Over the school holidays, more parents will be looking to pass the long summer days in venues that are inviting to the whole family.
They will be visiting pub gardens, public houses, cafes, and attractions with activities for all of the family.
We know that not every establishment is targeted towards children, however, making your venue accommodating to families is a great way to boost your trade over the summer holidays.
We will be sharing some easy ways you can make your establishment more family-friendly.
Getting Your Furniture Right
Having furniture that looks great is one of the first steps to having an appealing establishment.
You should ensure that any current furniture is still high quality. This means cleaning and treating any wood if necessary, repairing any broken parts, and purchasing new furniture when needed.
Our 6-seater a-frame picnic tables are particularly popular among family-friendly sites. This is due to them being so durable and low maintenance. These tables are also great for family-friendly sites as they are easy to wipe clean when spillages and mess occur.
You will also want to provide highchairs for those with babies and toddlers.
Keep Things Clean
When considering how family-friendly your venue is you will want to think about how clean it is.
Little fingers get into everything so parents are looking for clean tables and floors. Especially those with babies or toddlers that are more likely to put their fingers, crumbs, or an abandoned straw in their mouths.
Ensuring your surfaces are clean from any dirt or sticky glass rings (especially if you are serving alcohol) will make your site more appealing to families and can help to keep the wasps away.
You will also want to make sure that baby-changing areas are spotless and frequently cleaned. You may also consider supplying a bag hook near the baby changing area so that parents can put their changing bag somewhere easily accessible.
Provide Entertainment
Entertained children are happy children. By providing some forms of entertainment for the younger visitor you will encourage families to stay at your establishment longer and spend more money.
Providing entertainment can be as simple as a colouring sheet on the back of the children’s menu with a selection of crayons.
However, you may also consider providing outdoor games like Jumbo Jenga and Connect-4. You could even provide chalk for children to use on a patioed area.
Alternatively, you could provide a play area, such as a wooden swing for children to play on.
Have a Dedicated Space
You may decide to have a zone specifically centered around families.
This may have benches that have more space between them so parents can easily get their pushchairs around. Our circular 6-seater picnic tables are great for pushchairs and wheelchairs and the spaces allow you to push them right up to the table.
You may also have picnic benches closer to the playground so that parents can keep an eye on their children as they run off to play.
Having a dedicated space for families, it allows those with children to feel more relaxed in your outdoor space while the children are safely exploring. And, your other guests can still enjoy your outdoor space with a bit more peace.
Have Child Friendly Dining
If your establishment is serving food, having child-friendly dining is key.
There are a couple of things you can do to make dining more child-friendly aside from providing a children’s menu.
Firstly, you may want to consider smaller glasses or plastic cups for children. Smaller cups will be easier for children to drink out of while plastic cups are much less likely to break. Additionally, smaller cutlery options will be more suitable for little hands.
You will also want to ensure that high chairs are clean, safe, and can easily be pushed up to the table. For slightly older children, benches with backrests are a great option as it prevents children from falling over the edge and makes it easier for them to sit up at the table.
Activity and colouring sheets with crayons will encourage children to wait and make their care-givers experience much more enjoyable.
Don't Forget About Shade
You will need to provide your guests with some shade. This will allow them to enjoy your outdoor space without worrying about sunburn or getting too hot.
Parasols are an easy way and cost-effective to provide shade to your guests.
Our parasols are sturdy and hard-wearing so they will stay in great condition through frequent use this summer and multiple summers after.
Talk to an Outdoor Furniture Expert
If you want to find out more about which outdoor furniture is best for your family-friendly establishment get in touch with one of our friendly experts.
Call Us 01925 889922
or Email [email protected]
