Are you looking for ways to organize your board games and card games? As your board game collection grows — especially if you’ve been stocking up during the pandemic — it can get tricky trying to stack everything on one shelf neatly. Board game boxes do not come in a uniform size, which can make putting them away feel like a real-life game of Tetris (and like a real-life game of Jenga when your kid pulls a random box out from the middle).
To streamline set up and clean up for family game night, here are some helpful tips for storing board games.
1. Keep Most Played Accessible
My number one tip is to keep the games you play the most accessible. That may mean keeping three to five of your favorite games on a shelf in the living room and the rest in a closet somewhere else. They’ll hit the table more frequently if they are easy to see and grab. This organization would be a fantastic way to rotate through your games by swapping them out every month.
2. Keep Kids Games within Reach
Do your kids like to play a few board games on their own or make up their version using the board and pieces? I highly recommend keeping the kids’ games low and accessible — and keep your more expensive games out of reach.
3. Cubby Shelves
Regular bookshelves are suitable, and we all need to work with the storage we have available. However, if you are shopping for new shelves to store your board games, I prefer cubby style shelving. The square sections keep the stacks from getting too high and work well for organizing most game boxes. Then, you can also use fabric storage bins to store small pieces, card games, play mats, and more.
4. Use Plastic Storage Containers
Whether you want to store board games without keeping their boxes or your card game boxes are damaged by a lot of wear and tear, plastic storage containers work well for storing game pieces. Pencil boxes and other small box containers are perfect for storing card games. Some boards and pieces can fit in plastic file folders or even zip-top bags. For games with a lot of small components, try using different plastic craft supply boxes with multiple compartments. If it’s hard to fit all of the massive sets, you can save space with some storage creativity.
5. Rubber Bands
If you prefer to store board games vertically on your shelf, you may have noticed how the components inside can become a disorganized mess. Using large rubber bands to keep the lid tightly closed can keep everything in place better.
6. Hanging Pocket Organizer
Another idea for storing lots of card games and other small box games is a hanging pocket organizer. It can hang over the inside or outside of a closet door. The ones with clear pockets make it easier to see all of the games. This way, you don’t forget about games that might always be buried in a box or bin.
7. Hanging Closet Organizer
A hanging closet organizer provides a few extra shelves to store board games. It’s another way to utilize storage space in a closet. The organizer keeps the games put away, but still reasonably easy to access. I would not recommend storing bigger, more massive games on the hanging organizer.
I hope these tips for storing board games help you organize your family board game collection. If you continue to run out of space as you purchase new games, it might be time to go through and purge games you no longer play or the kids have outgrown.
