy to dump all over the floor! Any suggestions, please!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs.m Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 They play with legos on a sheet on the floor. When they are finished, they pick up the sheet by the corners and place it in a big bin. Dumping onto the sheet is ok. If I find legos outside the room they are supposed to be in (unattended) they go in toy jail. Finished creations are displayed on a shelf in their room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Sounds like your legos have it better than mine. Mine are going into extinction because the kids keep losing them in the couch, under furniture, bottom of closets... Sigh. :001_unsure::nopity: I wish mine would reproduce... would be cheaper for me that way!! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 (edited) We have ours in a large bin in the play room. If they are found outside the playroom, they go in the trash. The kids know the rules, and I never find them outside the playroom. Once per month (or so), I go into the playroom with the kids and make them clean it up. Built creations can stay, but pieces and parts must be put away. Edited October 8, 2011 by Amy in NH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Most lego projects at our house are built on large cookie sheets. They can be easily moved around. For storage, we took out stock in IKEA :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 This is AWESOME Lego storage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs.m Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 This is AWESOME Lego storage! That's very similiar to what we do. Mine is the "poor man" version. :lol: I had the sheet. Now I'm thinking about sewing a string in it to make gathering easier! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 We just use one of those big, flat storage boxes that can slide under a bed. They kids can see a lot of legos at a time without having to dump it out, and they are under strict orders not to take legos out of that one room. Works for us. But I feel your pain, I've BTDT with the traveling legos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southernm Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share Posted October 8, 2011 We just use one of those big, flat storage boxes that can slide under a bed. They kids can see a lot of legos at a time without having to dump it out, and they are under strict orders not to take legos out of that one room. Works for us. But I feel your pain, I've BTDT with the traveling legos. That sounds like a good solution! Maybe they need a reminder sign next to the door for when they leave the room! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 We have big rubbermaid tubs stacked in one corner of the basement. The reality is that legos are a force to be reckoned with...similar to atomic power! :D All I can say is if you have ever seen "The Trouble with Tribbles" from Star Trek, then you will have some small, fundamental understanding of the reproductive capacity of legos. They lay dorment in the dark of their factory produced buckets or boxes and as soon as they are dumped out into the light, photosynthesis or some other photo prompted process causes mass mating with reproductive rates exceeding that of field mice. The parents of the lego owners are left shell-shocked at the number of offspring. :lol: Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southernm Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share Posted October 8, 2011 We have big rubbermaid tubs stacked in one corner of the basement. The reality is that legos are a force to be reckoned with...similar to atomic power! :D All I can say is if you have ever seen "The Trouble with Tribbles" from Star Trek, then you will have some small, fundamental understanding of the reproductive capacity of legos. They lay dorment in the dark of their factory produced buckets or boxes and as soon as they are dumped out into the light, photosynthesis or some other photo prompted process causes mass mating with reproductive rates exceeding that of field mice. The parents of the lego owners are left shell-shocked at the number of offspring. :lol: Faith :rofl: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel marie Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 as a child, i had lite brite pegs all over my room and could never get rid of them. we finally had to move....then i got another one for christmas :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 (edited) We have a small coffee table for completed projects and I also took the little table from DD's now too small kitchen set and stuck base plates to the top with double stick tape. We then have legos sorted by color into zip-lock bags, which are stored under the coffee table in a rubbermaid bin, and another, smaller bin to pull a bag out, dump the legos in, and sort through and find what pieces you want/need. We also have a brick box (the ones the legos came in) that has mini-figs and mini-fig accessories. The building is mostly confined to that area. However, the final projects tend to migrate-we have trolls and goblins invading the office, rock monsters exploring the hallway, and the disco minifig is running a head shop (I mean mini-fig heads here, but I admit that when DD told me that was what he was doing I had a WHAT??? reaction!) for