Whether it’s for a public park, school playground, or your own backyard, a picnic table is a great addition to any outdoor setting. It provides a comfortable place for gathering, whether that be just to chat or to enjoy a meal. If you’re buying a picnic table that’s intended to be used by kids, then there are a few factors you need to consider. Keep reading to learn what you should be keeping in mind when shopping for kids’ school picnic tables.
Ages of Kids
It’s important to consider the ages of the children that will be using this picnic table. If you’re buying for your own backyard, that’s a lot easier to do because you have fewer children that you need to consider. If buying for a school, you’ll need to think about how to best serve all of the children at the school who might be using this table.
When buying for a school, you might want to consider getting a few smaller picnic tables that the younger children can use as well as larger tables for the older kids. This way, every grade level will have a table that they can use comfortably.
Materials
Picnic tables are exposed to all of the outdoor elements throughout the year (unless you plan on bringing them back inside regularly, which isn’t usually the case). In addition to the wear and tear Mother Nature can put on an outdoor picnic table, kids can beat things up quite quickly. So, you’ll want to make sure that your picnic table is made of a durable material that can stand up to whatever nature—and the kids—can throw at it. Typically, a metal picnic table with a thermoplastic coating is the most durable option you can get.
Cleaning and Maintenance
It’s a simple fact of life: Kids make messes. And unless you want to be doing a thorough cleaning of that picnic table every single day (and sometimes multiple times a day), you need to choose a picnic table that’s going to make cleaning and maintenance easy. The thermoplastic coating mentioned earlier is one way to simplify cleanup, as spills tend to wipe right off it.
Another thing to consider is a picnic table that has a perforated tabletop. Perforations allow crumbs and spills to fall right through, so you don’t have to worry about scrubbing the picnic table. Just hose off any sticky messes from the concrete underneath, and you’re done!
Shade
Kids can often get so caught up in playing that they don’t pay attention to their bodies’ signals. In the middle of a hot day, this could lead to heat-related illnesses, such as dehydration and heat exhaustion. Giving the kids a place to sit is a start towards helping them remember to slow down and cool off occasionally; adding shade to that seating is another step in the right direction.
Sometimes, you can provide that shade by locating the picnic table under a tree. If that’s not an option, look for a picnic table that can support an umbrella to provide the necessary shade.
If you’re looking for a picnic table with an umbrella or any kind of other outdoor furniture, contact Outdoor School Furniture today to learn more about our available products.
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