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.

What I found out about kid’s table and chairs is that they come in plastic and wood. There are a few metal versions out there as well. The advantage I found with metal is that the table legs normally folded up. You might think about this as I did, as my daughter’s room is small. You can easily fold the table and stack the chairs away in the closet. With these differing materials, I am not sure one lasts longer than another. With birch, the wood seems to hold up for a long time. We still have a table that we purchased 10 years ago that is painted birch and it’s rock hard and I know it probably last another 10 years without a problem. Plastics on the other hand, have a way of aging and getting brittle to the point that they will break, or fade and just not look as good as painted wood. Then of course, metal can rust and is colder. Things to think about.

The kid’s table and chairs come in almost every conceivable color, but mainly in the primary colors. You can also order differing colors of chairs than the table to give the room or place where you will be using the table and chairs and real lively look. They also come in themes for you to choose from and I thought it was great to be able to match the ongoing theme of my daughter’s room. There are animal themes, which some are like the animal kingdom, and others simply all lions, or zebras, or what have you. Other themes are pirates, princess, and naturally, all of the Disney characters, Nick Jr, and other kid’s channels. This is excellent because it really sets the room off when you have matching items. And your child will be much more accepting of the table and chairs when they see that they match the theme they already love.

One other theme that I didn’t mention and which is great for boys is sports. And you can find endless kid’s tables and chairs with this theme online and in the department stores. You will find a better selection online and have the ability to pick and choose at your will. One thing I would caution is to look for a company with a reputable website, that has 800 numbers with real people answering, and where you can possibly get free shipping. This can be a time saver because you never have to leave your home to go through the hundreds of selections, and you can immediately compare with your child’s room to see if what you are thinking about is actually a fit.

Finally, a consideration we almost went with was a kid’s table and chairs combination that looked like a school table where our daughter could come home from school and set up to do her homework. This is a great option because you’re making multi-use of the table and it really does come into its value then. Think about these ideas and choose the table and chairs that is right for your kids.