Kids Activity Table With Storage
Buy the best kids activity table with storage selected and recommended by interior designers. By Tara Gosselin.
Give your kids countless hours of fun and imagination with a kid’s activity table with storage. These usually come with dual-sided table panels to accommodate their various needs. Whether it’s an arts and crafts project or creating Lego constructions, these activity tables will surely keep them busy. Most importantly, they come with drawers or storage bins so you can easily hide their toys once they’re done playing. With our designers’ picks, you’ll surely find one or a couple that will excite your young ones.
Kids Activity Table With Storage
Buying Guide
Tara Gosselin
Interior Design Expert
Tara is a San Antonio-based award-winning landscape architect, writer and educator, passionate about eco-friendly solutions and growing her own food. She knows all it takes to help you create a sustainable backyard retreat that combines blissful charm with a modern take on landscaping.
When choosing a kids activity table with storage, here are the main things that you should look for and consider:
- A safe and reliable surface that won’t be threatened by your children’s unpredictable painting and coloring experiments (for example, whiteboards or coated wooden models)
- The right height for their age or, if you’re planning on letting it grow with them, a model with adjustable height
- The right amount of storage for their needs: this can include drawers, open shelves, or a combination of the two
When sourcing a kids activity table with storage, it’s best to look for sealed wood with rounded corners for inside tables or solid, durable plastic for outside tables. These materials will present the best safety and longevity for your child—and you’ll also enjoy ease of maintenance, because each of these materials are relatively easy to clean. Either one will come in bright colors, too, which can be fun when decorating a kid’s space.
Ready, steady… create! An activity table is a multi-functional key element in any classroom or learning environment. From giving each kid enough personal space to allowing them to form different groups whenever needed, activity tables are versatile tools on their educational journey.
That's only if you pick the right ones for them, though! Here's what you should consider in order to choose activity tables that match your young students' needs.
Kids activity tables come in a large variety of colors: whether you're striving for a vibrant, stimulating environment or a calming space that helps them focus, it won't be hard to find the perfect hue. However, the most important thing is actually to find tables whose layout matches the right activity and scenario:
- If your students are very young, need frequent assistance and are required to draw on the spot or write ideas to share with others, whiteboard tables will be a pivotal learning tool: they encourage quick-thinking, brainstorming, teacher demonstrations and collaboration;
- Do your students engage in activities that require the same tools, such as drawing or painting? Then a storage table would be the most practical choice: whether you opt for drawers, shelves or compartments, you'll spare your little learners from always having to carry their stuff back and forth;
- If the tables usually stay in the same spot, normal legs will do; however, if you often encourage your students to form new groups and collaborate with different friends, tables with wheels will unlock a whole new level of flexibility.
- Rectangular, trapezoid and round tables are extremely versatile and particularly useful for older kids, as they can be used for group lessons as well as meetings and events; they're more suitable if your students usually work on their own or in the same groups rather than forming new ones every time;
- When creating different groups to work on a project, tables with the same or complementary shapes will result in a practical and wider work surface;
- For the youngest kids, we recommend kidney or horseshoe shapes: they let the teacher be in the middle and retain their attention more easily;
- Space-optimizing flower-shaped or octagonal tables allow each kid to have their own little section while also encouraging group collaboration.
Consider the number of kids and the dimensions of the classroom, but don't forget to leave enough room to pull out the chairs and walk around them!
For a kid to sit comfortably, allow them around 18-20 inches (in width) of personal space, 60" between tables, and 48" of aisle room.
For example:
- To sit 2 kids, you could look at an 18x48" rectangular table, or a 20-24" square or round design;
- To sit 4, a 18x96" rectangular table, or 36" if square or round;
- For 6-8, square tables start to be a bit cumbersome: opt for a 36x60" rectangular or a 60" round table; flower-shaped and octagonal shapes would definitely optimize your classroom's space better when sitting lots of kids at the same table.
As for height, you've got two options:
- Choose the right height for their age: 10-18" for toddlers; 18-26" for elementary school; and 26-32" for a standard-height table;
- Invest in height-adjustable tables: they're usually more expensive, but they'll save you money in the long run, either because they'll allow you to accommodate different age-groups in the same classroom or because they'll grow with your students, so you won't need to replace them after a few years.
As for table tops, laminate, plastic and whiteboard are the best materials: they're durable, waterproof and easy to clean. Plastic, especially, is very lightweight, making these frames more suitable for the youngest kids.
- Metal is a popular and sturdy frame material, and it often allows height-regulating options.
- Wood can help you achieve a traditional, old-style feel, but, because it can be easily stained and might even result in splinters if not looked after properly, we only recommend it for older kids or activities that don't involve wet, messy materials.
Yes! Your new activity tables should help you create a safe space, not bring a new hazard into the classroom. Stay clear of tables with particularly pointy and hard edges, as well as unsanded wood which could result in splinters.
If your students are very young, make sure that their tables have thick legs and are quite short and sturdy: this will reduce the risk of them pulling the tables onto themselves when standing up, and prevent them from hurting themselves if they manage to do so.
We know, that was a lot to take in all at once. However, now that you know exactly what to look for, it'll be much easier to choose activity tables that match your specific requirements! Here are the most important things to remember:
- Features like whiteboard-tops, storage tables or wheels should be considered for specific activities and needs
- Rectangular, trapezoid and round table are the most versatile, whereas kidney or horseshoe shapes are more suitable for teacher-centered lessons for the youngest kids; flower or octagonal tables are more space-saving
- As for size, consider both the number of kids and the class's dimensions, leaving them 18-20 inches each, 60" for chair room, and 48" of aisle space
- You can either choose the right size for a specific age-group or go for height-adjustable tables that will grow with them
- Laminate, whiteboard and plastic are the best materials for your table top; the last one is particularly handy for toddlers
- Keep safety in mind! Avoid sharp pointy edges or unsanded wood, and make sure that toddlers have short lightweight tables with thicker legs.