Summer is here, and our walks along the beach have become more regular again. On these trips I can never resist picking up beach treasures – whether it be in the form of sea-glass, or sea-pottery, interesting pieces of driftwood, and even bits of old rope or other flotsam and jetsam. Collecting it however is one thing, finding something to do with it all is entirely another. So it was good to finally put a few bits and pieces to use to create these Mini Seaside Dioramas. The containers for these were simply some small lidded cardboard boxes I had lying around (I have saved the lids for future use!) Backgrounds were created using some of the painted papers which myself and the kids have created in the past and which I have also previously stored for future use. It also enabled me to try out my brand new Glue Gun – I had never used one of these before, but can see why they’re so popular, as it was a lot less messy using it rather than standard glue which can take a while to try and can be more fiddly to apply. I also wanted to introduce an element of fun and movement to each diorama – so the fish danging in the box (created from pieces of sea glass, with details drawn on with a silver pen) can move from side to side, the sailing boat on its stick (created from a mini piece of driftwood) can bob up and down on the waves, and the seagulls by the lighthouse (also a small piece of driftwood, sat on pebbles) can move up and down. This is a fun summer project if you fancy trying it. It would be suitable for older kids to do, but it’s a bit too complex and fiddly for younger children. If you don’t have any suitable ‘finds’ available then the objects can be created using paper and card alone, though collecting them is half the fun if you’re able to do so! As well as being fun, it’s also got plenty of learning value too, as some thought and planning has to be given to how to create the 3 dimensional effect, and how to introduce and construct the mechanism for movement, so that there are elements of art, design and engineering coming into play here. Enjoy your summer – and hopefully it won’t be too long this time before there’s something new to see here!