Camping Table and Chairs for Kids

[Burnsy]

What do people use for young kids 2-5 year olds?  We have one of the folding picnic table sets that is not bad but it is about past it's use by date, is pretty unstable and has a tendancy to collapse which is not good.  Princess Burns also has her own camp chair but we find these are not great for little ones to eat from as they need something upright.

I am really looking for a stable picnic style table that is attached so as to not have chairs/stools toppling over on slightly uneven ground.  It also needs to fold up into something robust and self contained (roof rack fodder).  I have done a few google searches but can not even find the one we have (that is now ten years old) so if anyone has some good options please post brand and pictures if possible.

Thanks,
Burnsy

[Big Nath]

Gday Burnsy, we too have had the same issue.

Until.....

We carry a 60L Techniice esky with 95% of our dry food in it, when it comes to meal time we drag it out and the kids (2&4) sat at it on there own fold out camp chairs.

We find it easy as that way we are not carrying excess single use equipment.

Cheers

[FZJ]

we use the big esky as a table for them as well, the little fella in his bumbo.Most of those camp chairs have holes in the base of the leg so you could peg it down..

lhttp://www.google.com.au/#q=bumbo&hl=en&rlz=1R2ADFA_enAU440&prmd=imvns&source=univ&tbm=shop&tbo=u&ei=0kGATueeMsySiQfyvOTVDg&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=image&resnum=2&ved=0CDoQzAMwAQ&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=f4ee3077595c9098&biw=1280&bih=619

[watto11]

Hey burnsy this is the table and chairs we use it's really heavy duty adults can sit on stools they clip under table for easy transport table is really stable and I just throw it in basket on roof it slides around and no damage great quality only con table bit slippery and plates end up on ground often a cloth fixes that

[GU Rich]

G'day Burnsy,

We use a $35 four seater table from KMart, Yes you get what you pay for but our last one lasted out 4 month trip last year and several other trips also. I have since picked up another one. It fits well in the camper so when this one dies I'll get another.

Not the best pic but its on the right.


Cheers
Rich

[Burnsy]

Thanks for the responses guys.

GU, we have the same green K-mart one.  it may be that it is just time to toss the old and buy another.  They are the perfect size and height but I was just hoping that someone had brough out a similar more sturdy one. Best thing about them is how compact they are when packed away.

[balfang]

Gidday Burnsy,

Our kids are a bit older than yours, but we found the best folding stools for camping.

They are light yet strong and stable and fold up flat with a hand hold in seat and they are really comfortable. They are a good height for sitting at our coleman table.

Cheers Balfang  

[balfang]

Sorry, the stools are made by Outdoor Connections 

[funnyfarm]

We have one similar to the green kmart one. It is in this link down the bottom called " Diamantina All In One Picnic Table". Alot more expensive but we are hoping it will last our kids a while yet (7 ,4 and 1 year old, so i have a few years more use out of it yet).

http://www.kangarootentcity.com.au/welcome/page45.php

[db]

we have one very similar to Watto11's.  Very stable, rugged and have used it with 2 kids (one of whom couldn't sit still if you stapled him to the chair  ).  Works well too for adults who get tired of balancing food on their knees.  Only down side is that it is a bit heavy.

[Alchemist]

we have one very similar to Watto11's.  Very stable, rugged and have used it with 2 kids...

X 3 - simple, fast to set-up and pack down and strong as buggery 

Alchemist

[GGV8Cruza]

There were some ideas raised here a while ago

http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?topic=4318.0

GG

[bimborocks]

X 3 - simple, fast to set-up and pack down and strong as buggery 

Alchemist

x4 here.  As watto meantioned they can be a bit slippery so I have also found it great to pack on the bottom of the trailer with all the plastic boxes on.  Then when at camp I can pull the table out to the back of the trailer and it slides all the boxes with it for easy access.

[cancan]

We also have the same as Watto and works well.

[Janbo]

We too have the cheapo Kmart table, had it about 4 years, not the strongest but still in one piece. Small, light weight and offers 4 chairs and a table" ideal for children!

[earle]

We also have the same one as Watto. I have two 1 metre lengths of grey poly pipe with end caps that get zip tied to each of the feet of one bench seat to make it a bit more stable.

[nikki]

We have one of these in the backyard (minus the umbrella - that went years ago!) and they fold up so we thought we would take this with us.  Our 5 yo is fine but our 17 mo is a real climber and i can just see her getting herself into all sorts of trouble!

[LucyJ]

We use a storage box too or our bigger girl (3.5) and or our little man (18 months) we found the best thing to use, as he wasn't quite old enough (at 1) to sit on a chair at a table, and I was fed up with him on my lap (squealing whenever I dared to shovel something into my mouth and not his!). Probably too small for your young one, it was a little plastic seat designed to be a booster on a normal chair, it had a backrest and a tray that swung out to let him loose and clipped in front of him at meals times and other times you didn't want him wandering around. It was easy clean and he loved sitting in it. He'd take himself over to it and sit in it for ages. It helped keep him away from the campfire while keeping him with everyone and the action.
Not sure on the brand as we bought it off ebay but it was a brightly coloured plastic booster seat.

[GGV8Cruza]

When the kids were younger we had a high chair from Ikea that we used to take. The legs pulled out of it and it packed down fairly small. Made it a lot easier at feeding time.

GG

[Burnsy]

GG patrol, ikea high chairs are the best, ours camped with us until Maya got to big, best thing about them, take the legs off and throw the whole thing in the dishwasher when you get home

After spending an hour searching last night I have decided that the Little Tikes picnic table (very similar to what Nikki posted above is a good bet.  It folds down flat and is blow moulded so will survive on the roofrack with no trouble.  Now I just need to find a supplier in Perth before Monday   This will also live in our outdoor area for summer use when at home so suits dual purpose and being blow moulded does not have as many nooks and crannies as the cheaper webbed plastic sets for spiders to set up residence in.

[WilSurf]

We still use the table which we had when we first got camping, that is about 13 years ago.
Ithas adjustable legs, although they need some WD40 to get moving again.
Apart from that it is a great table for the kids. Can't remember the brand as it was bought in Europe.

[4runnernomore]

We also have the same as Watto and works well.

I think we are up to x7 

I have had one of these aluminium ones for about 7 years now.  replaced a plastic one.  I love it. It has a higher table height than the old plastic ones so you can actually get into the seat without been Hudeny. It was always placed up on my aluminum roof rack on my old 4runner when we went camping in a canvas  roof top bag.

It now lives in the camper.

It is strong enough to seat real Aussie men ( +120 kg ) without collapsing and is high enough to fit up to 6'4" people in reasonable comfort.

It may be a little high initially for the littlies with the table but they will soon grow into it.

Can't recommend it enough.  I have used it from camping through to dinner parties and BBQ's at home for extra seating. It is a hundred times better than the similar plastic versions and will last .

Cheers, Chris


Cheers, Chris

[deepop]

I'm increasing Watto's to x8.

Plastic blow-mold table and benches.

Handy and versatile too.   Had the whole family of five eating from it on the Fraser trip and no problem - 3 kids 2,3 & 5 plus Mum and Dad.

And the benches work well as a coffee table, snacks, drinks by the fire etc. in their off duty times.

[Burnsy]

Ended up buying the blow moulded Little Tikes picnic table.  Folds flat so easy to transport on the rack.  Expensive at $120 but will be used at home and if it outlasts our kids has a good resale (there are two wanted ads on perth gumtree and one sold at $80).  Will post some pics after the trip.

[WilSurf]

Where are you going?