Storing outdoor toys ready for Autumn

With Autumn approaching quickly, it’s the little tasks that are often forgotten. This blog post will emphasise the importance of decluttering and storing outdoor toys such as playhouses, wooden toys,  bouncy castles and sandpits in time for Autumn. Let’s get right into it. 

Cleaning and storing outdoor toys 

Before you begin storing outdoor toys, it’s a wise idea to give them a clean. Plastic toys are quite simple to clean. Start with wiping off any loose materials with a cloth or brush and then prepare a cleaning solution of warm water and washing up liquid. Use a sponge or damp cloth to wipe them and then rise, leave to dry, and they’re good to go.

You can follow the same process for wooden toys but remember not to get them too wet or the material could get damaged. 

Storage bins are one of the simplest solutions for organising and storing outdoor toys. Once your toys are clean, you need to decide how you’d like to organise them. We recommend storing all toys of the same material (water toys, plastic, wooden) in their respective boxes, having individual boxes per child, or having a box or two of the most used toys and storing the others elsewhere. 

Once the toys are clean, you need to start disassembling large toys like climbing frames and playhouses so they can be stored properly without taking up too much space. Some toys like trampolines, or even inflatable garden toys and wooden sandpits, could use covers to protect the toys, even if they’re in storage, but in general, they just need to be out of the elements and somewhere with good airflow to reduce the chance of mould. Use our space estimator to work out how much room you actually need. 

How to protect outdoor toys

Regardless of the material of your outdoor toys, they shouldn’t be left outside in all winds and weather. Take the time to check the parts of the toys and that fittings are secured. Particularly climbing frames and large toys, and cover them with either tarpaulin or an actual cover for the toy. Also, don’t forget that storage facilities aren’t just for students. Consider letting us take your toys off your hands over the winter. For more information on how we can assist you with storing outdoor toys, feel free to contact us. 

Declutter and donate your items

This may seem obvious, but if you have toys all over the garden, it can be hard to keep track of them. Start by grouping the toys to see how many of each toy your child has. We have a box shop if you need supplies. Chuck out any duplicates and label the boxes – bonus points for easier tidying up in the future. 

You could try the ‘toy a day’ method if it seems overwhelming to start with. Set yourself a category a day, such as water toys. Gather them all together and get rid of any damaged ones or ones that aren’t used anymore and put them aside for donation. You could then try to arrange the rest into sections so you can easily find them again.

How to organise outdoor toys

There are many different ways to organise outdoor toys. The one that’s best for you may differ from the best choice for someone else. Whether you collect all your toys in separate boxes, opt to have a box per child, or have a box of most used toys and put the rest in storage. The decision should be based on the needs of you and your family. 

We offer car or van hire if transportation to a storage facility is a contributing issue to your overwhelm.

Consider utilising a self storage unit

If you really have too many outdoor toys and you’re just not sure what to do with them. Consider a self storage unit. We have units available in Richmond, Twickenham and Isleworth that are perfect for either long or short term storage. 

Whether you just want to store some toys that aren’t being used in the winter. Or you want a home for them while you figure out what to do, find out more about us and how our teams can offer you the best advice for your individual situation.