I was always envious of children who got to spend their summers at the elusive “summer camp". It seemed like the best fun in the world—swimming in murky waters, poorly stitched arts and crafts, mosquitoes—these were childhood memories I always felt I was deprived of. In hindsight, summer camp is really a glorified parental drop-off. But one of the defining characteristics of camp, along with s’mores and sing-a-longs, is the bunk bed. The bunk bed is the way to go to bring summer camp back with you all year long.
The main benefit of a bunk bed is saving space. If two children share a room, there is little space to begin with. A bunk bed is ideal for the smallest of bedroom and the largest of families. Modern bunk beds often come with optional trundle beds, which is stored underneath the bottom bunk. Thus, if the kids host a sleepover or both want to sleep closer to the ground, an extra bed is available, all without having to use up more precious space. Additionally, contemporary bunk beds feature built-in desks, under-the-bed drawers, and other extra storage hideaways. Toy chests and extra dressers are easily removed and replaced with such a versatile bedroom furniture piece. Under-the-bed drawers are particularly attractive since they can store clothes, toys, books, or miscellaneous objects your children are sure to attain.
Unlike the older, rustier bunk beds that were somewhat unsafe (and therefore the ones they used at summer camp), contemporary bunk beds have new safety features like attached ladders to make getting out of bed easier and bars to keep kids in the bed instead of crying on the floor. Plus, contemporary children’s bedroom furniture does not look like the ancient beds from camp. Solid hardwoods and engineered woods in birch and ash finishes make them both attractive and durable, resisting children’s urges to destroy furniture.
Instead of sending your kid away to camp, get them a bunk bed they can use everyday. With a built-in desk, they can do their homework before taking toys out of the storage compartments and playing with them. For nighttime fun reminiscent of camp, turn on a flashlight underneath a blanket while drinking hot cocoa and tell scary ghost stories as an alternative. Then, turn out the lights and see how easy it is for them to get to the top bunk without hurting themselves. Maximize the valuable space in your child’s room and give them something fun to sleep in—keep the summer alive with a bunk bed. |
