The Kids’ Table at Company Holiday Parties & Family Days: A Guide for Planners

The company holiday party has changed. Across New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, more employers are inviting families — a Saturday brunch, a tree lighting, a “bring the kids” open house at the office — and the events that go well are the ones that give children a real place of their own. Not a corner with a coloring sheet: an actual kids’ table, sized for them, styled to match the room. Here’s how planners set it up.

Why a dedicated kids’ area changes the event

When children have somewhere to sit, eat and do something, parents relax, stay longer and talk to colleagues. When they don’t, families leave forty minutes in. A styled kids’ table also photographs beautifully, which matters for the internal newsletter and the recruiting page. It is the highest-return line item in a family event budget.

Sizing: how many seats to plan

Count RSVP’d children, then plan seating for about 70% of them at any one time — children rotate between the table, the activity and their parents. For 40 children, that’s two long tables with 14 seats each, or four small round tables of seven. Our seating calculator guide walks through the math. Keep two or three chairs unassigned for the guest who shows up with a cousin.

Layout inside a corporate venue

Place the kids’ zone where parents can see it from the bar and the buffet, never in a separate room. Give it a boundary — a rug, a balloon garland on stanchions, a low backdrop — so it reads as a space. Leave a clear path from the zone to the restrooms and keep it away from the DJ, the fireplace and any doors to the outside. Ask the venue about the freight elevator and the loading dock; our crew delivers, sets up and picks up, but a 4 p.m. dock cutoff needs to be known in advance.

Activities that run themselves

Plan two stations, not six. A decorating station (cookies, mini gingerbread houses, ornament painting) and a quiet station (a coloring placemat at each seat, a small sensory bin for toddlers) cover ages two to ten. Stations should be self-serve with one attendant — a hired sitter or a rotating volunteer — so no parent gets stuck. Our DIY Corner has templates for most of these.

Style it like the rest of the room

The kids’ table should look like it belongs to the same event: the company’s holiday palette, the same linen color, a smaller version of the centerpiece. White or gold chairs match almost any corporate décor; natural rattan suits a lodge or winery venue. Add a foam-board welcome sign with the company name and the year and it becomes the photo spot of the night.

Safety, insurance and the details planners ask about

Furniture should be genuinely child-sized — seat height around 12 inches for preschoolers — with no sharp corners and stable feet on a hard floor. Keep hot food, candles and glassware off the kids’ table entirely. Venues will often ask for a certificate of insurance from any vendor bringing equipment in; ask for it when you book. Confirm who is responsible for children at the table (parents, unless a sitter is hired) and say so on the invitation.

What to rent and the timeline

A complete setup is kid-height tables, matching chairs and, for a dessert-heavy event, a dessert cart for the children’s treats. Book six to eight weeks ahead for December — the first three weekends fill fastest. We deliver, set up and pick up across NJ, NY and PA, and we regularly partner with planners who need the chairs and tables alone alongside their own décor; see our chairs-only partnership guide.

Quick answers

How many children’s chairs do I need for a company family event?

Plan seats for about 70% of the RSVP’d children, since kids rotate between the table, activities and their parents. For 40 children, that’s roughly 28 seats across two or four tables.

Can a rental company deliver kids’ furniture to a corporate venue or office?

Yes. Mini Chairs Atelier delivers, sets up and picks up at venues, restaurants and offices across NJ, NY and PA. Share the loading dock hours and elevator details when booking.

What activities work for a kids’ area at a holiday party?

Two self-serve stations cover most ages: a decorating station (cookies or mini gingerbread houses) and a quiet station such as coloring placemats or a toddler sensory bin, with one attendant.

Planning the children’s area for a larger celebration? See our guides to kids’ tables at weddings and luxury kids’ seating for family events.