Ninja-Man Edition 1/9

5th Dec 2024

Superhero Parenting: Nurturing Better Versions of Your Kids (Ages 3-9)

Children have an innate fascination with superheroes, and the idea of becoming a hero themselves can be a powerful motivator. Rather than just admiring these characters from afar, we can use their heroic qualities as a starting point for real-world training in various disciplines, from the arts and sciences to technology and engineering, and mathematics. In this series, we'll explore how to nurture these skills in children by drawing inspiration from iconic heroes like Batman.

Stealth and Invisibility
Breathing Exercises
Silent Movement
Body Awareness
Camouflage
In The Dark
Reading List

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By incorporating these Batman-inspired concepts into your children's activities, you can foster skills like self-control, empowerment, problem-solving, and practice. As they embrace their inner heroes, kids can gain valuable life skills that will serve them well in various aspects of their lives, all while having a lot of fun in the process. Stay tuned for the next installment in our series, where we'll explore more aspects of Batman's training to inspire the heroes of tomorrow.

Are Ninjas REAL?? Do They exist today?

Stealth and Invisibility

child and firehydran looking suspiciously similar

Ninjaman, like Batman, is a superhero who relies on his intellect, physical prowess, and ninja training to fight crime. What makes him particularly intriguing as a role model for kids is that he doesn't possess superhuman powers; instead, he relies on his wealth, trauma-driven determination, and extensive training. Let's delve into the training: stealth and invisibility, and how we can translate these concepts into activities for children.

Challenges

Hide in plain sight

Challenge! Try sitting near your caregiver, as quietly as you can. How long did it take your caregiver to notice you? What made them not notice/notice you? Time yourself and try it one more time to see if you can improve your time!

Sneak without being seen or heard

Challenge! Place cookie on a plate, on a table in a central location (kitchen table or dinner table). Walk or sneak through where ever your caregiver is sitting to get to the cookie. If you are not seen, eat cookie. How many times did you sneak? What worked and what didn't?

Camouflage

Challenge! Try wearing clothes that blend into the background where your caregiver spends their time (computer, couch, porch ...). Stand quietly and wait for the right moment. If you are not noticed, say something and see if your caregiver is surprised. Did the clothing help you blend?

Balancing

Challenge! Create a balancing obstacle course and challenge yourself. What is the hardest part for you? Continue working on balancing until you feel you have improved. Does balancing help you sneak? Why? How?

Use the resources below to learn how to do the things on the list you can't do well yet!

stealth-game

Breathing Exercises

Activity! Breathing Calm

Staying cool under pressure like Batman is key! Teach kids deep breathing to manage their emotions and focus. This skill helps with stealthy movements, silent stillness, being patient, and practicing any sequence of motions, from martial arts to dance. Deep breaths = calm mind, focused body, ready for action! Click the elephant to learn more!

Activity! Stealth Breathing

Practice "stealth breathing" - learn the technique used by "Kungfu master" Kongling to slow your breathing (which becomes rapid and shallow when you feel scared, stressed or exert yourself physically) so that it benefits your body (by intaking the oxygen you need), lowing your heartbeat (and stress levels) and quiets your breathing so you cannot be heard.

Activity! Practice Belly Breathing - Belly breathing can be good for children at stressful times. This is because it can help children feel calmer and more relaxed. It also distracts children from worrying thoughts. It's particularly good for children who have strong emotions or feel very anxious or overwhelmed.

stealth

Silent Movement

Emphasize the importance of moving quietly. Engage kids in games like "silent scavenger hunt," where they must sneak around without making a sound. Teach them to take slow, deliberate steps and control their body movements, developing balance and coordination.

Activity! Deep Grass Rabbit Walk (SHIN-SO-TOH-HO) Place the back of each of your hands under the ball of each foot in a bent over position then silently move forward. This takes a lot of practice and lots of stamina.

Activity! Silent Movement Place a chocolate coin (or any small treat) in a place near you, but out of your eyesight. Challenge your child to get the coin without you noticing. If you hear or see them, start over.

reminder

Body Awareness

Activity! Balance Kids should learn to be aware of their bodies and movements. Engage them in activities that require balance.

Yoga poses
Tightrope walking (You can use a bench, a long wooden board, some chairs in a row, a taped line)
Ask them to bring plates of food to the table
Ask them to clear the dishes
Ask them to get you bottles of water and pour you some into your cup
Ask them to take out the trash
Encourage pouring play in the tube
Balance things on their heads as they walk

Encourage them to practice these activities regularly to improve their physical self-control and spatial awareness.

Activity! Blind Movement

Stand with your eyes close
Touch your nose with your finger
Stand on tiptoes
Lean in all four directions
Sway
Take a step forward
Sideways step
Backward step
Holding a hoop, eyes closed, like bumper cars

Activity! Door

Stand in the middle of the room. Look where the door is, or way out of the room. Blindfold and spin around three times. Now make your way to the door.

Activity! How to Crawl

Activity! Training

invisibility

Camouflage

Batman's ability to blend into his surroundings is a key component of his stealth.Teach kids the art of blending in by playing outdoor games like hide and seek. How do animals do it? Encourage them to wear earth-toned or green clothing and find hiding spots that match their attire, helping them understand the concept of camouflage. More here

Activity! Clothing Test

Try this clothing challenge: For three days where the most colorful clothing, mixing patterns, fabulous hats, etc. Then for the rest of the week wear drab clothes, browns, tans, blacks. How were you treated during each part of the week? Did anything change at all?

Activity! Museum

Go to the same museum two times. The first time you go, look at the displays and enjoy the exhibits - pay attention to the colors of the museum staff (the uniforms). If they don't wear uniforms, try to notice what distinguishes them from the museums goers. If it is a badge, create something that looks similar. Go back to the museum a second time. Find a space without staff and pretend to be the staff. How were you treated? Did people ask you questions? Were you able to answer? Try this challenge somewhere else (the grocery store, the library...)