Organize your outdoor summer gear with quick and convenient storage solutions for sports equipment, garden tools, grills, and pool toys.
You’re all ready to get outside and enjoy the sunny weather only to find all your bikes in a messy heap on the garage floor.
You can’t find your favorite gardening gloves, and the pool toys have blown into the neighbor’s yard.
Once again you find a pile of wet towels on the laundry room floor.
Summertime, and the living is…messy!
You need some quick, clever ways to organize your sports gear, yard tools, and outdoor toys.
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Sports Equipment
Biggest concerns: easy access, off the floor
Balls and Sports Equipment
If you have more than a couple of basketballs or soccer balls, you know how frustrating it is when you try to get just one and end up with balls bouncing all over the place. The best way to keep them accessible and off the floor is with a ball caddy.
Caddies work by either corralling your balls in a bin that has bungee cords on the front for easy access or by putting them on a specially-designed shelf. Caddies often have space for other things like racquets, bats, and helmets.
Bikes
Ever had a bunch of bikes tip over domino-style on you? Ouch!
Consider a special rack for bikes. They are useful for keeping multiple bikes from ending up in a tangled mess, and some of them can even save you floor space by storing the bikes vertically.
Garden & Backyard
Biggest concerns: storage in a garage/shed, make tools portable
Tools in a Garage or Shed
You definitely want your backyard or garden to look great and that means gardening tools. You need solutions to organize both long-handled and short-handled gardening tools.
Sometimes you just need a way to keep them all upright and organized in a garage or shed. Long-handled tools are best organized with hanging racks for easy access. If you’re short on wall space, you can use smaller hanging racks. No more tool avalanches as you try to get the rake from behind the snow shovels!
Short-handled tools are best organized on pegboards where you can quickly find exactly what you want. Both hanging racks and pegboards save space by taking advantage of wall space.
Portable Tools
If you need to carry a bunch of tools with you as you work, check out the super portable bucket wrap for carrying short-handled tools (and providing a place to collect weeds!).
For something more robust, you might try the wheeled tool caddy that gives you a way to transport both long- and short-handled tools with you as you work.
Patio & Deck
Biggest concerns: outdoor storage, convenience
Patio & Deck Storage
On the patio or deck, your main concern is keeping your furniture pillows and outdoor toys protected from the weather. No one wants to sit on a damp cushion! Deck storage bins are perfect for protecting cushions and come in many different sizes.
Backyard littered with outdoor toys for the kids? Your kids can keep sandbox toys and outdoor chalk as well as frisbees and backyard games in a small deck bin. Next time you ask them to clean up, they know exactly where to put everything!
Outdoor Grilling & Parties
If you’re planning to grill or have outdoor parties, the last thing you need is to have paper goods blowing all over the yard. Table clips are super useful for keeping tablecloths on the table. Picnic table caddies can help you transport and use tableware (and keep stuff from blowing away!).
For grilling, you need ways to organize your tools while keeping them handy. Hanging racks for grill tools can do both.
Every backyard party needs convenient drink coolers. And how about some iced serving trays that keep condiments cool on a hot day?
Pool
Biggest concerns: outdoor storage, drying things
Pool Storage
If you have a backyard pool (lucky you!), your biggest need is to keep the pool area picked up. Having a dedicated storage rack for pool cleaning tools is a must.
In addition, having a caddy for pool toys can keep things from getting out of control, blowing away, or mildewing. No more pool toys in the neighbor’s yard!
Have you considered a clear, over-the-door shoe holder for all the bottles of sunscreen and bug spray? This would be great on the back of a door near the pool as a place to stash phones, wallets, keys, and other guest valuables to make sure they don’t get lost or wet.
Towel Racks
Remember that pile of wet towels on the floor? Providing poolside drying racks for towels and swimsuits can make that a thing of the past.
A few strategic organizing gadgets can make all the difference between the frustration of messy summer gear and the convenience of organized summer fun.
Need more help organizing? Check out these ideas.
Last update on 2025-05-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API