Color is an important part of a child’s world. As adults, we don’t notice the distinctions in color in the world all around us as much as children do. But young children swell with pride as they tell their parents what colors they see in cars driving by or the animals at the zoo. Colors and shapes are two of the most noticeable attributes a child perceives of their surroundings. This is how they define and categorize their environment. This includes the color and shape of their house, neighborhood, school, and the park, with its greenery and blue sky.
For this reason, especially in a school setting, colors and shapes need to be vibrant and noticeable. Colors help with creative thinking and learning. Also, a diverse array of bright colors invites children to participate in certain activities. In our tablet-and-phone culture, even young children are less inclined to seek outdoor play, preferring their electronic devices.
One way schools are encouraging children to engage in outside healthy play is to have colorful outdoor equipment and seating areas. For older children, to encourage face-to-face socialization, and have a fun place to unwind and eat lunch, colorful school picnic tables are becoming more and more popular.
Outdoor Picnic Tables
Today’s outdoor school picnic tables are not the wooden or metal tables of yesterday. Wood tables over the years would warp or the wood would split. They were painted to resist weather, which caused the warping and splitting. But over time, the paint wore away under the sun, wear and tear, and daily use. Metal tables were more durable, but they would rust and heat up in the sunlight. And neither wood nor metal provided a comfortable seating experience.
Today’s school yard picnic tables are built to last in an institutional setting, and to withstand the toughest weather all year long. These heavy-duty tables are made from wood and metal, but coated in thermoplastic to help the tables endure the harshest elements. Metal frames, legs, and other components are made from galvanized steel, which will not rust. And some metal components are even powder-coated to provide an extra layer of protection against wet weather, which could lead to rust.
Wonder of Thermoplastic
Thermoplastics come in a variety of colors and shades, including beige, black, blue, brown, burgundy, dark green, navy, orange, purple, red, yellow, and sandstone. The natural choice is to match the school colors. Table colors and shades can be selected to match or complement the architectural style of the school. Or, colors and shades can be selected that will provide a creative and fun look to attract students.
The colorful polymer thermoplastic powder coatings protect the metal of the picnic table from rust and corrosion unlike any coating in the past. Thermoplastic is safe for the environment and will not warp, crack, or fade for the life of the product. If vandalism is a problem, spray paint will not adhere to thermoplastic. It will come off with a standard cleaner. The thermoplastic coatings applied over the metal come in a variety of crisscross patterns, including diamond, expanded metal, and perforated metal.
Mounted for Security
School picnic tables come with curved and straight mounting brackets so the tables can be secured to blacktop, concrete, or other playground surfaces. The tables are mounted with specialized bolts with rounded heads. To prevent would-be thieves, the bolts can only be removed with a special accessory not available at your local hardware store. The mounting brackets and other metal components are curved and do not have any sharp edges, which could pose an injury to children. Portable picnic tables with the same colors and features are also available.
For more information on today’s outdoor school picnic tables, call Outdoor School Furniture at 888-719-3330.
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