Junior Ranger Nature Decorations

Create Faux Boulders, Ponds & Trees for a Nature Themed Party

Mar 19, 2007

Learn how to create faux boulder, stones, rock walls, ponds and trees to decorate for your Cub Scout or Nature Inspired children's birthday party.

The easiest way to “decorate” for this party is to hold it outside at a park, in your backyard or at a forest preserve. Mother Nature will be your decorator!

However ……. for those who are not faint of heart, an indoor party is a little bit of an undertaking, but it has tremendous impact. The kids are in awe when they enter the Great Outdoors ……… in your basement! With a couple of rolls of contractor’s kraft paper, some spray paint and masking tape, you can create rock ledges, boulders, a pond, trees and stumps.

Boulders and Rocks:

Crumple large sheets of kraft paper (for the most economical variety, purchase contractor rolls at your Home Depot, Menard’s or Lowe’s).
Gather each sheet into a somewhat spherical shape, and secure it with masking tape on the bottom of the sphere.
Using several colors of spray paint --- try taupe, rust, brown, sage and other natural tones --- highlight the kraft paper spheres in bold splotches and swipes.
You can even try the faux stone or faux granite spray paint available in your local craft store, for a more textural effect.
In any case, experiment and practice on a couple of trial boulders, and you’ll be a “rock-solid” boulder maker in no time!

Rock Ledges:

Rather than creating spherical stones, as described above, form the crumpled kraft paper into longer, flatter shapes.
Once the paint has dried, gently stack the rectangular stones into a ledge, securing the backside and/or undersides on the rocks with masking tape.

Trees:

Returning to your roll of contractor’s kraft paper, tear off a sheet that is as long as the height of your walls.
Boldly sketch a tree trunk, using the medium of your choice --- crayons, markers, spray paint, colored pencils --- and tack it to your wall.
For the leaf canopy, cut out a slew of leaf shapes from kraft paper that’s already been colored in various shades of green, and randomly attach the leaves to the upper third of the wall, in an umbrella shape.

Tree Stump:

Cover the top of a round table with …. you guessed it – kraft paper!
Create a floor-length skirt by attaching a long strip of kraft paper along the circumference of the table.
Using markers, crayons, spray paint or pencils, draw annual rings on the top surface of the stump and bark along the skirt.

Pond:

Using a wall as the far edge of the pond and the backside of a couch (with all the cushions removed) as the near edge of the pond, cover the pond with strips of crumpled kraft paper that’s been painted as described in the boulder instructions.
Drape blue plastic or fabric tablecloths along the seat of the couch and onto the floor below, extending to the wall. This material will become the pond water.
Using a combination of rock ledges, rock boulders, potted houseplants, and natural plant material from your yard, complete the entire edge of the pond.
Stack and stagger these materials to achieve the most natural appearance.
You can also place some of the shorter materials on the seat of the couch, to disguise its shape.

More Junior Ranger ideas will be posted this month. Keep checking back!

The copyright of the article Junior Ranger Nature Decorations in Children's Parties is owned by Janice Benoit. Permission to republish Junior Ranger Nature Decorations must be granted by the author in writing.