How to Store Kids Puzzles: A Creative and Simple Trick

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Kid puzzles are great. I love the simple wooden puzzles with just a few pieces for toddlers. I love that there are little knobs to make the pieces easier to take out. BUT, all the things I like about them also drive me crazy. Adult puzzles are so easy to put away, you just throw all the pieces in a box. Instead, you need to put kid’s wooden puzzles back together to store. Because of this, I am sure I have done my kids’ puzzles way more than they have. And those handy knobs hurt so much when you step on them. To solve some of these annoyances, I found a new way how to store kids puzzles.

For a while I just put all our toddler puzzles away. My three year old is now able to do bigger puzzles that come in boxes. But, my one year old son is ready for the toddler wooden puzzles now. It only took a day of them being back out for me to get tired of the pieces all scrambled together and underfoot. I ran across the idea to Velcro the puzzle pieces on and decided to give it a try. I learned a few things while trying this approach that I would like to share with you.

How to Store Kids Puzzles Using Velcro

I used a couple different ideas to store my kids’ puzzles and I had another idea that I didn’t end up using. Within each idea there are several methods that will work. I tried my best to cover it all so you can do whatever works best for your house and your family.

Using Velcro to Keep Puzzles Together:

The idea I initially ran across was to Velcro all the puzzle pieces to the puzzle board. The three biggest puzzle annoyance culprits were my Melissa and Doug animal puzzles. So, I started with them.

Materials:

• Velcro adhesive tape or Velcro dots

First, I took my Velcro adhesive tape and cut them into little squares. I stuck the two sides of the Velcro together before cutting to get matching pieces. On my test puzzle I used pretty big strips and it made it a little hard for my one year old to take off. So, for this puzzle I cut really small pieces instead, since it doesn’t take much to hold the pieces in place. You can also skip this cutting step by using Velcro dots instead.

Then, I peeled the paper off the hook side of each piece of Velcro and stuck them in the middle of each animal on the puzzle board. The hook side of Velcro tears up my rug which is why I wanted it on the board instead of the puzzle pieces. I left the other side of the Velcro attached for the next step.

Next, I peeled off the paper on the other side of the Velcro. Then, I placed each puzzle piece where it goes on the board. I carefully removed each puzzle piece and pressed down on the Velcro that was now on the back. Now, I had a puzzle with no more loose pieces that was easy to store.

Pros:

• Pieces don’t fall out when carried or stored
• You can store them vertically
• Velcro adds entertainment

Cons:

• Pieces stick out
• Extra supervision needed because of small Velcro pieces

Attaching Velcro Puzzle to the Wall:

Now that I had made the puzzle easier to store, I also wanted to get it out of the way. My solution for this was to hang it on a wall.

Materials:

• Sticky tack or Command poster strips or Command picture hanging strips

First, I tried using Command poster strips. I think these would have worked great, but for some reason mine had lost their stickiness. So, I used sticky tack instead and it held really well. If you want your kids to be able to take the puzzles down to play with, you can use Command picture hanging strips that work similarly to Velcro.

I stacked three of our puzzles vertically on the wall making sure they were low enough for my kids to reach.

Pros:

• Gets puzzles off the ground
• Doesn’t take up extra space
• A new spin on an old toy
• Keeps puzzles contained to one area

Cons:

• Can’t take the puzzles to other rooms (unless you use Command picture hanging strips)
• Pieces still end up on the ground

Attaching Velcro Puzzle to the Fridge:

I thought about attaching my puzzle to the fridge instead of the wall.

Materials:

• Magnetic strip

I would have put a magnetic strip on the back of the puzzle board and on the back of each piece (along with the Velcro). Then theoretically, my kids would move pieces from the puzzle to the fridge and back without ever going to the floor. This could also work with the dishwasher, trash can, or other metal surface.

What made me change my mind was how much time I spend in the kitchen. Even if less pieces ended up on the ground, I would be much more likely to step on them in the kitchen then in the kid play area. I still think this idea has good potential. Please let me know in the comments if you give it a try.

Pros:

• Gets puzzles off the ground
• Doesn’t take up extra space
• A new spin on an old toy
• Keeps puzzles contained to one area
• Puzzle pieces are placed somewhere besides the floor
• Can take the puzzles to other rooms

Cons:

• Pieces end up on the ground in highly trafficked areas
• Encourages kids to play in front of appliances you need to open

Conclusion of How to Store Kids Puzzles

I hope that these puzzle storage ideas give you some good ideas on what will work best for your family. My kids love their Velcro wall puzzles. These puzzles haven’t interested my daughter in a while, but after I put them on the wall she immediately started playing with them. My son giggled with enthusiasm when he tried to do them the first time. He mostly just takes the pieces out, but they have stayed within a foot of the puzzles instead of all over the house.

Changes to existing toys are always a great cheap way to keep your kid entertained. This not only did that, but it keeps our puzzles more organized. What puzzle storage method did you try?

If your child loves puzzles, you should also try making popsicle stick puzzles with them. And check out these fun magnet and Velcro crafts if you have some left over.