looking for tips on what boys like to have in their bedrooms once at school

[Sosca]

About to decorate my boys' bedroom and trying to anticipate what they are likely to need there in a few years time. They are are currently nearly 5 and nearly 3 and sleep in bunk beds. I'd like this redecoration to last for several years so trying to imagine past the playdough era to what they'll want later on... e.g. do they need a desk in their room for homework? Or perhaps it's actually best not to? Presumably they'll grow out of choo choo train curtains etc, so best to keep them plain or does the aeroplane/cars/cement mixer fetish thing last for a few more years? Anything one can get to make playdates run smoothly (my eldest rather shy so needs help with that) Anyone have any tricks that worked well for them? Many thanks!

My boys rooms are dead plain, I hate themes..but they have big boxes of toys under the bed for a good 'rummage' when a friend comes round.

Lots of lego, playmobil etc, so I have kept furniture to a minimum as they like to lie on the floor to get the birds eye view of the action.

Keep storage at their level, then they can get it out and tidy up themselves.

Oh, and they have each got a little folding wooden table should the urge to draw or write something overtake them!

Plain.

You can add colour with duvet covers. My boys have a flag one each, a Union 'Jack' and a flag of St 'George', but otherwise the rooms are white.

personally we decorated DS's bedroom plain magnolia and I'm really glad we did. The walls are covered in posters of footballers, wallcharts of planets, a huge map of the world etc. These have all been up for about a year and replaced the earlier posters of the alphabet, colours, trains etc (DS is 6 and a half by the way).

He does have a desk in his room but doesn't use it much at all. Homework needs to be supervised still at this age. He has been asking for a sofa for a while though as he does read and awful lot and I guess finds the floor uncomfortable and doesn't want to sit on his bed if it's the morning and he's just got out of it .

Incidently, one of DS's friends (same age) is still mad about the cars and trains but DS definitely gave all that up when he discovered football and countries of the world.

my DC have had space / rockets and stuff since ds1 was 4 and ds2 18mo (luckily reasonably oblivious at that time or we'd have had to get red racing cars everywhere...) They are both happy with it at 7 &4and a half now, and DS1 is in the middle of making a 'solar system' from a kit that he was given at christmas. plain blue carpet and plain walls with rocket stickers on and a job-lot of glow in the dark stars. oh, and some fairy lights along the bunks. they have a spacey lava lamp thingy as a night light. looks really good, and in effect the only thing i've paid much for is the bedding. Gist is, in boys rooms the biggest issue is storage for all the cars, trains and train-tracks that they acquire, so scrap the desk theory (mine do homework on the breakfast bar in the kitchen, so i can supervise whilst the tea cooks!) go for piles of storage. We have ikea shelving and blue stacker boxes, which looks very smart but it's easy for them to get at. Also easy to put away in a hurry!!

Magnolia and no desk it is then. Many thanks, v useful!

my ds's room is plain white, with lots of cupboards for all the lego/playmobil/starwars stuff (all in different plastic boxes). He loves to stick random things on the wall,(lots of posters) and also has a notice board. He also has a big bookcase as he loves to read. He does have a desk, but doesn't use it for homework - the playmobil seems to migrate onto it.

Other than the cupboards and desk, he only has a bed and wardrobe. the only "decoration" is the curtains and duvet cover. He also has a couple of rugs as the floor is stripped floorboards.

Temporary stick arounds are good. DS had Thomas the Tank Engine ones when we decorated his room when he was four. He is now six and last week when his friend from school was coming round to play he asked me and DH to take down the Thomas stickers!! Quick blast of warm air from the hairdryer and they peeled off easily.

Did make me teensy bit sad that you're too old for Thomas when you're 6 - I don't know, the youth of today !!!!