5 clever ways to organise kids’ puzzles

Puzzles are an extraordinary educational tool but they’re also a complete nightmare to clean up and keep organised. There are all kinds of specialty trays you can buy at the toy store, but they are often expensive and only hold a handful of puzzles.

Here are some easy, cheap and cheerful storage ideas, which even the kids can get a grip on using.

Plastic button sleeves

This is the cheap and cheerful method that we use. At the end of the day when you can’t bear to pick up another toy, all the pieces get thrown into a plastic sleeve. Works great for board puzzles. For a jigsaw puzzle, I would stick the completed image on the sleeve for reference. Bonus is the sleeves are solid enough that they can be filed on the bookshelf.

Mesh wash bag

Similar to above and probably even cheaper, is using a mesh wash bag. Bonus is the bag can be washed if they get too dirty from little fingers. Throw all the bags in a large storage container to store.

Colour code puzzle pieces

This is a great idea for making the clean up an activity in itself. Use coloured baskets (or boxes) and add the same colour to the back of the puzzle pieces which belong to that basket. You can use coloured sticker dots or just draw them on with a texta. This is great for older kids who know their colours so they can put away their own puzzles.

Paper trays

If you have the space, these make everything look super-tidy. These types of trays are easy to find in craft stores in the scrapbooking section or stationery/office supply shops.

Recycled boxes

Have a look at what you already have – reduce and reuse! This clever mum used recycled courier boxes, stacked and glued together. They can be decorated if you wish. Costs almost nothing and you’re reusing something that would have normally gone to landfill.

Note: I have seen some posts encouraging the use of large zip lock bags for storing puzzles. This is concerning as these bags are a suffocation hazard, especially for little kids. Try one of the methods above and happy puzzling!

Do you have any great tips for storing children’s toys? Leave us a comment below.