halloween costumes in DD's bedroom. Oh, and a block-ness monster in the school room. I do think ours reproduce as well, but by some alchemy, they only reproduce the pieces you don't need at the time. If I want to build a white house with a red roof, even though we have what seems like 50-zillion bricks, we never have enough white ones or red roof pieces. And if you want to reconstruct a specific set, those pieces will have suffered a mass extinction, while a different set is apparently very fertile indeed. Edited October 8, 2011 by dmmetler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth S Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 We just use one of those big, flat storage boxes that can slide under a bed. They kids can see a lot of legos at a time without having to dump it out, and they are under strict orders not to take legos out of that one room. Works for us. But I feel your pain, I've BTDT with the traveling legos. We have four boys, so we have a LARGE volume of Legos. All Legos must stay in the "Lego Room" (a 5x5" area in their bedroom). I bought a 3-drawer plastic dresser from Walmart for about $20. They put big pieces in the bottom drawer, special pieces in the next drawer, and regular bricks in the top drawer. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-3-Drawer-Wide-Cart/16415880 Also each boy has a "tiny piece box" for mini-figure body parts and small accessories. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Creative-Options-Half-Sized-Utility-Box/17200628 They bring ONE small Lego creation downstairs each day to help them get through the school day. (But I would confiscate any Legos found outside the room, making the kids pick them up & giving them to me.) I also tell them each night that they have to make sure the path to their bed is clear, in case I have to come help them in the middle of the night. It would be a BAD thing if I got hurt trying to help them, hint, hint! But, truly, Legos have been the foundation of most of their creative play, and I'm so thankful for them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Vixen Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 Hi Meredith, We have a ridiculously complicated organizing system for our Legos :lol:. We have those small plastic drawer organizers in various sizes. All the Legos are organized by type so if you need a brick you look in this drawer, if you need a wheel it's in a different drawer. We've been using this system since my son turned 4 and it works great for us. He loves being able to find the piece he wants easily and he doesn't have to dump anything out to find that special piece. After my twins have gone to bed we put back all the Lego pieces that are out from the day, it's kind of a nice time for him and I to spend some quite time together. He can keep a few things made but he likes the building part so he usually destroys them :). I can't believe how many Legos we have and he is just turning 5. I don't even want to imagine what it is going to look like when he's 10! Marisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newlifemom Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 We have big rubbermaid tubs stacked in one corner of the basement. The reality is that legos are a force to be reckoned with...similar to atomic power! :D All I can say is if you have ever seen "The Trouble with Tribbles" from Star Trek, then you will have some small, fundamental understanding of the reproductive capacity of legos. They lay dorment in the dark of their factory produced buckets or boxes and as soon as they are dumped out into the light, photosynthesis or some other photo prompted process causes mass mating with reproductive rates exceeding that of field mice. The parents of the lego owners are left shell-shocked at the number of offspring. :lol: Faith You realize that you have a gift and need to use your powers for good don't you? :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 Well, there is no Lego birth control so really, you just ahve to give in. They're like tribbles. First you have one, then twenty, then you're stepping on them in bare feet in the middle of the night and swearing you will throw every last one out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LBS Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 (edited) My husband has a joke routine about having to have Legos surgically removed after stepping on them in the dark, in the night. I have cleaned and removed the labels from all those buckets they came in, and may actually wash them. I tried to save some of the very complicated instructions, but can't imagine the kids building some of those sets again. I used to dread the leaving-the-store time, of trying to NOT buy a bunch more Legos, even if they had their own money. It seemed like I was paying x dollars, for x minutes of entertainment, and the per piece cost was too high. I do love them, and the joy my kids got out of them and still do is amazing, but, if I had a penny just for each one I have thrown away and/or stepped on, well, that would be a nice pile of money. Legos, Duplos and Primos. Great things. PS I resisted the urge to sort them, when I saw how soothing it was to run their hands thru them, collecting pieces for possible projects, and the joy of finding a piece. I also, realized, the sorting was just an exercise for me. I think I