11 Chic Kid-Friendly Coffee Tables That Pull The Room Together

Life gets busy fast when little ones come into your life. Suddenly there’s so much to do — from feeding, bathing, taking to kindergarten, and more. The beginning of parenthood is a magical time for sure, but it's also full of stressful moments. One of the things you get quite good at as a parent is worrying about your kids, which of course makes sense.

We all want our children to be happy and healthy, and so we hope to keep them safe from harm as much as possible. This is especially true for those who have young children since toddlers love to pick up everything and wander around to explore. There are many ways of making a home toddler-proof by blunting any sharp edges on stiff furniture, and perhaps even removing potentially dangerous obstacles.

Having said that, we all need a place to unwind from time to time, and a rustic coffee table can be great for a relaxing break on a busy day. If that sounds like your kind of thing, you’ll be glad to know that there are many great round coffee tables that are kid-friendly without resorting to styrofoam padding. Consider these coffee tables to augment your coffee corner.

1. Stockholm-Style Table

The Rounded Design Makes This Table Naturally Safe

The Swedes are world-famous for their human-friendly ergonomics, so it's no surprise that the Stockholm-style wood coffee table would make it on this list. Made with beautiful smoothened cedar, oval-shaped tables don’t have any sharp corners or rough edges which makes them very kid-safe.

Plus, this table design style maximizes the usage of space while preserving the minimalist aesthetic that comes standard in Scandinavian design. The small profile of the table legs also means these coffee tables can be easily moved to any part of the room without snagging on anything.

2. Square Coffee Table

Square Coffee Tables Have Undeniable Charm and Versatility

This one is a classic choice that’s small by nature and reliable by design. It can be made of simple plywood or luxurious rot-resistant oak. Either way, it’s a great wood coffee table as its design meets several requirements. Because it is a low table, it is less likely to be something that gets in the way of an energetic toddler.

The small size also means that it can be easily adapted to be safe for children with corner guards if you decide you want to use those. To top it off, the charming yet simple design makes for a nice living room table — and this design will fit nicely with all manner of different interior designs. You can make it rustic, vintage, or even a farmhouse coffee table, depending on what your needs are.

3. Acrylic Coffee Table

Acrylic Tables May Be a Great Kid-Friendly Option

Acrylic coffee tables might come off as a 2010 retro-futurist, but that’s not really a bad idea. In fact, these curvy transparent (and sometimes translucent) tables can actually be a pretty cool piece of practical style for your apartment. They really do stand out from your standard wooden coffee table in all the right ways. Plus, the light bendy design means that an acrylic table is one of the most kid-friendly options.

4. Large Soft Ottoman

A Tall Ottoman Makes for a Kid-Friendly Coffee Table

If safety is your biggest concern, but you still want something that looks good, there are few better options than a big ottoman. Ottomans are softy cushy by design so they’re perfect for safety since they’re unlikely to be causing anyone any cuts or bruises.

Using an ottoman as a coffee table is a simple matter of placing a wooden tray on it so your coffee cups don’t topple over. The rest of the time, it’s a perfect bohemian living room table. Its exotic patterns and high-quality upholstery make it a paragon of quality and elegance.

5. Multi-stage Coffee Table

Practicality and Safety in One Neat Package

Multiple tiers mean multiple levels of practicality and usability. One level can be for coffee books, another for decorations, and a third one can hold your coasters and of course, your coffee. This table has a lot of appeal for parents, but its design also takes frenetic tykes into account.

The circular shape of the tiers minimizes the potential for serious injury should any accidents occur, and while the legs of the table are usually metal, they are also smoothened and have a small profile. This makes it less likely for trips to occur and also means that it would be pretty hard to get scraped by these coffee table legs.

6. 1970s Coffee Table

They Don’t Make ‘em Like They Used To

As much as it is a cliché, there were actually some things that were good in the so-called “good old days” — and this coffee table is a good example. Made of straw material, this vintage coffee table is compact and by no means heavy. Because it isn’t made of hefty mahogany, it’s a pretty kid-safe design that doesn’t have any sharp edges. The casual look of this vintage coffee table makes it a quintessential coastal style piece of furniture, perfect for those vacation-ey beach house vibes.

7. Wheeled Table

Wheeled Tables Are The Perfect Mix of Safety and Usability

As we all know in this world that always seems to be on the move, mobility is one of the most practical features of any product. Admittedly, a wheeled coffee table isn’t revolutionary per se, but it is definitely a step up from an unwieldy oak coffee table. A wheeled coffee table is easy to relocate to any part of the room where it fits best, and most models can be locked in place so they don’t roll away when a curious toddler tries leaning on them.

8. Coffee Table with Storage

Under-the-Table Storage Keeps Harmful Objects from Prying Hands

For a neat combination of smart, safe, and practical, a round coffee table with storage compartments is the ultimate choice. These types of drum coffee tables are great for those with kids; they provide a perfect place to hide any dangerous glassware or coffee cups away from curious clumsy hands.

This hideaway storage setup also allows for a sleek and simple look when the drum coffee table isn’t in use.  Essentially, all your accouterments will be secreted away where they can’t clutter up the space.

9. Marble or Granite

Marble Tables With Rounded Edges Can Also Be Kid-Safe

After all our lip service about lightweight tables, it might seem counterintuitive to then have a table on this list that is literally a slab of granite. However, it’s not as crazy as it sounds. The beauty of marble or granite aside from physical beauty is that it can be made in virtually any shape or size. This means it is entirely possible to make a small profile oval coffee table that is far safer for children.

Because of its strength, a table made with marble or granite will also be better able to stand up to the knocks and scratches of an energetic tyke, and it’s also very easy to wipe up any messes and keep the table shiny clean.

10. Glass Passes

Round Glass Tables Make Cleaning Up Regular Messes Easy

As with marble, glass is probably not something you’d think would be great for a kid-safe oval coffee table, but again, it is down to the design of the table. Glass coffee tables tend to be free of sharp or jagged corners or edges, which is perfect for your kid-friendly needs. This means you can opt for a more traditional table design without compromising on safety. As with natural stone coffee tables, glass is easy to keep clean which is important when messes are a frequent occurrence.

11. Small Side Table

Smaller Tables Can Be Put Out of the Way When Not Needed

Another way of designing for safety is to make something that won’t get in the way. In other words, a smaller coffee table might be the way to go since it’s less likely to get in the way and trip up your kid. The small size of a side table has other obvious advantages such as saving space and easier cleaning, and those just make it an even sweeter option. Because these small tables tend to be taller, they can be used in a pinch as a backup when your dining table runs out of space because your son has invited his friends for a videogame party.