I played a lot of games at my grandparent's house, but none that I enjoyed more than ping-pong. Kids can play ping-pong for hours--trust me, I did. And although the paddles can produce welts, the balls are harmless, so one out of two isn't bad in the safety department. Of course the main problem with ping-pong is space. And so I give three options for the space-confined parents who would like to teach their children the joys of ping pong. The first is the portable mini ping-pong table ($99 on sale) at Amazon. Smaller and less satisfying than a real table tennis table, sure, but at a fraction of the price, and with two paddles, a net, a ball and an amazingly small storage size, you really can't go wrong. 

But, you may live in an apartment like mine, in which case there is no room for another table. Thankfully, there is another option that utilizes available table space. The Top Spin table tennis kit includes three net segments, two net stands, two net connectors, two paddles, and a bag for storage/travel. The foam pieces will protect sensitive furniture. The low price ($25) will pad your wallet.

And, finally, for the true professional who only wants to give her children the best in ping-pong, there's the Joola indoor-outdoor tennis table for just $799. This waterproof baby has an aluminum table top and includes a net. It does fold ... but truth be told, if you're buying this table, you've got a basement or a rec room just crying out for a large child-friendly game.