Kid-Friendly Furniture That Lasts: A Family Guide

What makes furniture kid-friendly?

Kids use furniture harder than adults do. Chairs get rocked, drawers get yanked open and tables turn into art studios. Kid-friendly furniture is built for that kind of use, and set up so it can't hurt anyone.

For most of the house, you don't need special "kids' furniture." You need sturdy pieces, chosen with these details in mind.

Which wood holds up best to kids?

All hardwoods are "hardwoods," but not all of them are hard. Penn State Extension explains the difference: hardwood is a botanical group, while hardness is how well a wood resists denting. It's measured by the force needed to press a steel ball 11.28 mm wide halfway into the wood.

Their table shows how much species differ. Northern red oak measures 5,700 newtons and white ash 5,900. Black cherry and red maple each measure 4,200. Eastern white pine, a common softwood, measures only 1,700. So red oak takes about 35 percent more force to dent than cherry, and more than three times as much as white pine.

Cherry is still a fine choice for a family. It just shows dents sooner than oak. Use a harder wood for the pieces that take the most abuse, like dining tables and kids' desks, and choose the wood you love for the rest.

On our site, the 34 children's and youth bedroom pieces we checked all list the same 12 wood choices, including red oak, hickory, hard maple, cherry and walnut. Our children's chairs come in oak, sap cherry or brown maple. If you're torn, ask to see samples of two species side by side.

Is solid wood better than veneer for a kids' room?

Kids find the weak spots in furniture fast. A chipped corner on a laminate dresser or a swollen spot on a particleboard shelf is hard to fix. A scratch in solid wood, on the other hand, is a scratch in more of the same wood. Our guide to solid wood vs veneer vs MDF shows how to tell what a piece is made of before you buy.

Drawers deserve a close look too. Of the kids' beds, chests, dressers and nightstands on our site, 22 list dovetailed drawers and 21 list full-extension drawer slides. Full-extension slides let a drawer open all the way, so a child can reach the back without pulling the drawer off its track.

How do you keep dressers and bookcases from tipping over?

This is the most important safety step in a home with small children. According to the CPSC, reports received between 2000 and 2010 showed that on average one child died every two weeks when a TV, piece of furniture or appliance fell on them. CPSC staff estimated that more than 22,000 children age 8 and younger were treated in emergency rooms for tip-over injuries from 2008 to 2010.

The most common scenario is a toddler who climbs onto, falls against or pulls up on furniture. When furniture fell by itself or together with a TV, the CPSC found most of those deaths involved a chest, dresser or bureau, often with drawers a child could use as steps.

The CPSC's Anchor It! campaign recommends:

• Anchor furniture to the wall or the floor. Existing furniture can be secured with inexpensive anti-tip brackets.
• Install anti-tip devices right away if a new piece comes with them, and follow the manufacturer's instructions.
• Put TVs only on furniture made to hold them, like a TV stand or media center, and anchor the TV too.
• Remove temptations such as toys and remote controls from the tops of dressers and TV stands.
• Supervise children in rooms where these steps haven't been taken.

Kids' chests are tall pieces. The ones on our site run from 41 to 52 inches high. Plan the anchor at the same time you plan where the chest will go.

Are bunk beds safe for kids?

Bunk beds save floor space, but the top bunk is the risky spot. The federal bunk bed rule requires the instructions for every bunk bed to include these warnings:

• Do not allow children under 6 years of age to use the upper bunk.
• Use guardrails on both sides of the upper bunk.
• Prohibit horseplay on or under beds, and allow only one person on the upper bunk.
• Use the ladder for getting in and out of the upper bunk.

The American Academy of Pediatrics adds a few practical tips. Place the bunk bed in a corner with walls on two sides. Make sure the top mattress fits snugly in the frame. Use a night-light so your child can see the ladder, and keep any gap between the guardrail and the bed frame no wider than 3½ inches.

The bunk beds on our site stand 66 to 74 inches tall. For a full comparison of bunk, loft, trundle and drawer beds, read our guide to kids' storage beds.

What should you look for in a high chair or kids' chair?

A wood high chair can be a family keepsake, but it still has to be used safely. The CPSC reported an estimated 18,500 high chair injuries treated in U.S. emergency rooms in a recent two-year period. Most came from falls when a child climbed in or out, or when the chair tipped as a child pushed back or rocked.

The CPSC's tips for parents:

• Always use the safety straps and adjust them to fit snugly.
• Don't use the tray to hold the child in. Use the restraints.
• Stay near and watch your child during use.
• Don't let children climb into or stand on the high chair.

