Superhero Storytime

Years ago I wanted to do a "superhero" storytime, but could not think of a craft.  Now, I realize I do not need to include a craft for every storytime theme, but they are fun!  And kids love projects; so I searched the internet. 

When I think of superheroes, I think of capes  (I also think of the part in The Incredibles that talks about how dangerous capes are for superheroes!).  Because I don't have a lot of time or fancy supplies, I went a head and searched for "no sew capes" and guess what?!?!  Such a thing does exisit!   Who knew you could turn a t-shirt into a cape with just a bit of cutting?!?! 

For this super cool cape, all you need is an old t-shirt and a pair of scissors.  Decoration items are a bonus.  I used duct tape, which comes in such awesome colors now, and it worked great.  And added plus with using duct tape is that when you're tired of the logo you created, you can take it off and make a new one! Experiement with anything you want to make your own super logo. 


***Note, if you're using a t-shirt that already has a picture or a logo on it, then you're good to go after cutting out the cape shape!

There are quite a few resources now on the internet that explain the cutting procedure - some are much more involved than what I did (and still do!).  Basically all I do is cut up each side of the t-shirt from the bottom to the armpit and then angle in the cutting towards the collar.  You then need to cut around the front of the collar (don't cut through it - you slip the collar over your child's head to hold the cape on!), and you're done!

If you wanted to, you could neaten up the edges, but really, my child was ready for the cape as soon as I finished cutting and didn't mind a few jagged edges one little bit!

Once your superhero has saved the backyard from any evil doers, settle them down with some fun stories about other superheroes and their good deeds.  

A great story to share is Max by Bob Graham.  It's the story of a little boy who is the youngest child in a family of superheroes.  Everyone is worried because he has not yet learned to fly.  Along the lines of Leo the Late Bloomer , this is a great story to give encouragement to other late bloomers, and a wonderful reminder that we all become super at different rates of speed :)

Another fun story is Charlie's Superhero Underpants by Paul Bright.  Charlie has bright red superhero underpants that get blown off the wash line while hanging out to dry.  It's a rather hilarious story of Charlie and his friends searching the world for his superhero underpants!

Lastly, check out SuperHero ABC by Bob McLeod.  Bold and colorful illustrations bring an array of imagined superheroes to life in this fun alphabet book.