sorting Legos?

[athomeontheprairie]

Do your kid keep their Legos sorted? How?

my girls have around 3,500 Legos and finding the ones they want can be a problem. right now all the Legos are in two large tubs. I hear about families sorting, but how do you do this? if you sort does it actually help?

presently my girls are working on a project and its taking them forever just to find the pieces they need... I'd like to take the frustration out of finding the pieces so they can spend their time actually building. Ideas?

[TechWife]

After many years of LEGO sorting, I came to a conclusion. When it is important to the builder, the LEGO bricks will get sorted. I tried a few different systems for sorting over the years and they fell apart relatively quickly. When my ds became frustrated enough, he developed his own system and voilá, the bricks were sorted. He was about 14 when he did this, so I spent 9 years needlessly sorting bricks. 

[bolt.]

4 ikea boxes with dividers for bigger blocks, sorted by colour and relative size. (Number of compartments per colour varies by how many of that colour we have.) Often all of one colour is together. For 2 compartments of the same colour it's 'regular' 2x's (of any length) in one and 1x's and slopes in the other. For 3 compartments of some major colours, we split out the 1x's from the 'slopes'.

 

Plus, individual closable containers for:

- Teeny-tinies (anything one nub or smaller, plus skinny/flat 2x1s)

- Smalls (full height 1x1s, 2x1s, corners of that height with 3 nubs) Anything bigger than this is a 'bigger piece'.

- Car parts

- House-style doors and windows

- "Flats" 2x and wider

- "Flats" that are just 1x sticks, but 3 nubs or longer.

- "Cools" anything with a hinge, or a curve, or a decal on it, or it's a grill or something specific

- People parts (includes animals)

 

Yeah. That's complicated. Aren't you all glad you don't know me in real life?

[bolt.]

I sort myself, or facilitate it, because otherwise this valuable brain-play grinds to a halt as it becomes frustrating for the kids. I want to add my skills into making it easy for them to enjoy these toys. (Especially at the expense!)

[athomeontheprairie]

I sort myself, or facilitate it, because otherwise this valuable brain-play grinds to a halt as it becomes frustrating for the kids. I want to add my skills into making it easy for them to enjoy these toys. (Especially at the expense!)

This!

 

Thanks for the ideas. I think we have a couple small sorting boxes we could use for the specialty pieces... Didn't think of that

[dirty ethel rackham]

My boys didn't do any elaborate sorting.  They felt it wasn't worth the effort.  The kits that were important to them either went back into original containers (bionicles) or another special box (Star Wars parts.)  The rest went into flat, under bed bins.  Since these were wide and not deep, it was easier for them to find what they were looking for.  Plus, cleanup was a snap.  They were only allowed to play with Legos on a sheet.  The folded the sheet and dumped the pieces back into the flat bins. 

[Arcadia]

Our sorting is simple

- Techno pieces in a storage tote

- Wheels in a container

- mini-figures in a container

- Hero Factory pieces in a storage tote

- all other pieces in a big storage tote

[Farrar]

After many years of LEGO sorting, I came to a conclusion. When it is important to the builder, the LEGO bricks will get sorted. I tried a few different systems for sorting over the years and they fell apart relatively quickly. When my ds became frustrated enough, he developed his own system and voilá, the bricks were sorted. He was about 14 when he did this, so I spent 9 years needlessly sorting bricks.

I once spent two days sorting Legos and trying to get them into some vague order.

 

I will never get those two days of my life back.

[idnib]

I spent 9 years needlessly sorting bricks. 

 

 

I just picture you spending 9 years, full-time, sorting bricks as some kind of Sisyphean task.

[Aura]

After many years of LEGO sorting, I came to a conclusion. When it is important to the builder, the LEGO bricks will get sorted. I tried a few different systems for sorting over the years and they fell apart relatively quickly. When my ds became frustrated enough, he developed his own system and voilá, the bricks were sorted. He was about 14 when he did this, so I spent 9 years needlessly sorting bricks. 

 

This is about where I'm at. I did purchase a LEGO sorter from Amazon, but the kids don't ever use it. And I couldn't find it on Amazon just now. I also purchased stackable plastic drawers and bins of various sizes, but again, the kids don't use those either. Now, they just sort through the container to find what they need or dump them out on a sheet.

 

However, my 16 ds keeps his personal collection of LEGOs sorted in the boxes they came in or whatever container he wants, but the majority of the LEGOs are just in one bin.

 

Another issue I've run in to is that with multiple kids and varying ages (I have six, from 3 to 16) they can never agree on HOW to sort them or the younger ones get them mixed up, etc.

