I have three monsters and use a vintage table with a laminate (not veneered) top. Since it is essentially plastic, we can use it for everything and clean it thoroughly.

That crate and barrel one pictured is a nice choice, though I'd hate to see a kid bump their head on the marble corner of that one - not exactly child-friendly for small children.

Funny, solid wood worked great when we were kids. Just wipe up spills quickly. Refinish if needed once every 15-20 years or so. Use a table pad (they stll make them, you can order one for any size table online) if you want to protect the finish, and keep it covered except for special meals. (A nice table should be covered with a table pad for homework and rocket launches anyway.)

The problem with so much cheap furniture today is that it is not solid wood, but cheap veneer over something else. Solid wood is your friend. Even antiques made from real wood veneer over solid wood hold up better than modern stuff.

Teach your kids table manners. Teach them to clean up spills, as you would expect an adult clean up after themself.

If you prefer to let your kids go at your table bare for rocket launches and all manner of craft work, just use something cheap like a melamine ikea table top, or a cheap pine table, until they are grown. You can always throw a table cloth over it for more fancy affairs.

We have a butcher block kitchen island/table that gets serious abuse. Any serious damage can be sanded out with fine grit sandpaper and re-oiled. It's an ikea butcher block counter top that we cut to size, and added plumbing pipe legs to. The counter tops come in a few different wood finishes, which was convenient.

Very easy, inexpensive and stylish. Looks great with my mix of tolix dining chairs and counter height navy chairs - which are also pretty indestructible.

You can also get legs from hairpinlegs.com is you like a more minimal look. If country it more your style buy some turned wood legs and paint them.

Ashley at Under the Sycamore had a kitchen table made for her family that I have always admired. The top is poured concrete, like a concrete countertop on a table. It is featured in many of her pictures, with her kids doing crafts all over it.
http://ashleyannphotography.com/blog/2010/04/20/she-smiles-a-lot/

Grew up with a white laminate topped kitchen table- the rest of it was wood- and had many friends with tile topped kitchen tables. They stood up to lots of cookie making and toothpick bridge construction.

We currently have an inexpensive hand me down set from IKEA (the JOKKMOKK) and it has taken a beating. It's still standing but our kitchen table is the everything table - crafting, eating, drinking, playing. I had fully intended on painting it when we got it but it's become pretty obvious that any really nice table top is going to have to wait til they get older. But @MarthaBD - thanks for that link - that's an amazing table! What a great idea~

Solid, relcaimed wood. It already looks damaged, so spills and dents won't be a problem.

I agree with Pi. Something with age and character that is already a bit banged up and you won't care if it has gouges, dents, spills, or even a scribble here or there. I was a nanny for a family with such a table. I was so glad to no have to worry about coasters or hot plates on the table. And because it was such a kid friendly table, it was a place that everyone gathered around for more than just meals.

We used a large solid pine table for our "everything" table. It had a wax finish on it. It got beat up plenty which just added to the charm. If ink or paint or fruit stains got on it we could scrub it out and reapply wax. That may be a little too rustic for some, but it worked for us.

We are looking for the same kind of thing and are considering a marble tabletop. My sister has had one for over ten years with three kids (now 6-12) and they really use it without it being a problem; she also said she's never resealed it. The whole kids hit their heads thing on it always seems funny to me. Walking into anything at that height full force hurts. A lot of wood that is reclaimed is not finished and will get rings. Laminate tables don't seem as heavy to me---one of the issues is that kids push against the table and if it's not heavy enough, it moves. We have a laminate table now, and even though it's fairly solid underneath, that's the issue. Looking at doing a room and board parsons or simliar table. Would love to see other ideas.

Glass round table top with any kind of base you want. They're made to be unbreakable, of course. Ours stands on a pedestal of 4 spikes which make the legs, so we just occasionally have to remind the kids not to lean on it so it doesn't flip (although this really would be quite hard to do). Glass top is SO easy to keep absolutely clean. Just spray down with glass cleaner, water+vinegar, whatever you like to use, and wipe. Gets rid of all marker/pen marks, maple syrup, glue. We use this table for everything.

I just gave in and got a West Elm table after searching for the perfect table for over a year. I specifically wanted an expanding table, and that limited my options quite a bit. We just decided not to get too bent out of shape about the condition of the table and go for something cheaper for now while we're in the kid years. I love the concrete table in the comments above, but concrete needs maintenance as well. Your best bet is solid wood, like people have said, and if you're not too picky about style, you can find some great options! I like the butcher block idea! Maybe next time around...

Look for a table top made from anything used for a kitchen counter - tile, stone, laminate, corian. Do Not Get a White (or pale) Table Top! Markers, crayons, beverage spills will eventually stain it. Look for something mottled and a mid-range color ... kind of like refinished wood.

