How Picnic Tables Improve Parks, Schools, and Workplaces

March 18, 2025

Picnic tables are a simple yet effective addition to outdoor spaces. They offer seating, convenience, and functionality and can improve a variety of settings. Picnic tables are great at encouraging social interactions and time spent with friends and family. They are more than just seats; they are furniture that allows us to eat, relax, connect, and make outdoor areas even more pleasant.

By integrating high-quality picnic tables into places like parks, schools and even workplaces, we can create more inviting and practical environments for people of all ages.

The Benefits of Picnic Tables in Different Environments

Parks

Public parks are designed to offer recreation, relaxation, and social engagement, and picnic tables play a key role in making these spaces more accessible and enjoyable. They help encourage social gatherings with families, friends, and community members who can gather for meals, conversations, and celebrations in a welcoming outdoor setting.

Picnic tables make outdoor eating easier and more comfortable. This can be an organised meet-up with friends, an accidental pit stop to recharge our batteries on a walk with a snack or even ordering takeout on the spot when hunger hits. Table and bench combinations make the experience more comfortable than sitting on the ground.

These street furniture can also be useful during events like festivals or outdoor classes, which will appreciate the already provided seating. Overall, picnic tables encourage people to spend more time in green spaces, a great way to reduce stress and improve mental well-being.

Schools

For schools, picnic tables serve multiple purposes beyond just being a place to eat lunch. They contribute to both educational and social experiences, providing students with a flexible, comfortable space and creating a better outdoor learning and social environment.

Their most obvious use of picnic tables is to improve outdoor eating areas, and even simple timber tables and bench sets would work very well for this. They have designated seating for students and provide a comfortable place to enjoy lunch or just socialise with peers during breaks.

The tables can be used for outdoor lessons, allowing students to learn in an open-air environment that breaks up the usual classroom routine. Kids can also use them to study outside and write homework if they need to.

Picnic tables in this setting, like those in a park, help children feel a sense of community as they give them a natural space to gather, sit, talk, and work together. This makes the overall school environment more cooperative, friendly, and relaxed.

Our picnic sets are a great investment for any school. They are sturdy and meant for daily use. Made from steel or wood, they will serve your school community for years and are designed to withstand daily wear and tear.

Workplaces

Adding picnic tables to office environments, industrial sites, and business campuses can significantly improve employee well-being and productivity. They are an easy way to break up the lunch routine and improve break areas and socialising.

Workplace picnic tables allow employees to take refreshing breaks outside and away from their desks. This helps reduce stress, is better for mental health, and improves focus. Additionally, gathering spaces like that improve everyone’s mood and can serve as a very subtle team-building effort as they encourage casual meetings, brainstorming sessions, and natural human bonding in a more relaxed environment.

Overall, employees appreciate working in a nice environment, and ensuring that there is a well-designed break space shows them that you care about their comfort and well-being. This enhances company culture and employee loyalty, which can only strengthen a business.

Whether for offices, factories, or warehouses, we have a variety of commercial-grade picnic tables made from timber, steel, or a combination of the two. They guarantee durability, low maintenance, and attractive designs to fit any workplace setting.

Choosing the Right Picnic Table for Your Space

When selecting a picnic table, consider factors such as material, size, durability, and accessibility. One of the highlights of our outdoor Benches and Seating category is our selection of picnic tables. We offer a variety of options that may be suitable for different locations and aesthetics.

We have classic and natural timber picnic tables, which are convenient and functional for any outdoor space. You can enjoy a meal, have a break, or chat with a friend. These models work for any location, especially parks and schools, and are crafted from high-quality materials.

We offer products made from several types of timber. A beautiful example of our oak timber range is the Cranham Picnic Suite, composed of a table and two wooden benches in a blocky, rough aesthetic. We also have traditional-style pine picnic tables, ideal for parks, nature reserves, and private homes. We also have iroko wood picnic benches and table suites, which can be used in outdoor cafes and restaurants that expect to see high traffic and a lot of use.

For urban locations or offices that are after a more modern and industrial look, we have a selection blending steel and wood. One such model is the Oxford Picnic Bench, which is a beautiful model made of a hot-dipped galvanised steel tube and powder-coated finish combined with larch wood. Another interesting set is our Kent Picnic Bench and table suite, which is made of steel sheet and tough larch wood.

We believe outdoor spaces should be both functional and welcoming, encouraging people to relax, socialise, and connect with nature. With our premium outdoor seating solutions, you can enhance your school, public space, garden, or office with stylish and durable furniture built to last.

Picnic tables are a simple yet impactful way to enhance parks, schools, and workplaces. They provide comfortable seating, foster social interaction, and encourage outdoor relaxation. Whether in public green spaces, educational settings, or professional environments, picnic tables help create welcoming areas where people can connect, collaborate, and unwind. You can transform any outdoor space into a functional and inviting retreat by choosing durable, high-quality picnic tables suited to your specific needs. Investing in well-designed seating solutions ensures long-lasting benefits for communities, students, and employees.


Shelter Store Team

Shelter Store is the UK's leading supplier of smoking shelters, canopies, walkways and street furniture. Follow us on LinkedIn.