The Best Way to Store Board Games

Over my 13 years of motherhood, I’ve found that one of the best ways to slow down and connect with my kids is by playing games with them. We’ve amassed a large collection of board games over the years, and our favorites have evolved as our kids have gotten older. (I’m currently loving Battleship with my 13-year-old and Mancala with my 7-year-old.) And while I love playing games with my family, storing them is another matter entirely. They are just not cute! And I don’t want them cluttering up my living space or, heaven forbid, being stored haphazardly and losing pieces. 

So, I’ve done a little research and put some thought into the best way to store board games so that they stay out of sight and playable at a moment’s notice — these are my top tips.

My goal for board game storage is to find a spot that’s not a focal point with enough room to house my ever-growing collection of games. Luckily, I have a space in my basement that I call “the kids studio,” which is little more than a room where I house their art supplies, larger toys, and yes, board games. If your home lacks basement storage, that means you’ll need your games in the main living space. In that case, opt for closed bookcases or built-ins with lots of storage. Or, take advantage of vertical space in a closet with a hanging closet organizer.

No matter where you store your game collection, there are some strategies for creating a more visually appealing display. For storing on shelves, I recommend aligning board game boxes side by side, like books. This makes for easy retrieval, especially by kids who tend to be more visual. To keep the boxes from falling open, I like to use these large, thick rubber bands. Of course, not every game comes in a similarly sized box, so I also incorporate bins in different sizes for storing card games, small games, the mancala board, and even unwieldy pieces like the Hungry Hungry Hippos board that long ago gave up its original box. 

Because it has a visually soothing effect, I like to arrange my games in ROYGBIV, or rainbow, order, à la The Home Edit. Before I went with the rainbow display, I organized my games loosely by age appropriateness, with games for younger players like Sneaky Snacky Squirrel and Monopoly Jr. on the lower shelves and games more suitable for older players, like Apples to Apples and Ticket to Ride on the higher shelves. That’s a good approach if you have multiple kids who are likely to choose games for themselves.

Lately, the unboxing trend has come for everything from our pantry items to, yes, board games. While I prefer to keep board games in their original packaging whenever possible, this idea does have a practical appeal, especially if you’re storing games in a prime location where they’re going to be seen often. For storing games this way, these mesh bags are a popular choice because they’re durable, come in a variety of sizes, and take up minimal space. Plastic storage boxes designed for board games are another good choice for keeping games tucked away neatly. For either option, use the original game box to create a label for the games so your kids (and you) can easily find a game to play.