Have you ever thought to yourself that if you were to win the lottery you’d start a sanctuary for animals? I know I did. Until that day comes, with some cardboard and glue, you can be well on your way to creating your very own virtual sanctuary.

If you’re doing this project with your children or students, might we be so bold to suggest you accompany this project with some reading of Chapter 3 of Do Unto Animals? Discuss what makes each animal species happy and what makes them unhappy. To expand on this conversation, you could relate the animals’ likes and dislikes with your own child’s likes and dislikes. Time spent discussing empathy is always time well spent!

** More information on how to make a farm animal happy can be found in Do Unto Animals **

What You Need:

• Standard cardboard box
• Red acrylic paint
• White masking tape
• Acrylic felt: green, blue and brown
• Box cutter

1. CHOOSE a cardboard box that is the right size for your barn. TURN the box upside-down and REMOVE all side flaps, placing all spare cardboard to the side.

2. PAINT the box with red acrylic paint and allow to dry.

3. DRAW a square barn door on the front side of your barn. CUT along the top edge of your door and straight down the middle. This will create two stable doors. If you want your barn doors to open in quarters, cut horizontally across the doors.

Pigs figurines playing in foam "mud" with cow and sheep figurines in the background in front of crafted red barn.

4. USE the remaining cardboard pieces to create the roof of your barn and hold in place with strips of duct tape.

5. CUT windows into the side of your barn using your xacto knife. ADD white masking tape details around each window, and along the door and roof.

6. ADD outdoor features to your barn. Roll out green felt for grass. Cut out a patch of blue felt for a pond. Use brown felt to make a mud puddle. Glue these pieces in place on the grass or keep them as separate, moveable features.

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