Kimberly Harms, Author at Indy's Child Magazine

Who doesn’t want someone to swoop in and save the day or make what seems impossible … possible? DC Super Heroes provide all kinds of life lessons for parents to share with their kids during a visit to The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis while also helping them discover what individual powers they may have. Superheroes are iconic symbols of teamwork, self-discovery, strength, and justice that inspire children and families to be more than they are, and do more than they think they can. SUPERMAN™ has every power you can imagine from superstrength, to flight, to X-ray vision. WONDER WOMAN™ is a fierce warrior who is strong and fast and uses a Lasso of Truth. BATMAN™ doesn't have superhuman powers, but he uses his intelligence, high tech gear and martial arts to fight crime. THE FLASH™ has amazing reflexes, is extremely fast and can time-travel by running faster than the speed of light. Even with all of those individual powers, our favorite superheroes sometimes need a little help. When they join together to defeat the villain, children learn that working together as a team and combining strengths can help accomplish more as they overcome obstacles together. Recruits-in-training will join the DC Super Heroes in solving problems and catching supervillains in a series of fast-paced challenges in the city and surrounding area. Families can record their own superpowers in action with the help of a green screen. Visitors can choose whether they want to fly through the sky, use laser vision to blast robots or punch asteroids with superstrength. Then, share the video to friends and family via email. “Through imaginative play, children explore and discover all that they can do,” says Susan Michal, director of early education at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. “Parents can help their children by letting them know mistakes are OK while they explore new experiences, roles, and interactions with different skill sets. It helps build a child’s sense of self, confidence and empowerment when they know their parents support them.” Parents can support their little ones by providing dramatic play opportunities at home. Ask them what superpower they would create for themselves. And then provide them with materials, supplies and clothing that allow them to express themselves as different characters or people in a variety of roles or “worlds.” It doesn’t have to revolve around a superpower — it could be something that interests them, such as a grocery store, post office, medical career, teacher, police or fire department. While your child is experimenting, explain to them that when we challenge ourselves mentally and physically, we can gain new skills and learn more about ourselves. Just like the real world, it takes all kinds to make this superhuman world successful. Instead of picking apart differences, working together like THE FLASH™, GREEN LANTERN™, CYBORG™ and AQUAMAN™ helps all of us learn to use differences for a greater good.

Kimberly Harms

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