A Cardboard Zoo

So yesterday I  made a cardboard zoo. It had just been a "good idea" ever since I read a book about things to make with cardboard ... and finally I made it.

  

 

Materials:  

cardboard boxes

felt

people (Playmobil, Lego, etc.) 

plastic animals

plastic canvas mesh

paper

pen

wooden sticks 

tape (duct and packing)

accessories (fences, brushes, trees, etc.)

blocks

scissors

box cutter

pom-poms

Tic-Tac

beads 

yellow pipe cleaner

Step 1:

Put the boxes in the arrangement you want. 

Step 2:

Arrange the animals so you will know how big the cages should be. 

Step 3:

Make whichever part you choose to next. I will describe each room below its picture. 

   

 The banner is made out of paper.  I drew the word "Zoo" on it.  

I attached it to the wooden poles with Tic-Tac, but you can use tape. 

The wooden poles are attached to the box with tape. 

Cut the gate opening.

Cut a piece of the plastic canvas mesh the size of the opening.  

Tape it to the opening with duct tape. 

The receptionist desk is just made of cardboard, folded to the right size. 

Write the fee sign and cut it to desired size.  Tape. 

Make the door for the receptionist desk and tape it on.

 

 The aviary is made out of the plastic canvas mesh.  I taped two pieces together and then 

taped it to the wall.  I fastened the other end with Tic-Tac, so that I could lift up the cage.  

The blocks hide the Tic-Tac and make a good viewing platform for the children. 

I cut a cardboard  wall and door for the cage (it's on the right - not visible) and taped it to the floor.

 The place for tigers and lions is simply blocks put in a good arrangement. 

 

 This is the back of the tiger and lion enclosure. 

 I cut little doors in between and put blue felt for water in each room.  

I added a red pom-pom for meat and a toilet paper roll for the tigers to play with. 

I taped a cardboard wall in between with packing tape.

 The kangaroo enclosure has felt for grass, a feeding trough from Playmobil with beads in it and a piece of plastic canvas mesh taped to the wall and the blocks.

 The petting zoo was the easiest.  All I had to do was stick the stuff in.  

On the right is where you get animals to pull carts with kids in them.  

 For the herbivorian, African wild life I put felt on the bottom of their enclosure, put a Playmobil fence on the edge, added trees and animals and cut up pipe-cleaners for hay. 

For the ferocious African animals, I put green felt on the bottom for grass, blue felt in a lake shape for the pond, added a divider (cardboard and packing tape) added some fake stones (real will do), added the animals and made them hilarious by putting Playmobil hay in their mouths.  

Lastly, we cut the doors wherever we wanted between the boxes and taped the boxes together. 

Now you're done. Have fun!!!