About a decade ago, the first race car beds came on the scene, Complete with steering wheel and faux racing slicks, the bed was the first kids bedroom furniture that was functional as well as extremely fun. Kids all over the world no longer dreaded going to sleep. Instead, they hopped into their bed and drove off into a night filled with dreams of winning at Daytona or Indianapolis.

With its success, it was inevitable that other manufacturers jumped on the themed kids bedroom furniture bandwagon. Now there are pirate ships, tree houses, princess beds and beds with slides to keep kids? busy before bedtime. Plus, it's not hard to get a child to go to bed on time when the adventure of kids bedroom furniture awaits them.

When creating a themed room for kids bedroom furniture, consider adding other pieces to the room to support the main pieces. This may include wallpapers, wall d'cor, art or lighting that make the room look cohesive. For example, you can add a nautical lamp to a pirate themed room as well as a wall set that has pirates and even a full sized ship on it.

For little girls, the life of a princess can take on an entirely new meaning with kids bedroom furniture. A canopied bed and matching vanity can work wonders for your little princess and provide hours of play time fun.

As your child grows, of course, kids bedroom furniture can too. As the teenage years approach, chances are your children won't want themed furniture any more. Luckily, kids bedroom furniture comes in a wide range of styles for older kids too.

If your son or daughter has friends over often, consider a bunk bed. The newer models of kids bedroom furniture offer a twin up top and a full size bunk below. Many even have desks tucked into the end for studying.

New ideas have fundamentally changed the way kids bedroom furniture is designed these days. This is particularly true with the traditional twin bed. Designers realized that space is always a premium for children of all ages and that the space above a bed usually goes to waste.

Their solution: Raise the kids bedroom furniture up on posts and use the space below for additional seating or as a workspace. Now kids have a place to study, play video games and work on hobbies in a space that used to be unavailable.

When selecting kids bedroom furniture for the home, be sure you keep in mind your children's interests and lifestyle. Choose a bed and other kids bedroom furniture that can grow with them over time or be handed down to their little brother or sister. You'll be amazed how fast the years go by and having kids bedroom furniture that can grow with the family is a good strategy.