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Apr 17, 2024

Kids’ Folding Tables and Chairs That Won’t Pinch Their Fingers or Your Budget

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." When my children were little, we lived in a small, 1000-square-foot apartment in Brooklyn. Space-saving

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."

When my children were little, we lived in a small, 1000-square-foot apartment in Brooklyn. Space-saving kids' furniture was an absolute must-have. For eons I searched for the best kids' folding tables and chairs, and it took me months to find one I didn't hate. By-and-large, these are not going to be the most durable of items you buy for your kids. They're not "permanent" furniture. That doesn't mean that they can't be good quality.

These folding tables and chairs make fantastic birthday gifts for kids and parents, or even as a reward. They're unexpected and fun, and kids love them. Having a small table for themselves is often better received than forcing kids to use a booster or a high chair as well.

Here's the thing: the biggest thing you need to look for when buying kids' folding tables and chairs is that it won't collapse when they sit down. You don't want it to have places that easily pinch tiny fingers and toes. You want it to be big enough for your needs, fitting around your sofa or on your deck. And you need to consider where it's going to be used. If it's outdoor, you need something durable and designed to be outdoors. Indoors, you've got a lot more leeway as far as materials go.

A big problem I came across with these was that so many of them will scratch wood floors. Yes, felt pads can remedy a lot of these problems, but those do come undone when children are involved. Surprisingly, my best overall pick, the Little Tikes easy store picnic table is an outdoor set, but works so well in both places, and doesn't scratch the floors, it was an easy choice.

Every one of these tables has come though personal recommendation that I got to see close up in-person. The Little Tikes table was in my own home for many years before I passed it down to a dear friend for her children. The others on the list have been used by churches, synagogues, and large families, all getting a good amount of use before being recommended to me.

Check out the best kids' folding tables and chairs below.

Easily the most-durable kids' folding table and chairs (bench) out there. It's definitely not the most compact on here, so if you're looking for something tiny, this isn't it. However, it didn't scratch my floors, I could wipe it down with bleach wipes or hose it off in the shower, and when I passed it down the only thing that was amiss is where I may have, a little bit, melted a tiny corner of it with a tea kettle. Totally my fault.

You have a couple options for storage on this, but the easiest way is to fold in the short sides of the table, that way the seats and sides are tucked beneath the tabletop, laying flat.

More: Best Beds for Kids

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Easy Store Jr. Kid Picnic Play Table

$94.00

amazon.com

Minnie forever, am I right? Also, in this instance, Minnie is a lady on a budget, ostensibly because Scrooge McDuck is still rolling around in all of the gold coins, and didn't pass us any.

Jakks Pacific made an easy-to-fold (for adults) folding table and chair set that closes up tight and fits under the sofa — which is where it's stored at our tester's house. It is great for younger kids, probably best to stick to the 2-to-6-year-old set for these, but that's really all of these tables.

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Minnie Jr Activity Table Set with One Chairs

$29.67

amazon.com

Holy cow is this ever a popular set for churches. Three separate churches told me that they have and use multiple of these sets. They're great because they're affordable, they can be moved and stashed for more play space, they come with four chairs, and the table isn't the tiniest.

For a vinyl and metal table and chairs, it's a solid unit. If you can believe it, the table has an 80-pound weight limit, so even if your children decide to go full WWE on it, it's not going to collapse.

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Mindy Kids Colorful Folding Table and Chair Set

$83.51

amazon.com

The shade isn't the biggest, but it's there. The chairs are also very comfortable given the fact that they're folding lawn chairs. It's a great little outdoor set, but our tester recommended keeping it outdoors, as the bottoms can scratch floors and even decking.

The umbrella does collapse, though, and the chairs fold up easily for storage. Overall, it's a sweet little set for under $60.

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Kids Folding Picnic Table and Chairs Set

$54.99

amazon.com

I know I'm probably coming off like a Little Tikes brand loyalist, but hear me out. I watched eight kids sit at this table and paint with tempera paints, in the sun, for 2 hours, and then eat latkes with applesauce on the same paint-covered table, and I got it squeaky clean after in about 2 minutes. Even the umbrella wasn't spared the horrors of 3-year olds.

Again, it is not the most compact, but it does fold up, and it can be put away. It's so solidly-built that you could ostensibly resell it after your kids grow out of it, or donate to charity. It's not going to be very much worse for wear.

It should be noted that this folding table has the highest weight limit at 200 pounds per bench. Your great dane could lay across it while your toddler does their makeup, and it would be fine. (This was a real thing I watched and loved.)

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Fold 'n Store Picnic Table with Market Umbrella

$99.00

walmart.com

So you need a single-size kids' folding table and chair for studying or something similar? Let me introduce you to this popular set. It's the perfect size for one, and even has storage below where you can stash a few books while your child is working at the table. It's surprisingly comfortable for a folding chair, and our tester found that it was also great to have when you're sitting at the sofa or on a bean bag chair.

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Minecraft 2 Piece Table and Chair Set

$44.78

amazon.com

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