Imagine a fantasyland wrapped in a world of sleepy time and you have the image of the perfect kids' bed tent. A cozy nook designed especially for a child, children's bed tents offer many advantages for kids and their parents.
Types of Kids' Bed Tents
Bed tents come in all different sizes, styles, and price points so there's something just right for every kid. Consider your needs, budget, and child's bed size then pick the kind of bed tent that works best for your family.
Privacy Bed Tent
A privacy bed tent covers the entire bed and typically is attached with a fitted sheet sewn to the tent. Some have flaps where the child can enter while others have a roll-up style shade for a door or even zip closed for total privacy. Most styles have a rounded roof shape. These are great for kids who have trouble staying in bed while trying to fall asleep, are light sleepers, or are afraid of going to bed at night.
- Privacy Pop's The Bed Tent costs just under $130 for a twin size. The sleek design and variety of options like zip or roll-up doors and use on all types of mattresses make it fashionable and functional for any kid. It comes in 13 colors like Camo or Teal and 8 sizes including Twin XL, Toddler, and Twin Bunk.
- Get an imaginative and private space with a Galactic Spaceship Twin Bed Tent from Walmart for about $165. From the outside, it looks like a blue and silver spaceship and from the inside kids can see a galaxy of stars.
- If you're on a budget and after a classic tent look, try the Gigakid Dream House bed tent. This tent looks like a house, fits a double bed, and only costs about $50.
Mosquito Net Bed Tent
See-through mesh surrounds your child's bed with a mosquito net bed tent. These tents typically fit on the entire bed the same way a privacy tent does, but you can still see the child while inside the tent and they can see you. Mosquito net styles are more decorative and work well in safari or jungle-themed bedrooms. They offer a fun place to sleep with a hint of added security.
- Give the little princess in your life a magical twin bed tent like the Light-Up Under the Sea bed tent for only $145. The aqua mesh is draped like a Disney princess skirt and features coral accents plus an LED sea urchin light for the kid who loves The Little Mermaid.
- The yurt shape of the Mongolia Net bed tent is low for rooms with low ceilings. For only $20 you get a double size sheer mosquito net tent with two zippered doors.
- Add a hint of color to your child's bed with the Pop-Up Mosquito Net Tent for about $35. Choose from sheer blue, pink, or brown in this easy set up tent that comes in sizes Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, or California King.
Tunnel Bed Tent
A tunnel bed tent is shaped like a wide tunnel and covers about three-quarters of the bed. Kids can crawl in one open end that faces the foot of the bed. These tents are often easier to put on that full privacy tents, but offer almost the same about of privacy.
- Dream Tents are a popular brand of a short tunnel bed tent that comes in Twin for just under $20 or Full/Queen for just under $30. Each tent is themed with elaborately illustrated fabrics like Space Adventure, Fairytale Forest, and Undersea world. They're super easy to put on with plastic clasps that run under the mattress.
- If you own the IKEA Kura Bed, you can buy the KAO Mart Canopy tunnel bed tent for it in either green or blue for only about $24. It clips onto the sides of this particular bed, but the notes suggest a handy parent could attach this to any bed frame.
Bunk Bed or Loft Bed Tent
If your child has a bunk bed or loft bed, you can buy a bed tent set that covers the entire bed and looks like a real house, castle, or other structure. This kind of bed tent transforms your child's bed into a magical playhouse and cozy sleep area. Families with limited space for large toys can use the bed tent to make the bed double as a play area. They also work great for extravagantly themed kids' rooms.
- Turn your child's entire loft bed into a hunting blind or secret military base with the Camouflage Tent Bunk Bed. It costs nearly $300 but features a tunnel bed tent for the top bunk and curtains to completely enclose the bottom bunk or lower area of a loft bed.
- Transform your child's top bunk with a Universal Tent Kit in white and pink that features a cutout window with curtains and canopy top that runs the length of the bed for only $130.
Shaped Bed Canopy
Create a fun bed with a shaped bed canopy that hangs over your child's head, but doesn't necessarily spread out around the whole bed. This type of canopy is more about a decorative touch than anything else.
- The cute House Canopy from Pottery Barn Kids costs about $80 and features white, red, and blue fabrics. The canopy sits over your child's head and is shaped like a house with windows on the side panels.
- If your child's bed rests against the wall, try the Justina Blakeney Canvas Crochet Canopy that runs up the entire wall then just out as a structured canopy like one you might see on a business storefront. The beautiful overhang is crocheted and features fringe in this off-white canopy that costs about $150.
Draped Bed Canopy
Draped bed canopies hang from the ceiling and feature a large ring or hoop draped with flowing fabric. Depending on where you hang the ring and how you place the fabric, you can get a variety of looks and bed coverage. Kids can enclose themselves when they want to or have the canopy just overhead and draped at the sides.
- Target's Pillowfort brand bed canopies come in standard styles or whimsical shapes such as the Castle Bed Tent with a gray castle wall motif or the Rocket Bed Canopy shaped like a full-size rocket. All Pillowfort canopies cost between $30 and $40 dollars each.
- The Princess Bed Canopy from Walmart comes in your choice of beige, gray, pink, or white and features a pointed top with plain, flowing fabric. Prices vary by color from around $13 to $35.
Benefits of Kids' Bed Tents
Bed tents are contraptions safely placed on top of a child's bed so they can climb under the tent and completely relax. A tent can make bedtime fun and exciting, especially if children are only given access to the tent during nighttime hours. Over time, using a bed tent can be a privilege and many kids will cooperate simply for permission just to get inside and go to sleep!
Feeling of Security
Children are notorious for saying they are afraid of going to sleep because there are monsters under their bed, they're afraid of the dark, or they're scared to be alone in their rooms. Kids bed tents can be instant solutions to some of these common problems.
- Provides a covering or a form of protection for the child.
- The covering helps a child believe that he or she is safe from anything scary.
- Tents turn into mini-homes for children by including stuffed animals so they don't feel alone.
Use the Imagination
One of the best aspects of bed tents for children is that they encourage kids to be creative and use their imaginations.
- Children can pretend that they are going to sleep inside a castle, on a train, with their favorite princess, or inside of their favorite type of car.
- Tents help children to fall asleep in happy moods, thus promoting peaceful sleep.
- Upon waking, children may decide not to race out of their rooms to wake up their parents in the morning.
Provides Privacy
Every child needs a special place for privacy. Especially in a household filled with other kids or if a child shares a room with a sibling, a bed tent can provide a space to be alone. A private space is a perfect spot to read, think, play, or even talk with an imaginary friend!
Camp In Every Night
Sleeping alone can be scary and uncomfortable for many kids. Make the bedtime experience more secure and fun with a cool bed tent option. Bed tents and canopies can be used with any type of bed, including air mattresses and even double as a unique way to create a reading nook in the corner of the room.
