Raising “Good Guys”: Superhero Character Education Lessons

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My kids are nuts for superheroes, and I love to be able to tie our lessons into the excitement that comes along with a new movie. When I sat down to start brainstorming how I can use the movie as a teachable moment for my kids, I realized that this was a wonderful time to do some superhero themed character education activities with the kiddos. We spent a couple days doing all things Avengers!

I’m a “Good Guy” Character Education Activity

My middle son has a tendency to get down on himself. He can be so hard on himself when he makes mistakes, and sometimes I worry that he doesn’t know just how special he is to us. I put this activity together just for him, so we could sit down as a family and focus on what makes each person unique and valuble.

Superhero Character Education Lesson

The first thing we did was have a discussion, using the Avengers heroes as inspiration. At first, the kids pointed out things like the ability to run really fast or fly when they brainstormed what makes each character a hero. I helped guide them into thinking about the traits that are inside a person’s heart instead of just the physical skills the heroes have, and soon the conversation became even more lively.

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The kids came to the conclusion that many of the heroes had hard times, but they still were good guys. Hulk is extremely smart, but he sometimes loses control of his emotions. He’s still a good guy because he works on a team and he always tries to make things right. Iron Man is very rich, but he shares his technology and wealth to help others. Spiderman isn’t a huge man, and he used to be very weak and get teased, but he still tries to do good.

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After we talked about the characters they love, we started to talk about what makes each member of our family special. We took turns thinking about a person, and then writing down something we admired about them on a piece of paper. For example, the kids and I decided that Daddy was hardworking, honest, and smart. Then, we took the paper we wrote on, and quite literally “labeled” each other with our kind words. As we stuck the word on the person, we looked them in the eye and told them how glad we are that they are a part of our family, and how much we appreciate them for THEM.

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Once we finished labeling the person, then each of us had to think of one thing we liked about ourselves. The one trait we think makes us one of the “good guys.” I loved that Little Miss said she’s special and like a superhero because “I’m a girl!”

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By the end of the activity, everyone was grinning ear to ear. Never underestimate the power of a kind word.

“I Can Be a Hero” Costume

After our object lesson and family meeting, we moved on to the craft portion of the superhero activities. I wanted the kids to be able to make themselves superhero capes after we had a chance to highlight all the things that make them special and one of the “good guys.”

Make a superhero costume Make a cape

Making capes out of t-shirts is super easy. Now, you need to be careful with these on young kids, because the band is not tied, and can be a choking hazard. All you do is cut up the sides of the shirt on the back, and around the neckband so it stays in place. This way the kids can take it on and off without you needing to tie it each time!

Once I finished cutting out the capes, the kids used fabric paint to draw their own superhero symbols on them.

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Supplies Needed

If you want to give this lesson a try, you’re going to need a couple of things. For the costumes, I picked up some “future hero” t-shirts and some regular red t-shirts in a couple sizes larger than the kids usually wear. You’ll also need some fabric paint for the kids to use to decorate their capes. While I was at the store, I also picked up some action figures to use for the object lesson, and some toys and snacks just for fun.

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All in all, it was a fantastic activity for our family! After we were done with the lesson and the craft, we all headed out into the backyard for snacks and playtime. I loved how the tone changed for my kids. They didn’t bicker or whine and complain for the afternoon! Instead, they were helpful and complementary and really worked well together. I’m thrilled at the results we got from an afternoon of purposeful positive thinking!

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Did you try this character lesson with your kids? How did it go?

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One Comment

  1. what a wonderful lesson! I have always made myself say 3 kind things about someone if I think something negatively about them, even if I don’t know them. I don’t do it for my own family, I really should put it into practice at home! Thanks for the great reminder! #client

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