Kids Chairs Intro
So you’ve got your child’s room painted and perhaps their bed is decked out with their favorite cartoon character bedding, but what about kids chairs? Well get to that but first to recap, in my previous article on children’s bedroom furniture, we took a look at how to add a generalized base upon which many decorative themes could be built. To explain a bit further, I am the father of one, seven-year-old little girl. And like most seven-year olds, her interests flit like butterfly’s wings and so it’s kind of like that parable about a butterfly flitting its wing in the Indian ocean and over the distance the change in air current causes a huge hurricane to hit the United States. Her wing’s flit and it causes my wallet to open and money to fly out. The partial solution is to lay down a neutral base theme that works well with whatever might be in style now but also in the future. For girls, that usually means pink walls, rugs and curtains. For boys, that probably means painting some kind of jungle theme—would work well for soldiers, dinosaurs etc.

Now getting back to kids chairs… Choosing a kids chair is actually more complicated than you think because unlike other furniture items, your children will outgrow their chairs. A twin bed will be good enough until you kids leave for college or life but the chair they use a five, will be either hand-me-down fodder  or end up in a garage sale before they double in age. And again, think about that same five-year old, he’s likely going to be using that chair for a ton of different uses, like standing on to reach a light switch. In that case, you’ll want a wide base so that the chair won’t tip over and so anything with wheels on it is definitely out. Did you know they make a kids recliner chair? Well they do and again, this is probably a bad choice for a little one as the reclining parts can pinch little hands. But enough of things to think about, lets look a little bit at the different kinds of chairs you might be considering for your little one’s room.

The Kids Table and Chairs
Having Winnie the Pooh and Eeyore over for tea? Want to just sit and color or how about playing with play-doh? All these things require a kids table and chairs. You know the ones I’m talking about, their low to the ground and provide a “proper,” place setting for all your child’s imaginary friends for a great cup of imaginary tea. These table sets also multi-task for all the arts and crafts your child might want to do. Things like putting a puzzle together, or stacking block or even simply reading a book. I tend to go for real wood if I can get it so you might shop around in thrift store, garage sales and even Ebay. Whatever you do, keep away from anything with sharp corners for obvious reasons. Don’t be afraid to go for pieces with “cosmetic challenges” because if it’s wood, it’s super easy to refinish. And if you do go the refinish route, for an extra touch, you every tea time friend, can create their own personalized kids chair by painting their names on the back.

Kids High Chair
Another corner-stone piece of furniture in our path to adult hood. We’ve all been there and that’s the high chair. For every meal of the day, you’ll need a piece of furniture that can keep your toddler constrained enough to ensure that they’ll get the nutrients they need. Of course you shouldn’t over look the fact that a large majority of what your trying to get into them will end up all over the chair and everywhere else. With that in mind, you’ll be looking for surfaces that are stain resistant as well as easy to clean. A plastic try and removable seat cover will go along ways towards making sure that over time the chair doesn’t start growing like a high-school science experiment. Also important is a large stable base and some kind of seat belt systems to prevent junior from falling out or being knocked over it he gets excited. Another chair that is associated with meal time is the kids rocking chair because it’s generally a good idea to burp your toddler once they’ve finished eating and there’s no better place to do that, than a rocking chair.

Bean Bag Chair For Kids
A bean bag chair for kids is great for children that are a little older. They’re great for jumping on, watching tv, playing video games and the like. Plus there cheap and you’ll be able to find them almost anywhere. If you’re shopping for one try to find one with a washable out cover. Like anything kids use, it’s bound to get grimy in the long run and they outer cover will help a lot.

Kids Desk Chair
As your kids get older, homework will play a larger and larger role in their lives. The best place to study and do homework is at a desk dedicated for such. With a lamp and the right chair, it will provide the ideal environment for learning. For the lamp, desk lamps that clamp on and are adjustable are usually best.  For the chair there is a little bit of debate about whether kids office chairs are best or some other kind of desk chair and for my daughter, I’ve elected for the other kind. Maybe it’s because she’s still young but I’ve caught her using the chair as a step stool and if it were an office chair there’s a good chance she could injure herself. In that respect, a kids desk chair should be solid. This probably also keeps them from squirming around in their seats too.

The Last Straw…
As your children grow up, they of course go through many different phases, some of which, I’ve talked about here. And as they go through these changes, their requirements in furniture change as well. Starting with a kids table and chairs during those make believe years all the way through looking around for the right desk chair it’s important to have the right piece of furniture for that right stage in life. Happy Hunting!

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