Infant/Toddler way of feeding (8+ children)

[WAHM]

What do you use to feed infants/toddlers when there are 8-12? I was looking at an 8-12 seater toddler table with the seats built right in, but it's quite expensive. Also, we don't have room for 20 high chairs.
Anyone use a short table with small chairs, ground level high chairs or stacking high chairs?

TIA

[Inspired by Reggio]

For toddlers we used the small tables and wooden chairs like these ... which can double as craft areas, sensory areas and so forth the rest of the day.

http://childcare.scholarsch oice.ca/images/products/25/Tot-Size-Multi-Use-Table-N7995_XL.jpg

[Inspired by Reggio]

If you have infants in care when worked in centres that had these they were awesome and could 'stack' when not being used for 'smaller' infants - our infants rooms when have a few of these and than 1 table like above for the 'older' infants ... everywhere I worked by the time the children were 15 months we were transitioning them to sit in the above style because they would be moving up to the toddler room shortly and not have the highchair option there.

you can get these at a restaurant supply store

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn214/totallyawake/highchair.jpg

[Inspired by Reggio]

BTW - the wooden chairs I preferred were able to 'flip' so that one way they child sat higher in it and the other the seat was 'lower' depending on the size of the child.

[WAHM]

Thanks, ladies. I like the idea of the tables put they take up a lot of space. We plan to only have 1 table in the area and rotate use of it for the children. (I would need three table and 12 chairs for all the children to eat at the same time) Same issue with the wooden highchairs, they need to be up to a table because, from what I believe, they do not come with trays do they?

I was thinking of these from IKEA: http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/30069724/ only $19.99, they stack and you can buy a tray for $5. But, again, I would need: 20

[Inspired by Reggio]

Ya - it is hard not knowing your space set up what to suggest as best.

For the highchairs - what age are you thinking of using them to - just infants or an infant / toddler age group?

From a staff perspective limiting the weight that they are expected to lift repetitively on a day to day basis is ideal ... or you will get staff off with back and knee injuries :(

Lifting a 40 pound child in and out of a highchair at home is one thing - and lets face it some infants are well over 30 pounds by a year old and most toddlers pushing 35 plus pounds - so lifting multiple children in and out of highchairs several times a day starts to cause injury - specially when you add to it lifting and stacking the chairs 3 plus times a day as well?

IME this is why most childcare centres only have a few highchairs for very small infants and transition them to a child size table as soon as possible.

There are some styles of table and chairs that are minimalistic ... so they do not take up as much space but can fit 8 children around them - so two of those in a preschool classroom would suit for mealtime and than outside of mealtime one can be set up with sensory activity and the other with creative art options so that the children are actually using that space throughout the day? Sometimes we would stack the chairs and build forts with the tables and kids would play 'under' the table space so that it was being used as well?

Something like this cause you can adjust the height depending on the current age of most of the children making the tables more versatile? And the chairs that match stack nicely to the side when not in use.

http://childcare.scholarsch oice.ca/products/Hollyberry-24-x-36-Rectangle-Table-p36297/pstart1/

[playfelt]

My table is round with indents - think it is called flower shape. What I like is that when the kids sit up to the table the table sort of wraps around them and catches more of their spills and for activities gives them a place to rest their elbows. It adjusts up and down.

[mom-in-alberta]

I have the "Antelop" high chair from Ikea. It's decent, and functional enough.
My only complaint is that I don't think I am able to take the tray portion off? I got mine second hand, with the tray attached. And I am afraid to pull too hard and then break it. I hate that the tray doesn't come off. Perhaps I will try again, because really it's the only issue I have had.

[Mamma_Mia]

my SIL has one too and my only complaint is that the seat seems quite tiny....my daughter is 26lbs and my nephew is too difference is that she's 2 nd he's 10mos! haha So his legs are chunky and are tight in the openings but it was snug for my DD. FYI

[Inspired by Reggio]

Just got my Avron flyer in the mail this morning - they have some of their table and chair sets on sale until June 30th

http://www.avronforkids.com/

[ECE53]

The trays do come off. Lift up at the front and then slide it off.
Hope that helps.

[playfelt]

Speaking of the AVron flyer I loved the mat storage cabinet they had. Don't need to store that many mats and not interested in paying that price but creating something similar would be a great project and serve a lot of other purposes in the room if you made the sides for activities like chalkboard, magnetboard, pocketchart, etc.

[Inspired by Reggio]

Speaking of the AVron flyer I loved the mat storage cabinet they had. Don't need to store that many mats and not interested in paying that price but creating something similar would be a great project and serve a lot of other purposes in the room if you made the sides for activities like chalkboard, magnetboard, pocketchart, etc.

Yup - I thought the same thing ... awesome idea but why do they have to charge so much for crap like this - seriously it is not like the childcare industry is rolling in dough!!!

[WAHM]

Thanks ladies. I appreciate the input on lifting in/out, perhaps I should transition the toddlers into chairs and keep the highchairs for the infant area. Great help, as always - thanks again!