The CPSC also suggests checking the label for the date the chair was made, since its high chair standard applies to chairs made or imported on or after June 19, 2019.

Our children's chair collection has nine pieces: three high chairs, three youth chairs, two child's rockers and a child's side chair. The Mission High Chair page lists a slide-in tray that locks in several depths.

How do you buy kids' furniture that grows with them?

Pieces sized only for a toddler won't work for a ten-year-old. A few choices help a room last from the first big-kid bed to the teen years:

• Choose a style, not a theme. A plain panel bed and a simple chest look right at 5 and at 15. Cartoon shapes don't.
• Look for beds that come in more than one size. Six of the kids' beds on our site also come in full, queen or king, including the Storage Bed and the Bookcase Bed. A child can start in a twin, and the same design can follow them into a bigger room later.
• Plan for sleepovers. The Youth Twin Bed can be ordered with a pull-out trundle that is 11½ inches tall and tucks under the bed.
• Buy storage at adult sizes. The Youth Bedroom Collection pairs a twin bed with a 6-drawer dresser that is 54 inches wide, a 5-drawer chest, a 2-drawer nightstand and a toy box that is 35 inches wide.

Most of our furniture is made to order, so you can choose the wood and stain to match the rest of your home instead of a "kids only" finish.

What kind of dining table works for a family with kids?

The dining table takes most of the family wear: homework, crafts and spilled juice. A few things help:

• A bench on one side. A bench seats more small kids than chairs do, and it slides under the table when you need floor space.
• A harder wood for the top, such as oak or maple, if you expect a lot of craft projects.
• Placemats or a runner for paint, glue and markers.
• Leaves or an extension, so the table can grow for holidays and teenage friends.

Wipe spills right away and skip harsh cleaners. Our guide to heirloom furniture covers simple care that keeps a finish looking good for years.

Where can you see children's furniture in Lancaster, PA?

Kings Amish Furniture is a family business that began in Raymond King's woodshop in 1986. We have showrooms in Intercourse, PA (13 Center St) and Lancaster, PA (2460 Lincoln Hwy E, Rockvale), plus Murrells Inlet, SC (12052 Hwy 17 Bypass N). All three are open Monday to Friday 10 to 5 and Saturday 9 to 5, and closed Sunday.

Because most of our furniture is made to order, not every kids' piece will be on the floor. If you want to see a certain bed, chest or high chair, call ahead and we'll tell you what's in the showroom, and we can show you wood and stain samples either way. You can also browse our children's furniture, kids' beds and children's chests and dressers online.

Children's furniture from our collection

Frequently asked questions

Is solid wood furniture good for kids?

Yes, as long as you pick a harder species for the pieces that take the most wear and anchor tall pieces to the wall. Scratches in solid wood show the same wood underneath, while chips in veneer or laminate are harder to repair.

What is the most durable wood for kids' furniture?

Harder species dent less. In Penn State Extension's hardness table, northern red oak (5,700 newtons) and white ash (5,900) rank well above black cherry (4,200) and far above eastern white pine (1,700).

Do I need to anchor a kids' dresser?

Yes. The CPSC recommends anchoring furniture to the wall or floor and installing anti-tip devices right away. Most deaths from furniture falling on its own involved a chest, dresser or bureau.

At what age can a child sleep on the top bunk?

Not before age 6. That warning is required in bunk bed instructions under the federal rule, and the American Academy of Pediatrics gives the same advice.

Where can I buy children's furniture near Lancaster, PA?

You can visit our showrooms in Intercourse and in Rockvale, Lancaster, Monday to Saturday. Call ahead to ask which kids' pieces are on display.

Sources

• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: AnchorIt.gov
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Anchor It and Protect a Child (Publication 5004)
• 16 CFR Part 1513: Requirements for Bunk Beds
• American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org: Bunk Beds: Safety Information for Parents
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: New Federal Standard to Improve Safety of High Chairs Takes Effect
• Penn State Extension: Hardwood or Hard Wood?
• Product pages on kingsamishfurniture.com (sizes, wood choices and features as listed in November 2026)

How we made this guide: we read the product pages for the children's beds, chests, dressers, nightstands and chairs on our site and counted wood choices, sizes and drawer details, then checked safety guidance from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the federal bunk bed rule and the American Academy of Pediatrics, and wood hardness data from Penn State Extension. Every fact was checked against our product pages.