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Board Game Storage Tips and Advice

Why do we need a proper board game storage ? Isn't board games storage supposed to be simple ?

Can't we just simply store all the small pieces in the box which comes with them ?

Well, you can store board games that way. But they won't last and there are some problems associated with using the box for storing board games:

Box gets torn and destroyed with time even after reinforcing each corner with a tape.
Storing board games in a box is not space-efficient since each box takes up more storage space than the component inside it.
Those small pieces from the board games can get lost very easily if they are simply stored in a box. You know ... talking about those accidental spillage.

So what is the best way to organize the board games ?

There are two ways to store board games.

All in one storage, which means the board and the game pieces are stored in one place. This toy storage solution works can work well if you only have small or medium amount of board games.
Separating board games and the game pieces. This system is very versatile and works best if you have medium to large number of board games.

All-in-one board game storage solution.

If you want to have both the board and game pieces in one place, but also want to save space and prevent spillage, then I suggest you to purchase a dedicated board game storage box like these:

board game storage box with deep recess.
This box measures 16 x 10.5 inches and has a height of 2.5 inches. So it's big enough to store common board games and is deep enough to store 3D game pieces, stacks of cards or board games with thicker board. If the game does not have many pieces, you can easily put 2-3 types of games in there. It's made of plastic, so it's sturdier than the original game box.
board game organizer box - shallower recess.
This board game organizer is big enough to fit common board from board games, and it's cheap ($6). But it's only 1.5 inch deep. So it's most suitable for storing card games (with no board), board games with thin board, or board games which have no 3D game pieces.

If you still want to keep all the game pieces and the board in its original box, then follow these following tips to extend the life of the box:

Reinforce the original box with tape (no brainer, isn't it?)
Put all the small pieces from the board game in a ziploc bag to avoid the scattering of these pieces if the box is accidently dropped.
Store the board game box side by side on a shelf like you would have stored your books, but with the longest side of the box touching the bottom of the shelf. This way, you increase the durability of the box and make the board games more easily accessible. Try not to stack them since the one located at the bottom of the pile will be damaged from bearing the weight. It is also more difficult to pull out board games stored this way.

Toy storage solution for medium to large number of board games

With this system, you basically store the game pieces and the board separately.

I recommend you to use this system since this toy storage solution will enable you to have a:

compact and space-efficient system for board game storage, and
easy-to-access-and-find storage system for organizing board game pieces.

Here are the steps on how to do this efficiently:

First, label the board You can also stick the instruction on the board. Otherwise, you can store the instruction together with the game pieces.

Second, store the game pieces. The cheapest way to do this is by getting a big zip lock bag and store all the component of a particular board game plus the instruction (minus the board) in the bag. Label the bag, for instance: monopoly, with a permanent marker. Alternatively, you may want to label the bag using a numbering system, for instance: board game no.1.Then you can dump all of the baggies into a small bin or a shoe box.

Some moms like to get the game pieces in compartmentalized containers, such as fishing tackles storage or craft storage so that they don't have to go through all the baggies before starting the game.

However, it is important to note that often those storage system are not deep enough to store three dimensional game pieces, like the pawn. Therefore, if you want to buy these kind of storage and have three dimensional game pieces to store, get the ones which are deep enough to contain these and the ones which have adjustable compartment, like this wooden adjustable craft organizer with acrylic slide top

Alternatively, you might want to take a look at a modular container system which contains interlocking small containers. Each small container is ideal for storing game pieces. The container interlocks to each other, forming an expandable honeycomb arrangement. Each container can then be retrieved like a drawer. This system is truly versatile and is available here

Once you finish these two steps, you have two choices on how you want to store those:

First, using a long drawer for organizing board games. Put all the board from the board games in the drawer and put the containers containing the game pieces in the drawer. Label the drawer with picture and in writing.

Second, using a shelf for board game storage Get a shelf and either a big wicker basket or a big container. Put all the board from the board games in the basket or the big container. Then put the smaller container with game pieces on the shelf. Label each container with picture and in writing.

Happy playing !

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