You can build your own baseball field of dreams on a small scale by making a diorama for a school art or book project. By the time you put the realistic finishing touches on your shoebox project, you'll almost be able to hear the umpire shout: "Play ball!"
Field of Dreams Project
A baseball stadium shoebox project is an ideal art lesson about point of view, scale, proportion and perspective. Draw sketches that can become the diorama's background, incorporating such elements as the scoreboard, crowd and cityscape. Students should sketch point of view, foreground, middle ground and background. The baseball diamond, bases, pitcher's mound and field can be made with construction paper or painted onto the box. Make paper-doll baseball players or form them from clay.
If the setting for your book project novel is a Little League baseball field, stand the shoebox upright. Paint the lower half of the backside green and the upper half blue. Glue on some cotton balls for clouds. Use paint to make small dots on either side of the shoebox to represent fans in the stands. Make bases out of paper and glue them to the field. Place a figure in the middle as the pitcher, along with a batter and a catcher at home plate.
Project for Young Children
Amelia Bedelia is a beloved children's book character who is very literally minded, often with hilarious results. Read "Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia" by Peggy Parish, in which the always-earnest maid fills in for a sick player on the Grizzlies baseball team. Choose your favourite event from the book to depict in a shoebox project, such as Amelia literally sweeping the bases while wearing a military uniform or hitting a home run. This project is best for four- to eight-year-olds.
LEGO Ball Field Project
You may have to use your math skills to figure out the proper proportions for a baseball field made out of LEGO blocks. Use minifigs for the players, umpire and vendors, and make sure each team is sporting its colours. In addition to the field, build bleachers, a scoreboard and concessions. Secure the field in a shoebox for added stability and to discourage classmates from playing with the figures.