| Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... |
Does your backyard sometimes look like a junkyard? Balls, ropes, toys, and random stuff are all there somewhere in the grass. Or strewn across the driveway. And yet, the kids still complain there’s nothing to do outside.
You want to see the green grass and the lovely flowers, not a yard littered with discarded shoes, upended buckets of balls, and toys untouched for days! And chances are your kids don’t really like it either. With so many play options it can be easy for kids to feel overwhelmed and not choose any option.
So, just like it’s a great idea to make use of a toy rotation for indoor toys, why not try toy rotation for your outdoor toys? It’s often the case that once their yard is clean and only a few items are available, kids spend hours enjoying their ‘new’ activities.
However, before you begin an outdoor toy rotation, you need to do some outdoor toy organization. Here are some of my top tips for doing both.
Getting Started with Outdoor Toy Organization
Implementing outdoor toy rotation will be as easy or hard as you make it. But first you’ll need to get organized. You’ll need some containers, some storage space, and a good chunk of time.
Get Those Toys Contained
You can use anything big enough to hold your toys. I recommend sturdy plastic, wood, or metal containers. Young kids tend to use the containers themselves to play with so anything breakable might get broken.
Keep in mind the containers will also be exposed to sun and rain. Rubbermaid tubs work well, have lids, can be stacked, and are easy to carry. Metal pails, large buckets, gardening totes, and wooden crates all work well too.
Find an Outdoor Toy Storage Sweet Spot
Consider whether you want your children to have access to some or all of the buckets at a time. Many parents find it’;s most successful when they create various toy buckets, some of which the kids can pull out on their own when they like and some which only adults can get out and switch for them.
You’ll need to find storage space for these containers. The garage, garden shed, and basement are all likely choices. If you want this system to work, put the buckets somewhere easily visible and accessible making rotation as simple as possible.
If the containers are solid you may even want to label what’s inside them for easier identification. Post-its work great for labeling because they are sticky everywhere and adhere well to plastic tubs.
Organize The Outdoor Toys
Start by gathering all the outdoor toys into one spot. I mean Everything.
Once you have all the toys in one spot, sort similar toys into groups: throwing toys, sand toys, bubbles, chalk, sports, and so forth. Now is a good time to get rid of everything that is broken. You may also want to use this time to consider which toys are worth hanging onto? Do the kids still enjoy it? Is it appropriate for the age of your kids? Is it safe? Is it duplicated? Does the toy encourage movement, learning, or imaginative play? This is where outdoor toy rotation can get complicated – depending on how many toys you have.
Now, start organizing into your tubs, buckets, and containers. Make sure that a few small buckets will always available to the kids. Perhaps fill one with sidewalk chalk, one with water toys, and one with random balls, Frisbees, and skipping ropes.
Rotating Outdoor Toys
You should now have a manageable outdoor toy storage and sorting system. Decide which the kids enjoy playing with all the time and which would be best in the rotation. Don’t forget to actually rotate through the buckets you’ve put away or all that work was for nothing.
When kids need some extra motivation to get outside, go pull out a new bucket. Make it exciting. Let them ‘discover’ the bucket. Younger kids will enjoy it you scatter items or a bucket for them to discover. Or invite the kids to choose which bucket will be brought out. Either way, this new strategy of outdoor toy rotation brings many hours of enjoyable outdoor play and helps keep your backyard from looking like a discarded toy junkyard.
Need help with your outdoor toy or indoor playroom organization project? Or any home organization project? Book a FREE 15 minute Zoom call here and let’s chat about your home, office and/or life organization needs, and how Just Organized By Taya can help.
Working with Taya and her team is easy. You can book an appointment easily on her website, or contact her directly at 832-271-7608
- The Ultimate Guide to Organizing and Storing Pet Food (Without Sacrificing Your Home Style) - September 30, 2025
- 25+ Things You MUST Declutter When Selling Your Houston Home - September 25, 2025
- 7 Simple Steps to an Organized Underwear Drawer - September 23, 2025
