Hope your new island is not a very big one. I see this as a collosal hassle and not very practical - now you'll need a tablecloth to cover the island's pad too? Have you thought about where to store the proposed pads when they're not in use on your "look at only" island surface?

Protective table pads don't make an ideal surface for kids' projects. The good pads come in pieces that fold up, are about 3/4" thick (to protect against heat), have a leather-like textured waterproof material on top with a felt fabric on the bottom.

If you really want to go this direction, a good place to check is your favorite furniture store. They have them made for dining room tables they sell.

Try Sentry, they made the pads for our dining room table, and were very nice to deal with -- someone comes out to measure, many options, and you don't pay anything until you get the finished product.

We used Sentry for dining table pads a long time ago, & are pleased with them. BTW, our dining table has a high gloss surface which will scratch. We use the pads when we want a tablecloth, and placemats without the pads.

However, I wouldn't use those pads for a kitchen island.

For buffet service, I'd get some thick runners to protect the island top and trivets for the hot dishes. You could get trivets that help keep the foods warm, like electric warmers, sterno, or candles. Slow cookers can keep foods warm too.

I'd move the messy kid projects somewhere else, like a utility table with foldup legs. They come in all sizes and are so useful for parties, too, with a tablecloth. If you have to use the island, then put down a heavy plastic sheet you can have cut from a roll (hardware stores) and/or use sheet pans to contain & move the project. Muffin tins work well to store little pieces.

I ordered a blocking board for knitting from Guardian Tablepad.

The board is really just a big table pad. I was very happy with their service.

Here is a link that might be useful: Guardian Tablepad

We need a table pad for our new table, so thanks for the info!