 

If your girls really want to sort LEGOs, I'd get them some stackable drawers and bins and let them figure out the best way for them. Or if it's something you really want done, have them do it with you so they know what goes where.

[gardenmom5]

we have about 18 gal of lego.  1ds wanted them sorted, and he did so by color.  each color having its own container according to volume.  it did make it easier to find pieces - as long as you knew what color the piece was.  he was building according to lego plans, so he had the directions in front of him for what he was looking for.  when he disassembled a piece, he put them away according to color.

 

dudeling was originally only allowed to play with a container of a certain color.  he wouldn't stick with that, and required tremendous supervision to keep him from mixing pieces. 

 

the lego is now back into its multiple 5-gal buckets.

[Guest Peng88]

We sorted by color and loosely by size. I've just used smaller stacking tubs.

[momto10blessings]

My boys each have a large collection and do not sort at all. Works for them.

[Goldilocks]

It is not worth it!  

 

I will say, though, that my kids keep a separate small bin for people and special pieces.

[mmpmelmack]

We sort by color and then into basic bricks and specials. These go into drawer carts, then we use fishing tackle boxes for wheels, minifigs, windows and such. It makes it much easier to find pieces!

[PrairieSong]

It is not worth it!

 

I will say, though, that my kids keep a separate small bin for people and special pieces.

This is exactly what mine did. If they want or need them sorted, let them figure out what would work best and do it themselves.

[TechWife]

I just picture you spending 9 years, full-time, sorting bricks as some kind of Sisyphean task.

 

I think Sisyphean task describes it well! 

[kiwik]

just don't go there. Shallow drawers or bins that can be searched without tipping the whole lot out are good though.

[Laura Corin]

I read your title as 'snorting Legos'.

 

L

[kroe1]

We sort by size only with a giant Lego sorter. I do not think they make those anymore. It takes about 20 minutes to sort thousands of Legos.

 

One could probably make sorters. Just get some cardboard shoe boxes. Cut the first box with larger holes in the bottom, the second box with slightly smaller holes, etc. until you get to holes that will only let the tiny pieces fall through. Start with the big hole box and shake. Whatever bricks fall through, then run them through the next smallest hole box. Sorting should be done in no time.

 

In the past when we have tried to further sort by color, it makes it harder to see the exact size. Having only one color in a pile makes the bricks seem to flow together. We can see the shapes better in a multi-colored stack.

[Kathryn]

It is not worth it!

 

I will say, though, that my kids keep a separate small bin for people and special pieces.

This is exactly what we do.

[Dmmetler]

We have a lego room. I wish I was kidding, but I'm not-I've had as many as 10 kids happily building without any real problems over pieces. DD got into legos by about age 3-4, and they're her favorite toy, so she tends to spend her money on them when she gets it, relatives and friends buy them for her, and I swear the things breed at night when no one is looking.

 

We have three of those preschool toy-bin units. One was the one I bought when DD was a toddler, which I repurposed into legos when I realized it was collecting junk, and we've bought two more when we've found them cheaply. They're mostly full. Plus multiple shelves and small tables for "on display" creations.

 

Legos are sorted by color, with Technics pieces, minifigs, minifig accessories, blocks/bricks with printing and stickers, wheels, Girl minifigs and friends Mini-dolls (and Friends-specific pieces-plus a bunch of Hello Kitty Mega Block minifigs from their little blind packs) and "Weird stuff" all sorted into separate bins. There is also one of those official lego project box units that contains works in progress (plus DD has one of those with her special minifigs). We have really heavily bought pink and purple bricks when they're available in the Pick-a-Brick cups. Some of the bins also hold small toys that often get played with along with lego-the Ancient Egypt and Ancient Rome Playmobil pieces (the buildings mostly get ignored by DD), a set of mythological monsters figures, a bin of pretty rocks, and so on.

 

The toy bins are great because the kids can pull the bins down, and, usually, sort through them to find the pieces they need, usually without dumping. And I'm amazed at how good visiting kids are at sorting when it comes to clean-up time. I make DD reset to zero on Saturday or before anyone comes over to play. -during the week, I let her leave the parts of what she's building out if there's no reason that they're likely to be disturbed.

 

 

 

[dbmamaz]

haha i once spent most of the summer sorting legos!  I had them sorted down by size/shape pretty precisely.  But i did it for a reason - my youngest had asked for a harry potter lego set, and there werent any made that year (Between movies?) but we had an older one . . . somewhere in all those legos.  So I spent months (just a few hours a week) sorting, and then dug out the insructions, and dh and I managed to complete hogwarts castle (in my daughter's room, she was in CA that year) in time for xmas!  

