It is such a bummer when you sit down to play a board game with your family only to discover missing pieces. And don’t get me started on taped box corners!  If you can relate, here are a few tips to get your games in order and keep those pieces together.

-Sort through your game collection and pull out the games that get the least attention for donation.  Whether your kids have outgrown them or the games have seen better days, clearing them out will open up valuable space and better organization.

-Choose a designated “game zone” to store all your games, puzzles, and cards together. Keep games with small pieces on a higher shelf so little ones can’t access them without supervision.  Establish a rule that once a game is finished, it gets put away immediately.  In our house, the winner always “gets” to return the game to the game zone.

-To avoid lost game pieces, keep them and instructions of each game all together in a labeled Ziplock bag or  consider swapping out the original game boxes with plastic containers (this addresses that pesky taped corners problem nicely) to keep contents from spilling out. Look for containers specifically designed to hold board games.

-To keep your game zone organized, use baskets or bins to hold Ziplock bags, cards, and extra dice.  Keep a small basket to catch stray game pieces as you find them throughout the house.

It’s your turn!  What do you do to keep your games organized?