I am a huge Lego fan, but I've been resisting them for DS, because DD still puts everything in her mouth, and the two are always together! In the face of DS's longing and significant peer pressure, though, this birthday many Lego sets are coming DS's way, and I'm unsure how to store them.
My childhood Legos are stored in several huge bins. I have a TON of them! All the figures and their accessories are in another bin. DS plays with them happily at Gran's house, jumbled as they are. Nowadays, though, all the Legos seem to come in sets that make specific vehicles, buildings, landscapes, etc. Do you store these in their original boxes? Do you empty them into bins? I worry that storing them as sets will discourage inventive and imaginative play, but maybe I should raid my childhood Legos for that. I don't know! Help!
My only criteria is that the Legos be easy to put away. DS will have to play with them in his room and put them away somehow before bedtime so DD can't get at them. He does have a large cupboard in his room that I can clean out for Lego storage. If he wanted to keep a building or vehicle together, he could slide it into that cupboard. How do kids play with Legos nowadays?