 

But its all a mess again - that was 3 years ago.  My daughter is 21, so I've been collecting legos for maybe 15 years . . . i'm a tad OCD and would love to do it again some time lol

[Spryte]

I once spent two days sorting Legos and trying to get them into some vague order.

 

I will never get those two days of my life back.

 

This.  I did that once, too, and vowed that it will never happen again.

 

We have 20+ years worth of Lego collections.  Our eldest was a Legophile, as is 9 yr old DS.  When DS wants to sort again, he is free to do so.  Otherwise, they go in wide, shallow under bed bins, and in Ikea Trofast bins, plus a few large, deep bins stored in the garage (my call, because we simply. have. too. many).  He occasionally puts minifigure pieces into a special container, or sorts some by color.  Other than that, no more sorting here.

[LucyStoner]

I can no sooner drain the oceans with a teaspoon.

[skeeterbug]

We use the Ikea Trofast drawers and sort by colour. Like this, but we don't have this many:

 

http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com.au/2011/10/organizing-legos-part-3-creating.html

 

It's really easy to maintain and really easy to find pieces. The kids helped with the initial sort. We have one drawer for minifigures. One drawer for instructions. I keep a bowl on top to throw in assorted pieces when we are cleaning up the room, when the bowl gets full we sort it.

 

Legos have been used so much more in our house since we set this up because they are so accessible. I did find that the drawers *need* labels to keep it all organised and make the pieces easy to find.

[Sharon37127]

We have tried just about everything.  It simply comes down to colors, in plastic drawers, stacked up about 6 high.  We got those 12$ plastic 3-drawer "carts" from walmart, remove the top plastic part to attach 2 sets together.  1 drawer for each color.  We do have 1 of the those Lego heads with the sifting trays in it.  the kids can dump 1 drawer in the top of it and sift, to sort out the smaller pieces.  then dump all back in the drawer.  they are a good size- not too small not too big.  and not too expensive. 

[dbmamaz]

I've always been baffled by people sorting by color, which seems to be the most common sort.  If you are building something, color is not as important as shape . . so how is a color sort useful?  

[Janie Grace]

Sure, we sort legos... it's called "pawing through the big bin of them to find what you want." Works great!

 

[skeeterbug]

I've always been baffled by people sorting by color, which seems to be the most common sort.  If you are building something, color is not as important as shape . . so how is a color sort useful?  

 

If you are following a set of instructions then you are looking for a specific piece in a specific colour.  Sorting by colour makes it very easy to find.  If you are building without instructions then it is easy to just pull out the bins and place them around while you look for various shaped/sized pieces.  Often, even when building without instructions, the kids are looking for a specific piece they know we have and they know what colour it is so sorting by colour makes it easy to find.

 

We tried sorting by shape once and it was very hard for the kids to maintain.  Sorting by colour is very easy for the kids to do on their own.

[Mnemosyne]

I sort mine by shape.. the colors are easy to pick out, the shapes are a bit harder.

 

In the past I've sorted by both, but now I just don't want to put that much work in.

[Mom2OandE]

I used to keep them sorted by color in 12x12 clear drawers that they sell for scrapbook paper. We had about 12 drawers. We had the Lego train set in another bin. A smaller set of drawers for mini figures, wheels, etc. the problem was I would loose about 12 hours of my life every time I tried to reorganize them where they belonged. So this summer we put them in two 3 ft wide, 5 in tall bins all mixed together. So much easier!

[*Lulu*]

I read your title as 'snorting Legos'.

 

L

Begs the question:

 

would snorting a Lego hurt worse than stepping on one?

[Farrar]

Begs the question:

 

would snorting a Lego hurt worse than stepping on one?

 

I knew someone whose toddler ate several.  But she didn't seem bothered when she passed them.

[Garga]

Make sure your girls want to sort them.  I've asked my boys if they want them sorted, and they look distressed and say, "Oh no!  Shuffling through all the legos is the best part.  We always find a piece we've forgotten about and it's like getting a present all over again."

 

 

[Laura Corin]

Begs the question:

 

would snorting a Lego hurt worse than stepping on one?

 

Hobbes snorted a piece of an Ikea lampshade.  It didn't seem to hurt him at all - it just got stuck.  The big hook that the nurse used to retrieve it was a bit alarming.  Hobbes' mind went to Egyptian brain removal for mummification.

 

L