My husband found a used table at goodwill that must have been a school library table or something. It is solid wood, looks nice and is very, very sturdy and cleans up well! Might check goodwill to see what you can find. For $35 it was a steal!!!

I don't recommend a glass table, if only because of the fingerprints. Small children and little fingerprints all over the place mean constant cleaning.

Do what restaurants do and uphoster your table with oilcloth. Would certainly be cheaper than replacing the table. Cleans up really easily and is super easy to replace when your decor changes.

Agree with Pi. We bought an old door, had it stripped, oiled, then we waxed it. Added iron pipe legs. Dents and dings add to the beauty and the oil and wax keep away rings.

Sorry, meant to add we worked with these guys in Brooklyn for our table.
http://scoutandgather.com/

My kids are 8 and 4. Our kitchen table is a cheapie white laminate that is holding up ok (3 years in) and I hope to get 2-3 more years out of it. Our dining table (where we eat often and use that space for projects/crafting) has a stainless steel top. It definitely gets smudgy looking and has lots of light scratches but is really great otherwise. Bomb proof. It's 12 years old still going strong.

We got a pottery barn wood table on craigslist for super cheap and I am thrilled with it. It already has plenty of wear on it and I don't have to worry about our 13-month-old messing it up. Don't spend a lot if you have kids!

We have had from World Market the Lugano dining table plus a matching bench on one side since 2003. It's a solid wood trestle table that is built like a brick and is indestructible. The bench holds tons of kids during birthday parties and play dates. My toddler uses the bench during meals as a table and sits at it using a child's chair from IKEA. A friend of mine has the same table. She used to run a small daycare from her home and the table still looks great.

Growing up we had a heavy wood table that was repurposed after a restaurant remodeled. Because it was for a restaurant, it had been lacquered over many times and was indestructible. (it also had prehistoric gum on the underneath side that stayed there for years after we got the table).

when i was a kid a friend's family had a large wooden table their dad had made. he was an artist, a painter, and his goal was to make a table that was well made and would stand up to whatever the family threw at it. there were gouges, paint stains, stains of who knows what and all the vagaries of family of with three kids and two artist parents could throw at it. i remember the corners were these cool sloping downward curves that really softened the bang when you bumped into them. when they had what they called a "fancy meal" ie. guests who cared about nice tables, they just covered it with a heavy linen tablecloth and all the bruises were hidden. i always thought it was brilliant cause i grew up in the home of antiques that required more care than most humans. they were tedious and restrictive. don't know what you ultimately want your table to be, but perhaps letting go of anything too pricey till your kids are older and go for a solid second hand table from a thrift store or craigslist.

correction - "...vagaries of a family with three kids..."

long day. tired. :-)

white laminate top (vintage is thicker) that can be scrubbed w/ bon ami works. white/grey veined marble top that can be scrubbed w/ bon ami works. anything not too precious & mounted on a solid base works. would not recommend glass. door works only if solid wood; else, veneer chips fast. table surface s/b smooth & no edging to shift/pop out. pedestals are better for not bumping knees at corners & adding one more chair, four solid legs at outer corners may better support kid standing on table.

@zmango: Marble tops and kids funny? My grandson was at a marble table in a restaurant with matching marble floors. When he leaned forward, the flimsy chair shot out and he hit his head on the table. NOT FUNNY! He split his forehead open and required 25 stitches in a 4 hour operation to put his forehead and eyebrow back together. This isn't a rambunctious little kid but a very well behaved pre-teen. Why take unnecessary chances with your most beloved treasure - your child?

We've got a reclaimed wood table, and it's doing well. We have restained and sealed it, but it's going strong.
As a child, I incurred a head injury involving a marble table resulting in stitches and a concussion ...don't go with marble.

We had a reclaimed wood parsons-style table made for us by the Lorimer Workshop (http://lorimerantiques.myshopify.com/). We've been really happy with it--so far it's stood up to our 3 year old and 6 mo old with no problem. It has sustained a few dings from the toddler banging his utensils, but the wood is sealed and also already has a slightly distressed look to it, so it just blends in.

Not knowing what style your kitchen is, it is hard to recommend a specific table. The other suggestions above are mostly good but most are style-specific, and we have no information on the style you prefer. I also dont believe in sacrificing style or quality for kids, because kids grow up and the family use changes over time, and none of us know where we will be in future so I believe you should love what you have today.

That said, a glass top can be purchased in a textured finish to fit any size and shape table and will hide fingerprints. Glass is one of the easiest materials to keep clean, and will not limit the style & finish of table you choose.

The other option if you prefer a wood top table and want it as kid-proof as possible is a product called Liquid Glass, it's frequently used to seal bar tops, it's clear and glossy, and if it gets knicked you can light sand and apply a new topcoat every so often. I have a tree stump cocktail table on casters that is sealed with this product - it's awesome - no coasters needed!

Metal restaurant table, 1950's dinette seat,