Outdoor toy & gardening tool organization?

[MamaInVermont]

Hi all, 

My first time on the Mothering website, but this seems to be just what I was looking for . . . 

Anyone have good ideas on storing outdoor toys (balls, bats, etc.) and child-sized gardening tools?  I'm looking for something that has easy access for the kids, doesn't collect rainwater - and hopefully isn't one of those behemoth plastic boxes.  Has anyone done anything creative to store stuff outside?  

Thanks!

[clutterwarrior]

I have to admit I have no ideas for outdoor storage...we have always kept them indoors, the child sized tools in a terracotta pot sitting in the utility room and the balls, and other outdoor toys are stored in the garage/basement.

We have a lot of nasty spiders here in Australia and in our backyard including funnel webs which can be lethal, so I wouldn't store children's things outside here just from a risk management perspective.

[ChristyMarie]

I have not found an outside solution beyond those huge rubbermaid boxes.  Which I don't really want.

I have large plastic shelf-drawers in the garage for DS's stuff.  He can reach them, they slide in and out easily and they keep odd shaped stuff sorted.

His gardening tools are in with mine.  I have wire shelf-drawer things in a cabinet where all my gardening stuff is.  His are just on the lower ones so he can reach.

[mabell2]

The yardstash is a new outdoor storage product that says it is meant to offer a new way to store outside toys and bikes. We looked at the rubbermaid boxes but they wouldn't fit our kids bikes and didn't seem too sturdy. We have had the yardstash for over a year and it has been great. We purchased for $99 from Amazon and there are pictures on www.yardstash.com