Expert: Ginger Lordy - 12/8/2005

Question
i need to know how to make a box look like a cave
from the inside of a shoe box. please let me know what materials i need and i need to show plants and animals. Im in first grade. thanks

Answer
Hi Julissa,

There are a few ways you could make a shoebox into a cave habitat.  You might want to paint or color the inside of the box brown or gray before putting your plants and animals inside.

You could use some heavy paper like posterboard and draw some plants and animals on it, leave a little room on the bottom for a tab (like the bottom of an L)  Then to attach it to the box in a three-dimensional way fold the tab behind the picture and tape it to the box.

Another material you could use is clay or fimo - fimo is colored clay that an adult can help you bake in your oven at home.  You could make plants and animals and bake them, you will probably need to attach them with soem funtack or double sided tape or glue.

Pipe cleaners might also help with making animals - you should have an adult help with this, the ends can be a bit sharp because it is wire.

For rocks you might want to get some little pebbles and attach them inside for rocks in the cave.  You could also look in nature for other cavelike natural objects to include.

Hope this helps,
Ginger