My 20 month old and 3 1/2 year old love this table. So far they have used it for coloring, playdoh, and tonight they insisted on eating dinner there. While it does come with 4 chairs, the table really isn't big enough for 4 kiddos to sit there and color without alot of elbow bumping. It's just right for 2. Fairly easy to put together. I would highly recommend using a ratcheting allen wrench...it made assembly WAY faster, although it does come with the necessary "tools". The finish matches all of my other "espresso" furniture well. The box says the product is rated for 3-8 years old, but my petite 20 month old has little trouble with it (although her feet don't touch the ground when sitting in the chair). The chairs would be a bit small to be comfortable for the average 8 year old, although I can sit in the chairs without feeling like they are going to fall apart (I'm about 120lbs). Would definitely buy this set again.