Here is where you can spend some time trying to whittle down exactly what you want in a kids picnic table. Now unless you already have a picnic table and are simply wanting to find something that matches it, you will be in for a surprise, maybe a pleasant one, to see the diversity of tables and materials used. My tip here is to not buy anything that reminds them of school. They spend a lot of their day at school and there are steel tables there that are not all that comfortable. So unless you’re buying for a school or church, look for plastic or wood as your material of choice. Aluminum is another material that is long-lasting and used in commercial applications. And yes, they do have kids sizes available.

Kids will enjoy your outdoor activities more when they have their very own place to sit. Look for a kids picnic table that is sturdy and around 27 inches tall. This is the proper height for kids and will make them comfortable. One consideration is a table made out of vinyl. Vinyl is very sturdy and today has become more durable with the addition of titanium dioxide. They put titanium dioxide in the vinyl to help it stabilize against the UV rays that break down plastics out in the sun. Ultraviolet makes normal vinyl brittle and fade. With the new formulation, I’ve see kids picnic tables made from vinyl have 20 year guarantees on them. That’s impressive. And with vinyl they can make the table any color, so you have a huge choice.

If you want to go the organic, green, non-chemical route, consider a kids picnic table made from untreated wood. Cedar is an excellent wood that is very durable and can stand up in the elements. Pressure treated wood generally used in picnic tables is injected with great amounts of toxic compounds to preserve the wood. The most common preservative used in the USA was chromated copper arsenate, an insecticide that is 22 percent pure arsenic, a known carcinogen. But it was banned in 2004. Still it is being sold for industrial use, so read labels. The replacement is now alkaline copper quat, a less toxic organic pesticide. There is no long term study on ACQ. So you might want to consider untreated wood.

A kids picnic table made from cedar is light and resists warping and cracking. You’ve probably been in a cedar closet. The reason builders use this wood is because the oils contain thujaplicins – that great aroma that we love but bugs hate. So this means the picnic table will last a long time.

Plastic vinyl or wood are my two recommendations. Try to find an online firm that will have your color and style and that might give you free shipping with your order. As always, make sure they have a way to contact them offline and a guarantee of their products. Find the kids picnic table you want and that will last for a long time.