Every Backyard Needs A Superhero

It’s no secret, kids love superheroes! The very thought of dressing up as a caped crusader can send imaginations into over-drive; from using magical super powers to save the family dog from the neighbour’s evil cat, to secret superhero meetings in the lair. Superhero themed fun never seems to lose its popularity through the generations.

Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief, Axel Alonso, believes kids need all types of heroes in their lives, and just like a good role model, a superhero can offer a child a moral compass to navigate a universe fraught with thrills and danger. Read article here.

Many child behaviour experts tell us that superhero play can promote confidence, patience, empowerment, helpfulness, a sense of right and wrong, even healthy food choices!

So in the name of safe backyard fun, developing imaginations and encouraging our kids to eat their vegetables (like Superman does!), here are 5 fun ways to dress up your backyard (and each other) in true superhero style.

You’ll even find a selection of bright and fun superhero themed printables throughout this article to help you along.

1. Create a City Skyline

Let’s get your backyard ready for a Superhero hideaway!

When it comes to creating a superhero cave or lair, a Springfree Trampoline makes it easy! (If Santa hasn’t delivered a Springfree Trampoline yet, you can always create a secret cave using boxes and/or outdoor furniture and cover using sheets and towels).

You will need:

5 - 10 x sheets of black cardboard
Yellow cardboard or yellow paint/paint brushes
Masking tape & glue stick
Safety scissors

How to:

Lay all the cardboard sheets out next to each other and tape together to desired length/height. This will create the large blank canvas to start.
Once you’ve created your black canvas, trace your city skyline design onto the cardboard canvas and cut out your building silhouette.
Using the yellow cardboard - cut out different size squares and rectangles to create windows for your buildings. Alternatively, you could paint these on!

It’s easy to make your Springfree Trampoline look like a Superhero Cave:

2. Cut & Colour Paper Printables

We’ve made it easy to set the Superhero scene with a series of fun to use printables to colour in:

Superhero Badges & Signs (to stick on belts, capes, trampoline etc.)
Superhero Sneaker Logos (thread through laces)
Superhero Bunting (Wham, Zap, Boom, Kapow – to hang in the cave/trampoline)

SUPERHERO BADGES & SIGNS

You will need:

Paint/Pencils/Crayons
Paper/Cardboard (recyclable i.e cereal boxers, coasters, paper plates)
Craft Glue
Masking Tape
Safety Scissors

Prepare recyclable cardboard, cut into required shape (circles, diamonds, triangles). Print off, colour in and cut out the Superhero Badge printables. Stick onto cardboard cut outs. Using masking tape stick Superhero Badge onto t-shirts, capes, hats etc.

SUPERHERO SNEAKER LOGOS

You will need:

Paint/pencils/crayons
Paper/cardboard (recyclable i.e cereal boxers, coasters, paper plates)
Hole punch
Safety scissors

Prepare recyclable cardboard, cut into required shape. Print off, colour in and cut out the Superhero Sneaker Logo printables. Stick onto cardboard and cut out. Hole punch evenly to ensure they line up with shoe laces.

SUPERHERO BUNTING

You will need:

Paint/pencils/crayons
Paper
String or elastic
Hole punch
Bull clip
Safety scissors

Print off, colour in and cut out the supplied Superhero Bunting printables. Using the hole-punch, create two holes on the flat edge (so the point of the triangle is down) and create two holes: one in the left corner and one in the right corner. Feed the tie through each triangle with string. Once you have created a row of Superhero Bunting, gently fasten it to the top of your Springfree Trampoline (Superhero hideout) net banding using a bull clip.

3. Dress Up Material Printables

There’s no need to spend a fortune on Superhero costumes with these handy printables using scraps of materials like cotton, satin, felt etc.

Superhero Masks & Wrist Bands
Superhero Cape

SUPERHERO MASKS & WRIST BANDS

You will need:

Felt/Craft Paper/Scrap Materials
Elastic
Masking Tape & Craft Glue
Safety Scissors
Stubby holder makes a perfect wrist band

Print and cut-out the supplied Superhero Mask – use these as stencil template to cut out your material. For the Superhero Wrist Band simply decorate a stubby holder and decorate with cut out and colour printables.

SUPERHERO CAPES

You will need:

1 x large pillowcase
Double sided adhesive backed Velcro (dots or strips)

How to make it:

Take the pillow case so that the open end is at the bottom
On the top stick Velcro to top left (rough) and top right corner (soft) so that when folded in half and pressed together the Velcro will stick.
Stick on their favourite printable badges or signs above.

4. Fun In The Superhero Cave

Superheroes are all about making things safe! So here are some Superhero Tips on what not to do when playing on your Springfree Trampoline, especially when the superhero play involves the popular FlexrHoop.

Somethings just don’t fly!

Do not hang from or pull down on the FlexrHoop the rim.
Take extra precautions while jumping on the trampoline with the ball as it may interfere with or cause the jumper to fall awkwardly.
Do not attempt to jump on the ball as this may cause serious injury.
Do not intentionally rebound off the enclosure or intentionally jump into the enclosure. DO NOT hang, kick, cut or climb on the enclosure/basketball system.
Keep players face away from the backboard, rim, and net.

Let’s not forget the fun parts of being a superhero like the feeling of flying! Here are some safe moves to test out your Super Skills.

Skill challenge: score each superhero out of 10 on how high you jump and slam dunk (the skill is in getting the ball into the hoop – but remember no hanging off!)
Distance challenge: using chalk, mark distances to shoot hoops from (each mark gives you different score). Every superhero takes a shot from each mark and whoever scores the most points wins!
Time challenge – how many hoops can you get in 20 seconds?

5. Fun In The Superhero Cave

Grab a blue sheet, your skyline cut outs, white cardboard cut-out cloud shapes or cushions and toy planes. Now get the kids to pretend they’re flying. Take a snap shot from above and you have your own Superhero snap shot!