Kids Biome Diorama Project

In layman's terms that's shoe box climates :o).  Of course since I am a crafter, I will have them make paper crafts. I am on the search for ideas for a desert and rain forest.  Luckily I was able to find a diy on how make a palm tree using news paper and construction paper.  However, I am a DIY cheat and will use a toilet tissue roll and cardstock colored green.  They will be coloring or painting white cardstock green for their leaves.  For the desert biome my son will be creating cacti out of the colored or painted cardstock and using tissue paper for the flowers and rice for the spines.  He will also be creating the cacti from Christmas tree branches and needles.

Here is the idea that inspired his cacti.

Cacti

On to the animals of the desert... I am thinking that perhaps we will use a camel made from my cricut, with the exception that camels are only in the Saharan deserts or the Egyptian/middle eastern deserts.  In the American deserts there are snakes but what else?  Also, how geographically correct do we need to be for a 4th grader's project?  Here is a cute snake project that I found as well..

Fun paper snakes

Now my little girl is doing the rainforest and she wants snakes, birds and an alligator.

Here is a cute alligator that I found for her project.

Alligator Craft

My son has decided that he wants snakes, camels, and vultures (total boy lol).  The background will have an Arabian cityscape and the birds will have textured wings and perhaps feathers and will be flying from the top of the shoebox.

Is there anything else that we should be including?  Of course I will post the final pictures of their projects :o)

Here is the update!  The kids and I have been working all day.  They have made the Crafty Mommy/Mimi Mocha Frugalista proud.  They painted, cut, and applied these biomes with my guidance for some and their own interpretations for others.  These are their almost finalized projects.  My son (desert biome) has to add crystals for the "stars" and hang more birds. I believe he wants to do some more camels and perhaps a rabbit.  Sorry for the bad cell phone pictures, but I will try to take and upload them from my digi when he is done.  She also has birds that need to be hung.

Heidi's project will have more palm trees and we will even them out.  She also wants to add a waterfall.  She has a green crocodile that will need to be painted green.  I think that the very large snakes need to be brought down to size, but she likes them and that's all that matters.