Superhero Science Activities: Test Your Powers!

My boys love superheroes and I love doing science experiments with the kids so superhero science activities are a match made in heaven. I must admit I feel a bit snobby about comic books, but I try to keep my feelings under wraps. Instead, I harness the boys' (especially my youngest son, who is obsessed with superheroes) interest to lure them into creative comic art projects, or handwriting activities and now science!

This year's collaborative summer reading theme is "Every Hero Has a Story" and so it seemed particularly appropriate to put together a resource for superhero science projects for kids. After your children have finished lounging around with their favorite comic books or one of these terrific superhero picture and chapter books, keep their wheels turning with these science experiments inspired by their favorite heroic characters. (Note: This post contains affiliate links.)

Wonder Woman

(Let's start with the best superhero, shall we?) While I would love to engage my boys in a project based on Wonder Woman's powers of telepathy, I'm afraid I'm going to have to steer clear of supernatural experiments. She does have that awesome Lasso of Truth, and you can remind your kids that science is the pursuit of truth!

An inquiry to my husband revealed the information that Wonder Woman flies on air currents so clearly kids should make an anemometer to help Wonder Woman measure air speed!

Or, if you are feeling ambitious, demonstrate currents with this colorful convection current experiment.

Aquaman

Here's where kids learn about volcanos. Just kidding. Duh. Learn about water.

• Make an ocean in a bottle.
• Do a leak proof bag experiment
• Preschoolers love a simple sink and float science activity (be sure to include action figures!)
• Have water drop races!

Iron Man

Magnets are powerful! They are great for so many superhero science activities. (Reminder: parental supervision is required when playing with magnets and kids who put stuff in their mouths should not play with magnets. They are very dangerous if swallowed.)

• My kids have gotten so much mileage out of our magnet telescoping wand -- the ultimate superhero tool!
• Create your own metal men out of a DIY magnet building set.
• We made an awesome electromagnet motor with our Tinker Crate.
• Make magnetic slime.
• Create electromagnetic dancers. You could design a cape, instead of a skirt to make superheros!

Batman

Oh the gadgets!

• What better way to learn about gadgets than to take some apart? Gather common household items like flashlights and small radios and give your kid a screwdriver ! Take a trip to the thrift shop to purchase cheap items for this purpose.
• A pulley is the funnest gadget ever.
• Another idea would be to give your kids a DIY invention box so they can tinker and come up with their own creations.

Storm

Would your kids like to be able to control the weather just like Storm? Maybe they can....

• Make superhero lightning!
• Make fog in a bottle
• Make it rain!
• Make a cloud in a jar

Superman

Superman is the ultimate superhero. Flight! Super strength! Speed! We will save speed for The Flash.

Do your kids know there is an element named krypton? Introduce them to the periodic table. Ambitious and musical kids can learn this periodic table song!

Try this strength science experiment.

Kids can make all manner of things that fly, for example:

• Indoor boomerangs
• Paper airplanes
• Flying tea rocket
• Air rockets 

The Flash

While your kids may not be able to violate the laws of physics, they will be able to make things go super fast!

• Zoom balls (Oooh! Also, leave one undecorated to be Wonder Woman's invisible jet!)
• Balloon rockets
• Set up a ramp and see how tilting it makes a marble or ball roll faster and faster.

Spiderman

Since I don't recommend playing around with radioactivity, it's got to be all about the spiders.

• Foaming spider sensory play.
• Sticky spider web ball game.
• Turn one of these climbing critters into a spider.

Mr. Fantastic

Explore the power of super stretchiness.

• Make superhero slime.
• Make glow in the dark slime.
• Experiment with how far we can stretch things.

Whew! That should keep you and your kids busy. So, did I leave your child's favorite superhero off this list?

Do your kids want superhero powers? Show them this series of videos explaining the science behind superpowers: "If Superpowers were real."

READ BOOKS ABOUT SUPERHEROES:

• Superhero girl books for all kids! - ages 6-14
• Early chapter books starring superheroes - ages 6-10
• Superhero picture & chapter books - ages 3-12

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