I showed my son this video below on how to make an easy Pop-Up card. He watched it once and said that he “got it,” and then went off-road, making two cards of his own.
It’s a fun and easy way to introduce STEM (or really this is more STEAM – Science Technology Engineering Art and Math) to kids of all ages.
And it makes wonderful greeting cards for any age!
To make this easy pop-up card, you just need:
- paper or card stock (we used leftover poster board from his cloud poster science project)
- a pair of scissors
That’s it! How easy is that?
Here’s the video from The Kid Should See This that inspired our project.
And here’s a pop up card master at work!
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My books:
Bookshop.org / Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Barbed Wire Between Us by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Violeta Encarnación
- ⭐ Starred review from Kirkus
- ⭐ Starred review from Publishers Weekly
- ⭐ Starred review from School Library Journal
- Kirkus: The Most Anticipated Children’s Books of Spring 2026
Free and downloadable guide:
Barbed Wire Between Us Teacher’s Guide
Bookshop.org / Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Bookshop.org / Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
- California Eureka Non-Fiction Gold Award
- Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
- Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner (from National Council for the Social Studies and Children’s Book Council)
The Traveling Taco:
- California Eureka Non-Fiction Silver Award
- Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner (from National Council for the Social Studies and Children’s Book Council)
- Reading Rockets’ Summer Reading Guide 2025
Bookshop.org / Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Bookshop.org / Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
We Sing from the Heart: How the Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court
- ALSC Notable Children’s Book
- 2025 Carter G. Woodson Book Award Middle Level Honoree
- Orbis Pictus Recommended Book for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
- 2024 Julia Ward Howe Prize for Children’s Literature Winner
- California Eureka Non-Fiction Award Honor Book
- Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner (from National Council for the Social Studies and Children’s Book Council)
- Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year 2025
- Recommended Reading for the Social Justice Literature Award 2025 (International Literacy Association)
- Pennsylvania Mountain Laurel Book Award Nominee 2026-27
- Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Bookshop.org / Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- ⭐ Starred review from School Library Journal!
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Massachusetts Book Award Long List
- dPICTUS 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
- Green Earth Book Award Long List
- Nautilus Silver Winner, Nonfiction Children’s Picture Book
- Sunshine State Young Readers Award Orange Blossom List for Nonfiction
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Bookshop.org / Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Bank Street College’s The Best Children’s Books of the Year
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
What a cool project for kids. Love the expression on your son’s face. He got quite elaborate with its pop-up. Such a great STEM project.
Hi Patricia,
This was right up his alley (and mine). Not complicated but creative and we happened to have everything in the house. I loved how he went crazy and made up his own design after trying it a few times. I think a smaller version would make a lovely greeting card!
Love this! Thanks, Mia. I’ll have to try it. Pop ups are just so cool!
Hi Maria,
It does make me want to become a pop up book designer in another life! Or hope that my kids will do this for a living. It is such fun and wondrous to make something so exciting out of mere cardstock.
Cool. Take your son to
http://www.lovepop.com
They have five locations in Boston, where they are from. They do wonderful pop cards. And really, publisher in top US publisher is looking for picture book about a girl with STEM. Maybe you family can write it, as a family project, about a girl doing pop up cards. Good luck.
Hi Giora,
Thanks for those great tips! I’ll check out that site! I like that there’s a demand for girls with STEM in picture books!
Opps. the correct website is
http://www.lovepopcards.com
Thanks! Will check it out!
That’s pretty awesome! Cool videos! 😀
Thanks Erik! I’m going to recruit my son to make my Thank You and Birthday cards using this technique
That’s a very cool project! Thanks for sharing with us on Thursday Favorite Things.
Cheers,
Jennifer
Hi Jennifer,
Thanks so much! My son had fun making these. I think he can make wonderful birthday and thank you cards now using this technique. The relatives will be amazed!