Building baseplates: flat storage without loose bricks on top
By Erik Nilsen · Kroni2 min read
A baseplate at the bottom of the brick box can be difficult to retrieve without emptying the whole collection. Give unused plates their own flat home. This task concerns empty plates ready for storage; a plate holding a construction follows its agreed project location and is not dismantled for this job.
Clarify which plates are empty
Look at the plates with the child. A plate carrying just a few bricks may be the start of a project, even if it looks almost empty. Ask before removing bricks. Plates the child confirms are available can go on a clean surface.
Keep different building systems in their familiar groups. Matching colours do not necessarily mean pieces belong together. The child does not have to try attaching unfamiliar parts to decide storage. An adult can identify a plate with no known group.
Choose space using the largest available plate
Try the largest plate on the agreed shelf, in the drawer or in the flat holder. The whole plate should be supported and within its storage space. Avoid bending it into a box that is too small. Keep smaller plates together with their edges visible.
Use existing storage without attaching plates together unless that is already your agreed arrangement. Loose bricks go to their brick storage, rather than on top of the plates. The next plate can then be retrieved without another emptying job.
Oliver has one large and two small available plates. The large plate lies on the low shelf. The small ones sit beside it in a short stack with visible edges. The plate carrying his house stays in the project area. He can retrieve a small plate without moving the house or brick box.
When the large plate will not fit
Tell an adult which edge projects beyond the space and agree another location. Clearly handing over a plate works better than hiding it behind furniture. The child does not have to solve storage for the entire collection alone.
Finished means available plates together, ongoing builds preserved and one easy removal and return. “Put building baseplates away” in Kroni can end with that trial. Every brick does not need colour sorting at the same time.
