One of the most common questions about gaming that I receive pertains to organization. Where do I keep our games? How do I organize our games? Today, I’m sharing a glimpse into our gaming world.

Game Closet Organization

Game closet organization depends on your family, your games, and your space

I don’t care if my children make a mess of the puppets, leave an army of tiny animals in the upstairs hallway, or build a magnatile tower to the ceiling and leave it out for three days.

Games are different. We play games daily over here and I’ll admit that I’m a bit of a game nazi.

Call me crazy, but I want the instructions and pieces to be in the box. Nothing drives me crazier than finding games shoved in the closet every which way, or to find a rogue pawn under the couch.

Set some game ground rules

It has taken me a long time to build my game closet. In fact, my closet houses many games from my childhood.  If you want free reign of my game closet, you need to follow some ground rules:

1. You can only play one game at a time and therefore you should only take out one game at a time.
2. If you can’t reach a game, come get me and I will help you.
3. Do not sit in or stand on game boxes.
4. When you finish playing, do a double-check to make sure you got everything.
5. Make sure the box is actually closed before putting it away.
6. Don’t put boxes in the closet sideways.

My children are currently 8, 6, and 5-years-old and, while it has taken some time to get here, they are usually fantastic about playing and cleaning up games.

Create a game “menu” 

I have a unique situation because I am a blogger who writes about games regularly. Therefore, I have many lists on my site, organized by subject, detailing the games that we have. If I didn’t have a gameschooling blog, here is what I would do:

1. Make a list of all the games you own in the following categories (bonus points for grouping them like this- but that is hard):
   • Travel games
   • One-player games
   • Cooperative games
   • Games you can play in under 30 minutes
   • Games that take more than 30 minutes
2. If you are a gameschooler, I would recommend listing games by academic subject/skill. (If you are a fan of stealth learning, you can also keep it hidden!)
3. Photocopy your list and keep one copy with your homeschool planning paraphernalia.
4. Laminate the other copy (for durability) and keep it IN your game closet.  Tape it to the inside of the door so it is easy to find. That way, when someone wants to play something, they have a “menu” to choose from!

Ditch what you have outgrown or no longer use

If you don’t play it, purge it. You’ll have more space for the games you love. I know it can be hard to part with a game that holds so many memories, but you will thank yourself later!

Now, it’s your turn. Tell me: How do you organize your game closet? Share here!