This year your son may love dinosaurs, and next year it could be cars or insects or certain Disney characters. Wall decals are the perfect option for decorating a room that’s destined to change.

Unlike wallpaper, these contemporary choices stick on and peel off without damaging the underlying paint. The relatively low cost and ease of installation make it easy to see decals as temporary. You may want to require a certain length of time for your child to live with any decal choice – say a year – to ensure that your child thinks carefully about the decision.

This child’s room, part of the Rancho Mirage model in the Oasis at Freeman Farms community, really works with the jungle animal theme. The hippo, monkey and elephant are darling representations, and the decals are echoed in the quilt on the bed. Add the stuffed monkey and a throw pillow in coordinating colors, and this bedroom has a finished and inviting feel.

Sometimes having art hanging on the walls can lead to accidents with overly-energetic kids. Decals provide the feeling of art without hanging things on the walls that might tumble off. You can just see the corner of the window on the left. Putting up wood blinds and a simple valance at the top removes the temptation to swing from curtains but still provides a nice-looking window. Hunter Douglas window coverings have special child-safe pulls, which makes them even better for this room.

The padded headboard and table lamps encourage a child to sit up and read in bed before going to sleep. Plan space for those activities you want your children to engage in and you provide unspoken encouragement to help develop the right habits. And when your child outgrows the elephant and hippos, you can just put up new decals, pick up a new quilt, and the room is remade.