Paper Diorama

Recently, we've tried to recycle as much of our paper and plastic trash by turning them into toys for Aina. Besides getting free materials for our craft activities, we hope that by doing this, it extends the life-cycle of previously unwanted wrapping materials, cardboard boxes, plastic bottles etc., and usually results in a fun and educational day (or couple of hours). Better yet, things that we make out of trash don't have to be perfect. Aina can help cut and glue things without being afraid of making mistakes. Worst case scenario, we can just throw it away and move on to the next one.

We recently bought a book online and it came in a slim cardboard box. We opened up the box and told Aina that we should pretend that it's the ground (shoe boxes will also work for this diorama). Then we cut a few pieces of colored paper and glued them together and to the "ground" to make grass, some rocks and a tree. A blue piece of paper was cut and glued down to make a small pond in the landscape. Then I made an origami frog and a turtle to live by the pond in a little green hut. Aina wanted to add some fish in the pond as well, so we made some red ones. Tiny square pieces of paper became the fish food, and later got sprinkled all over the place... 

When we were finished playing and creating, we folded the cardboard box back neatly into it's original shape for easy storage in Aina's bookshelf (with all the animals inside, of course).