what would you buy?

[tashaleee]

Im looking to get a table and chairs for the mindees but am confused as to what will work best so looking for some input please....

My own kids are older and I only have 1 5 year old - rest are preschool. I keep looking at various sites - Argos, TTS, Galt etc.... I need a table that will take up the minimum amount of room but will fit the most children round it. I need the seats to be suitable for 1 year upwards (ideally suiting ages 1-4). Sometimes I work with an assistant so am registered for 6 under 5s so needs to comfortably seat 4 (ideally 5/6). Does anyone have a table and chairs set they would recommend to buy or to avoid?

Thanks :)

[onceinabluemoon]

how about a collapsible one? TTS have load that fold up.

I have 2 tables (neither collapse) one is the mammut table from ikea which is fab but 4 foot diameter, great for arts and crafts but gets scratched real easy. Mammut chairs are rubbish though, the legs fall off for a past time!
The other is a tiny wooden round one that i bought from argos, it came with 2 chairs and again is fab for what it is, I'm very heavy and even i can sit on the chairs which is a bonus

[Mookins]

not bought from here but they have lots to choose from

http://www.officefurnitureonline.co.uk/shop/education-furniture/early-years/

x x x

[manjay]

I have a fold down one from Gopak and they are available in various sizes. Not the cheapest but definitely worth it imo. It is very hard wearing and still lokks as good as new after being used every day fro 18 months. At the end of the day it gets folded up and put under the stairs. My chairs are from one of the school suppliers (SBS I think) These were fairly cheap and again are definitely built to last.

[fridaysoff]

Hi
I have gopak too. I have a max of 6 children and mine seats them comfortabley with room for crafts or meals. I chose a light wood grain finish which is easy on the eye. They are expensive, I have had mine for 4 years and not a scratch - still looks great even with finger paint straight on surface, homebaked coloured dough - everything. I can also take it oustside for activities. I chose the one with sealed edges and have left it outside a couple of times in rain (by accident). It is sturdy enough for a crusing child to wakl along without knocking it down. When folded flat it slides behind my sofa. You can choose size and finish from a range plus height. I knew I didn't want to have to buy another and this will last beyond my days as a CM I think! Parents seem to like the look of it all and so much easier than it used to be with my dine table and booster seats. Chairs, I only found one solution and a local nursery were selling some off so I was lucky as they are expensive. Wooden, match the table finish. They can stack, have removable straps, removable insert which snaps on, (no gaps and cleans very easily) is plastic and babies can sit in it so that they are included at the same height at the table along with everyone else.You can also buy a clip on tray for these, so you don't need the table if one babe is having cornflour or something - Tray is so easy to clean. These are good because when the child grows out of insert, you can take that bit out and just use the wooden chair, maybe with straps, then take straps out and just have a chair that older ones can sit in.:thumbsup: