Beach balls, tennis rackets, water sprinklers, barbecue tongs: When you want them, they’re fun, practical, necessary. When you don’t, they just take up space and stand squarely between you and relaxation. Readers share their best warm-weather streamlining secrets.

Creative Containers

I live near the ocean, where sand between my toes is a fact of life. I keep a milk jug filled with water, a towel, and a container of baby powder (to help brush away leftover grit) in my car so I can wash my feet after leaving the beach.
Catherine Rice
Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina

I keep my garden tools in a children’s wagon. The wagon is easy to cart around the garden, and it’s great for hauling away weeds.
Barb Thouvenell
Chicago, Illinois

I throw lots of pool parties, and guests invariably leave things behind: flip-flops, sunglasses, swimsuits. Instead of phoning around to search for the owners — the cleanup is enough of a chore, thank you — I put the gear in a box marked LOST AND FOUND for guests to sort through at future parties.
S. Richardson
Amagansett, New York

We keep pool toys in a giant mesh bag that we bought at a discount store.
Mary Dargis
Metarie, Louisiana

Instead of rummaging through my kitchen to find all the barbecue condiments and then taking them outside a few at a time, I keep them in a basket in the refrigerator.
Sherrie Graham
Fredericton, New Brunswick

Planning Ahead

At the beginning of summer, I buy state and county park passes and stick them to my car’s windshield. I never have to worry about bringing admission money to the beach.
Jennifer Pluff
Battle Creek, Michigan

Because I frequently switch bags and forget my sunscreen, I bought a big bottle of my favorite brand and filled small plastic bottles with it. I put one small bottle of sunscreen in each bag, so I no longer have to look for shade if I decide to sit in Central Park on a nice afternoon.
Shannon Reed
Brooklyn, New York

I stock the car trunk with folding chairs and a table, a blanket, a towel, Rollerblades, Nerf toys, sunscreen, and hats. That way, my family is prepared whether we hit the park, the beach, a ball game, or an outdoor concert.
Molly Sylvia
Whittier, California

Train Your Helpers

I have clear plastic bins labeled SOCCER, BASEBALL, WATER TOYS, CAMPING EQUIPMENT, and YARD GAMES. I stack them on sturdy racks in the garage and then show my children how to store everything in the appropriate bin. No organizing trick takes the place of kids who put items back where they found them.
Angela Prater
Wenatchee, Washington

Summer is the perfect time to teach my boys to manage their own stuff. Our schedules are too crammed during the school year for them to do many chores. This summer we’re having folding parties and cleaning celebrations, complete with vacuuming and dusting lessons.
Vea Rooks
Anderson, South Carolina