In order to keep a child's room as spacious as possible, to allow room for play and fun, parents must buy clever furniture that's fun and functional. As adults, we're used to having bedrooms big enough to fit a queen or king bed, plus dresser and nightstand. Most kid's bedrooms are usually smaller and cramming them wouldn't be fair at all.

Enter the multi-faceted bunk bed that often combines a bed and storage in the same space that a normal bed would take up. If you have more than one child, it gets even better as a space saver and adds to home entertainment for pretend play. So, when you're budgeting for your child's bedroom furniture, keep in mind the money you'll save by not having to purchase additional play accessories that will only crowd your child's bedroom.

Beside the "cool factor" of kid's bunk beds, there are several practical benefits to choosing a bunk bed. First, quality bunk beds can last your child from age three on through to college. Since most bunk beds can be down-stacked into two twin beds, your child can begin enjoying his/her new room even if they are still not old enough to manage climbing up to the top bunk. As your child grows, you can stack the twin beds into the bunk bed formation, thereby freeing up valuable floor space for a desk. Second, you can sleep two in the same amount of space that you would normally be able to put in a twin bed. Third, if you buy a quality bunk bed you will have no trouble re-selling it when your child is ready for something else.

Futon bunk beds are perfect to maximize your space. They are great in kids' rooms, guest rooms and dorm rooms. Futon bunk beds feature a twin size bed on top and a full size futon on the bottom. The futon on the bottom can be converted from a full size bed to a couch, giving you great flexibility while maintaining ease of use. They also come in different styles and finishes (just change their covers to get new looks for your room). Loft bunk beds, too, are great space savers and work best for sleepovers and families with two or more children sharing a room.

What is the best age for your child to use a bunk bed? Most bunk beds are suitable for children five years and above, but it also depends upon the child. As long as your child is old enough to safely climb the bunk bed ladder, you can get a bunk bed. Usually the climb up to the top bunk is a piece of cake, but initially the climb down can be somewhat daunting. As long as you are close by to reassure your child there's no problem.

Kids learn fast and mastering the bunk bed ladder will come quickly and even give your child a sense of accomplishment. Not only that, but the top bunk is a really cool place for a kid to be. These days, kids have so many toys and distractions that hinder their imagination (think television and video games), so anything you can do to spark their imagination and get them active can only be a good thing. Pretend play gets more fun and creative with a themed bunk bed (a castle or dollhouse or your child's favorite character).

For a safe bunk bed, check to make sure the product is ASTM (or American Society for Testing Materials) safety certified. For the consumer, it means any bed purchased from a manufacturer that follows the ASTM guidelines will have sturdy, secured guard rails and the positioning of the guard rails is such that little heads are too big to get caught between them, thus avoiding strangulation, and little hands and feet are too small to get wedged between them, thus avoiding broken bones. Also, guard rails are crucial in preventing mishaps and falls from the top bunk.

For a change, climb atop your child's bunk bed and marvel at a different perspective to life - simple and honest - just like that of a child's.