Does your child love Dora the Explorer?  If you have, or are thinking of creating, a Dora the Explorer themed room for your child then this folding chairs and table set could be just the perfect addition.  The folding table resembles a card table in build and design and will fold away neatly.  There are two version of the folding table set available in shops as well as additional chairs sets, should you require extras.

The complete chair and table set comes in a diminutive box that must have been designed by aliens as it seems to bend space.  I looked at it and thought “There is no way that all those items can be in that box”, but they were.  The reason the box is so small is that the folding table and chairs require assembly, but the process of doing so is quite straightforward so don’t panic. The manufacturers even include a special tool to help you assemble your child’s furniture.

The first version we saw of the Dora the Explorer table and chair set is mainly a purple and pink color.  The seats and chair backs are mainly purple and the caps on the ends of the metal frames of the table and chairs are pin, but there are other version of the set available if this color scheme does not suit your taste.  Dora and Boots feature on both items of this set in a jungle scene congratulating each other by giving the “high fives” that are often a part of the programs.

The set is designed for easy cleaning as it has a piece of hardwearing plastic/vinyl over each piece.  Vinyl will not rot or degrade and does not harbor germs and so is a great, safe covering for the folding table and chairs set.

The set was designed with convenience and safety in mind as although the table and chairs fold away to enable you to take them with you on a family day out, they have a specially designed mechanism to lock the chair in one position. This stops the chair from folding flat when a child is getting onto or off of the seat.

The second version of the Dora the Explorer set is less obviously girlie as it features a landscape background rather than a floral one and the frames of the folding chairs and table are mainly a green color.  Boots and Dora feature on these items once again, but they are holding hands rather than giving the high five.  This second version of the set shows the phrase from the program “Vamanos!  Let’s Go!”

The physical dimensions of the set are:

• Table is 2 foot square and around 20” tall
• The seats are maybe 12” or so.

Manufacturers recommended age for play with these items is age 3-7.  It could be possible to let a younger child play with these items, but parental judgment needs to be applied.

The Dora the Explorer costs around $30 (£20) and is available from most branches of Toy’s R Us

Dora the Explorer Folding Chairs and Table Set - Folding Chairs and Table

If you value the investment you made in purchasing your folding chairs and table set then you will want to read this article.  With only a small investment of time you can protect your folding furniture and ensure that you get good value and long life out of it. Some of the necessary steps include basic things like adhering to the manufacturer’s guidelines and instructions on use, but other aspects such as avoiding environmental damage, excessive loads and regular maintenance may be less obvious. It is my intention in writing this article to help you get the most out of your investment in collapsible furniture.

Read the Manufacturers Instructions

As previously mentioned the first and most important factor in protecting your folding chairs and table from damage is to ensure that you comply with the manufacturers guidelines. While at first sight this may seem obvious, many people fail to read the instructions or guidance on use that come with their product, feeling that after all it is an everyday object and anyone knows how to use a chair or table. What these people are not taking into account is that sometimes in an effort to save money manufacturers may make a product that is designed for operation in quite a restricted set of circumstances. This kind of oversight can avoid a manufacturers guarantee and ensure that if the product is damaged no replacement will be made available. Always read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully.

Understand the Limitations of the Construction Materials

While many table and folding chairs are made of traditional materials like wood, others are made of modern materials and even with some retro chairs the qualities of them are less immediately apparent. For example, certain types of plastic are not stable in ultraviolet light (sunlight) and may degrade over time. This can be a problem if you are using furniture that is designed for indoor use in an outdoor environment. Another fact about plastic that is not widely known is that certain types of plastic will leach chemicals from other plastics if they are in physical contact. This leeching effect will leave one or other of the two items in a very brittle and fragile state. For this reason it is recommended in the manufacturer’s instructions that certain types of plastic folding chairs and tables are not stored in physical contact with other varieties or brands.

Of course not all folding furniture is made from plastics, a common and well no material to make furniture from the various hardwoods. Hardwood furniture should of course be waterproofed regularly by the application of either a varnish or exterior paint. This will prevent towards rotting and weakening over time.

Most metal folding furniture is today made from aluminum and as such does not rust, but older iron furniture will require protection in a similar manner to that of wooden types.  That is to say it will need to be painted to avoid water damage.

Although most people will be fully aware of the damage the water can do to metal or wooden items it is worth mentioning that many people buy their folding chairs and table for the purpose of enjoying an outdoor barbeque or similar.  The danger that this presents is not one of rot, but one of excessive heat and flame.  Plastic furniture may melt, wooden furniture may singe and burn but metal furniture can actually be a health risk.  If a metal item is left too close to a large barbeque or cooking fire for a length of time it will become extremely hot and can impart some nasty burns if one is not careful.  Keep your camping furniture away from large heat sources!

Maintain and Inspect Your Furniture Regularly

Another point worth mentioning is that while most folding fabric chairs and tables are designed to require minimal maintenance it is still necessary to inspect them regularly. Any moving joint will wear and degrade over time. No matter how high the quality of your chair and table the joints and bearings will become loose. Sometimes they can be tightened by hand or with a hand tool, but other items may need to be replaced with spare parts from the manufacturer. Of course you will already know this as having read this far you will know to read the manufacturer’s instructions!

And so we come to the end of a list. I hope that you have learned some new ways to look after your folding chairs and table sets. Although I have already mentioned this point I feel it is worth saying again, please read the manufacturer’s instructions. Although tables and chairs are everyday items and we feel we know and understand them well sometimes manufacturers make cheap chairs that are less durable than you would otherwise expect. It can put quite a damper on a romantic evening to find that when two of you sit together in an aluminum framed chair it promptly collapses and leaves you both on the floor. The manufacturers guidance will tell you what the maximum load that the furniture is designed to withstand is and reading it could help you avoid the embarrassment and possible injury of ending up on the floor. I hope that by learning and applying some of the points mentioned in this article that you enjoy long service and have many happy times using your folding chairs and table both.

How to Take Care of Your Folding Chairs and Table - Folding Chairs and Table