The Poppins Perspective: Pop-up Art.

Do you ever feel like you're running out of ideas of how to keep the little ones occupied? My go-to answer is art! I love art and I love getting kids to fall in love with art. One of my favorite nanny moments was when one of my little girls told me she wanted to be an artist just like me when she grew up. I'm no da Vinci, but I was completely flattered!

The great thing about being artsy with kids is that it doesn't have to be perfect or complicated. That means that the pressure is off and the fun is on! Hopefully I can help you with some artistic ideas for those days when the kids are bored or so full of energy that they are bouncing off the walls in a blur of arms, legs, and pigtails. Today's idea? Pop-up Art! (After all, 3-D is so in right now.)

What I like about this particular craft is that it's easy to do and works with a tight budget. Who wouldn't love that combination? You can also make it age appropriate. I first tried this with a two-year-old which meant that I did almost all the work, but she got to stick the paper to the glue I applied and then scribble some crayon on the finished product. Though the bulk of the preparation was in my hands, she was still very involved -- while I was busy cutting paper, she was busy wrinkling the scraps. I still consider this a win! I did the craft again with a five- and eight-year-old who were able to be much more involved from creation to completion. They came up with what they wanted, helped cut and glue, and even added some creative details of their own.

Have I sold you yet? Let's get started!

What you will need:

* Construction Paper
* Scissors
* Glue (since we're only working with paper, a glue stick works quite well and is more kid-friendly. Unless, of course, you don't mind them trying to taste it if they are young or spreading it all over their hands and then peeling it off like a sunburn if they are older. If neither of those bother you, liquid glue is just dandy.)

Start by folding the construction paper into folds as if you were making a paper fan. I wanted to make a colorful balloon, so I folded two pieces of different colored paper together. You can do as many folds as you like -- it depends how 3-D you want it to be. I use three folds so that I get four of the same shape from each piece of paper.

Next, draw the shape you want. Again, you don't need to make it complicated! Easy shapes to start with are circles, balloons, hearts, etc. Even if you never draw, you can whip these out in no time. If you're still feeling insecure, find an object to trace.

Cut the shape out. Fold all four pieces of this shape in half while they are still in a stack so that when you take them apart, they have the same crease in the same spot.

Now, glue one half of one piece to one half of another.

Repeat until you've used four of the shapes. In my case, this left one half of a purple balloon and one half of a red ballon free. Glue these to your background piece of paper.

For shapes that aren't the same all the way around, like my clouds, there's an extra step you'll have to add. Once you've separated your folded shapes, take two of them, turn them over, and refold them the opposite way. This will make your shape match up to the correct half when you are ready to glue them.

Once you've glued all your shapes down, add flourishes and details with crayons, markers, or, if you're feeling brave, paints!

Five-year-old Gabbie wanted flowers and butterflies.

Eight-year-old Bella wanted to make a monkey tree. While I helped draw the monkey and cut it out, she colored everything and even came up with adding bananas!

The last and most important step is to display it! We all love to be told we've done a great job. Shoot, I still love hearing that my parents like my art! So use your fridge, find a wall in their room, or tape it to the mirror in the bathroom. Let your kids know that you love what they create!

Happy crafting!