Nature Boxes

I have to admit, I have been wanting to make a 3d nature box for a while now.  But it takes a certain age kid, other than myself, to have the attention and want to learn.  Learn a little about habitat and environment and landscape.  Then put it together in a small world view. 

We found up one shoe box and split it between two kiddos and I got a smaller box.  While the rain dried off outside, we decided to decorate the inside of our nature scenes.  We used construction paper to line our boxes with blue skies, snow capped mountains and green hillsides.  Each one of us used our imaginations big time! 

Then after the day warmed up a bit, we each grabbed a paper bag and headed out to collect bits of nature for our shadow boxes.  We didn't have to go far at all.  We found small rocks, moss, flowers, tree bark, twigs, and grasses.  When we all felt we had enough, we headed back in.

We glued trees in moss to make it stand up.  We made ponds and glued rocks and pebbles all around.  All in all we probably spent three hours making our shadow boxes, maybe more.  We wound up having lunch right after we finished.  Everyone was very pleased with their creations.  Even this big kid.