In order to keep school playgrounds safe places for children to play, they need to be kept tidy. Items that could become a hazard if left lying around on the floor need a place where they can be put away. At the same time, regularly used outdoor equipment needs permanent storage space, so that it can be found and accessed easily when required, while equipment likely to get stolen if left out in the open needs to be kept somewhere secure. Here, we look at a range of playground storage ideas that cater for these needs and more.

Storage containers

Tall enough to walk in and providing up to 8 sq. metres of storage space, depending on which model you buy, storage containers are ideal for keeping large items or lots of smaller ones. They are often used by PE departments for storing equipment like hurdles, bats, balls and posts, but can also be great places for keeping the outdoor chairs and tables used at school fetes or for the caretaker’s lawn mowers, spades and foldaway ladders. Robustly constructed and painted a natural colour of dark green, they provide secure storage without looking unsightly.

Coat & bag solutions

Kids naturally want to leave their coats and bags somewhere while they are playing outdoors, and teachers will want them out of the way during outdoor lessons. Left lying around on the floor, they can become a safety hazard and increase the risk that what’s inside bags and coat pockets can get damaged if they get stood on.

At ESP Play, we have a practical solution for this. Made from tanalised redwood timber and with zinc plated, stainless steel fittings, the Station provides a permanent and sturdy place where children can hang their coats and bags during playtimes and outdoor lessons. Besides plenty of hangers, it comes with a full-width built-in shelf and features two chalkboards, so that if it is being used for other purposes, instructions for use can be made clear.

Outdoor shelving

If you’re doing an outdoor activity that requires children to use a variety of different equipment, our outdoor Shelves provide everything you need for organising your equipment and keeping it all together in the right place.

Two tiers high and with three open shelves on each tier, you can keep different items separate from each other, making it easy for children to find what they need and keeping the process of tidying away much less of a hassle. What’s more, each drawer has a chalkboard which teachers can use to label what goes inside and there’s a larger chalkboard at the top to write instructions.

Messy play – less mess

Kids love messy play, but it can make a terrible mess in the playground. Our Deluxe Mud Kitchen goes some way to easing that problem for you as it comes with built-in storage. The surface is divided into separate preparation and sink areas so that the different activities are kept apart. There are four storage cupboards underneath, in which you can keep your sand, water, buckets, spades, utensils and aprons, and there’s also a rail at the top on which children can slide the sand bucket so that less of it is spilt when moving it around.

Versatile storage yard

What many school playgrounds need is a safe corner where things can be stored out of the way. Imagine having a place where everyone could leave their bags safely during break times, a location for recycling bins or a home for regularly used play equipment.

One solution is the Yard. Essentially, this is a 1.5-metre wide by 0.82-metre deep structure, divided into two separate storage bays which, although open to the elements, are walled off on either side to stop the items inside from interfering with the activities going on in the playground.

Other solutions

There are now a growing number of outdoor storage solutions for school playgrounds. Besides those mentioned above, these include large storage boxes that can double up as playground seating; attractive storage sheds with colourful porthole windows that look perfect for playground settings; activity benches with wide, underneath shelving, and sorting troughs that are ideal for field work and similar activities.

Conclusion

Modern playground storage equipment provides solutions for all kinds of problems, whether that’s reducing the risk of injury, damage and accident, keeping items secure and organised, limiting mess or making activities easier to manage for staff and pupils alike.

For more information about our specialist range of storage equipment, visit our Products page.