Natural and Recycled Dioramas

The trees may be bare, but nature still provides a great canvas for play no matter what the season. Weather permitting, get kids started by having them gather whatever they can find outdoors - sticks, rocks, acorn tops. Bring out some old, empty shoeboxes and create a little world inside with their newfound goodies as well as odds and ends from around the toy chest (random cars, princess figurines, and miniature ponies welcome). Decorate backdrops by cutting interesting pictures out of old magazines and newspapers. Creating a diorama will keep kids busy as they get creative on a small scale - think acorn tops as fairy bowls bowls, rocks as chairs, tiny twigs as firewood, etc.