Superhero play – and any type of dramatic play – can help children build their self-esteem, overcome fears, work on social skills, and act out real life scenarios so they can learn how to take charge of their own worlds. In this week’s at-home activity, you and your child will make a simple, no-sew superhero cape using materials easily found either at home or in thrift shops.
(Note: Adults: larger sharper scissors work best for cutting the shirt. Your child can help draw lines on the shirt where the cuts will be made.)
• Draw on the cape with markers or paint. If you’re using washable markers or paint, your drawing will stay on only until it is laundered. If you’d like a more permanent design, you can use fabric markers or fabric paint.
• Create a homemade stencil out of heavy cardstock or cardboard. Your child can either choose a design or draw one, then you can cut out the shape using scissors or an exacto knife. Place the stencil on the cape, tape down the edges, and use a marker or paint to fill in where the shape was cut out. (Examples: the first letter of your child’s name, a lightning bolt, a heart, etc.)
• Add decorative fabric scraps to the cape using fabric glue or hot glue. Regular school glue will work, but it’s not as durable and it will disintegrate when put through the wash.
• Use iron-on transfer designs as decoration. These can be found online at Etsy or Amazon, or in craft stores like Michael’s. Or you can make your own iron-on transfer designs by cutting out shapes from heat transfer vinyl sheets or by printing images onto heat transfer paper.
Read through this article to learn more about positive superhero play.