just loved the idea of being like one of those grownups who gets to make the huge sculptures for the stores, and has unlimited, organized, sorted out boxes of them. How cool. Edited October 9, 2011 by LBS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 I have at least 18 gallons. I had two five gallon buckets, and another eight gallon container. we use dust-pans to scoop them up. works on carpet. I do still find them around - but usually because someone walked them out of the room. ds decided he wanted them sorted so he could find what he was looking for more easily. I ended up purchasing quite a few containers in different sizes, depending upon color/quantities. we even used the disposable glad/ plastic containers for some things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 I have lots of bins in their room previously known as the "play room." It is now just referred to as the LEGO ROOM! My oldest is a lego fiend and he can't cope with legos in bins (Aspie) and much prefers an organized (to him) chaos all over the room. It helps him sort. We have tried the sheet, a separate carpeted area, tables, etc..... Nope! The floor is where he sorts and stacks best. So, we have resigned ourselves to that being THE LEGO ROOM. He does have 3 hard plastic folding tables up there as well as bins and shelves. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 My problem is that DH loves them as much or more than DD does-so HE'S the one who buys the great big, fancy sets, which they build together, and then she dismantles and uses to make her own creations. He spends a lot of time on Ebay looking for deals, and he's making plans to go to BrickFair in AL in Jan. So sorting is as much for him as for DD. And, really, if I think of it as a hobby my 40 yr old husband can share with my 6 1/2 yr old daughter, it's not so bad...I guess. Meanwhile, I try to keep the loose parts contained, and accept the Orcish hoard that has invaded my office, looking for....I don't know...lego chicken legs or something. They have an ongoing daily story, which has lasted close to a year now, where he'll leave a note and arrange the minifigs and parts as part of the story, and then DD will find it and write the next chapter, and set it up for DH to find that night. Occasionally a new mini-fig or part of a set will appear as part of this. Right now, a snake charmer from the Lego Education fantasy/mythology set is trying to charm the giant cobra from the Pharoah's Quest set. (both of which came in the house under the guise that "They're educational!!"). Hence the bags and sorting. I'm considering getting a bead-type craft box for minifigs and their accessories so she doesn't have to dump them out of their smaller bin to find the pieces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 I keep skimming past this thread and thinking that it says "Help, our legs are reproducing". :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BabyBre Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 We have a gigantic tub full of dc's Legos that only comes out when it's time to play Legos. We lay out a huge blanket to dump the tub onto. Kids can fish through them and build on the periphery. When it's time to clean up we just grab the corners of the blanket, put the whole thing in the tub, and gently pull the blanket out. Voila! Legos go back into the closet until next time. Ds does like to tote around a smaller, shoebox sized tub with the pieces he's working on, but they MUST stay in/with the tub. We do this with board games and other things with tons of rediculously tiny pieces, too. By the nature of their small pieces (and their cost), they stay put away in the "toy closet" until we decide to pull them out. The toy closet (a gigantic armoire in the living room) has been a lifesaver for our housekeeper. That's me. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilikemyhomeschool Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 HI guys! I know this is an old discussion but I want it to show a picture of my lego/school room. My husband built a big table and we store our little pieces on top for building. We use the 18 gallon tubs to store the sets in bags. http://www.flickr.com/photos/55308178@N05/6320250896/in/photostream Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Running the race Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 They play with legos on a sheet on the floor. When they are finished, they pick up the sheet by the corners and place it in a big bin. Dumping onto the sheet is ok. If I find legos outside the room they are supposed to be in (unattended) they go in toy jail. Finished creations are displayed on a shelf in their room. We do exactly this, though our Lego creation shelves have grown to take over 1/2 a room. ;) We store the Legos in a huge under bed box from IKEA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my2boysteacher Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 HI guys! I know this is an old discussion but I want it to show a picture of my lego/school room. My husband built a big table and we store our little pieces on top for building. We use the 18 gallon tubs to store the sets in bags. http://www.flickr.com/photos/55308178@N05/6320250896/in/photostream That is an incredible playroom! My kids would be drooling over your lego storage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.