Paint the inside box bottom and all but one long side a sky-blue color. Paint a bright sun in the sky. Stand the box up on its long side. After brushing a layer of school or craft glue on the inside of the long, bottom side, sprinkle a thin layer of sand on the glue. Once the bottom is dry, mound small piles of sand in a couple of places to form slight hills. Arrange rocks in several areas. Place small, live, potted or artificial cactus in the model. Desert animals include scorpions, tarantulas, lizards, rodents, foxes and hawks. Acquire small toy model animals or create clay ones. Place the animals in the habitat in appropriate places such as under the edge of a rock or cactus as if seeking shelter. Secure them with hot or craft glue.
Paint the inside bottom and all but one long side of the box a blue color representing the sky. Include clouds and sun if desired. Stand the box on its long edge. Glue pieces of artificial or real grass and leaves on the bottom of the box for the forest floor. Glue twigs to the blue background as tree trunks. Include a paper or straw bird nest in one or more of the trees. Add artificial or paper leaves to the trees. Arrange rock "boulders" and smaller bushes around the forest floor. Create clay models of forest animals or use small toy models. Examples of temperate forest animals include birds, deer, rabbits, squirrels, foxes, turtles, porcupines, bears and raccoons. Place these in appropriate places such as in trees or on rocks and secure with hot glue.
Paint the bottom of the box and all but one long side blue. Include clouds and sun as desired. Stand the box on its long edge. Glue a few twigs to the blue sky background to create trees in the distance behind the pond. Add painted or paper leaves to them. Cut a large oval pond shape from glossy blue paper such as gift wrap or specialty craft paper. Glue the oval on the long edge that is the habitat model bottom. Around the blue oval pond place rolled up pieces of modeling clay. Into the modeling clay push small pieces of straw or artificial reeds to simulate the reeds that might grow along the pond edge. Cover the remaining bottom of the box in dirt, grass or leaf material. Cut lily pad shapes from green felt, paper or artificial plant material. Glue these on the blue paper pond. Create pond creatures such as frogs, fish, birds, insects, turtles and small mammals. Place these in and around the pond, securing them with glue.
Paint the inside bottom and all but one long side of the box a sky color. Stand the box up on its long edge. Along the bottom of the sky background, glue pieces of straw or artificial grasses to represent the tall savanna grasses. Glue dirt and straw on the box bottom to represent the savanna ground. You can include a small, blue paper pond to represent an animal watering hole. Glue a couple of twigs with paper leaves to the background to represent the sparse trees of the savanna. Add a few, small bushes to the model floor made from clay, paper or artificial plant material. Savanna animals include elephants, zebra, lions, gazelles, rhinoceroses, giraffes and birds of prey. Place toy, paper or clay models of these in the habitat, securing them with glue.