This was not a planned activity, I went to the dollar store to grab some Easter Candy for a hunt my son’s school organizes and as I left the car he asked for a treat ( don’t worry I don’t leave him in there alone , his dad and sleeping sister were there too!) He’d been asking for a batman belt since we’d gotten him some PJs with a cape so I figured I’d gather some things to make a utility belt. The mask… well that was an after thought. It’s not my finest craft but it is the most used. He takes it off for baths and bed as well as church and school. That’s it. Not bad for a pair of undies!
The Belt
- Gather your materials. You will need a belt , some cell phone belt clips from the dollar store, flashing reflectors ( Bat-Signal) and a pedometer( Bat-Communicator) , both from the dollar store as well. Everything I bought had belt clips so it was easy on and off.
- Attach everything.
- Fill the belt with useful bat-tools.
- Try it on to make sure it fits.
Mask
I really didn’t think that I’d post this but seriously it’s on him all.the.time ( see the collection of pictures below).
- Gather your materials. You will need a pair of spandex undies , 3 hair ties, and scissors.
- Gather some of the bum fabric on either side of the leg holes in the elastics to make bat-ears.
- Cut eye holes just above the waist band. I did nothing special , they aren’t reinforced and so far not an issue.
- Gather the extra fabric in the back with the third elastic.
- Wear it daily for weeks.
Batman Books
Batman: The Story of the Dark Knight by Ralph Cosentino is rare a book about a comic book character that is in a picture book format. I am telling you it’s hard to find books about Batman that I feel is not too violent for my 4 year old. This one is great , and the illustrations will leave you breathless. It explains the gist of the Batman story without going into too many dark details and the text is the right length for preschooler’s attention spans. My son loves it and had it memorized in just a few days. The author illustrator also has Superman and Wonder Woman in the series.
Batman Classic: Meet the Super Heroes: With Superman and Wonder Woman by Micheal Teitelbaum is another Batman book that both my son and I really liked. It’s an easy read for independent readers and not too long for kids not yet reading alone. What I really appreciated about this book was that the super heroes used teamwork to defeat a dragon. Here is why I liked this, because it wasn’t person on person violence , no guns and all the heroes pitched in. It’s hard finding books that satisfy your child’s love of a character while still fitting your comfort zones. This book does it.
Sam says
His facial expressions in these pictures are PRICELESS! You have GOT to show these to his girlfriend when he’s 17. 🙂
Deborah says
Haha – this made me smile:)
Laura@art4littlehands says
He is so cute! I can’t believe how you made a mask out of underwear. So creative. I love that he wears it everywhere too. So fun.
Mandy (The Well-Read Wife) says
This is so cute! My 4 yr old is obsessed with Batman, and has taken to wanting to be referred to as “bat boy”. So I think he will love this project!
Ticia says
Oh my, would my kids ever love that…..
Jane says
How cute– my little batman lovers would really appreciate this. And I LOVE the Ralph Cosentino books! We have both the Batman and Superman one– I was so excited to finally find some books about their favorite superheroes that weren’t too violent, or had obnoxious text and illustrations. Really great.
Trisha says
We are crazy for superheroes too. I like the batmask a lot. Another fun superhero book is “Going Bananas”.
GummyLump.com says
OMG! I can’t even let my son see this or he’ll go crazy for it! If he found out that was underwear for the mask he’d go even more nuts. My superhero kids just can’t get enough of anything superhero. Batman was their first love! They have pj’s, tshirts, costumes, action figures, the bat cave and on and on. I am so happy when I see that someone else has kids obsessed with it! We even made a batman Easter Egg superhero a few weeks ago LOL!!
Sally says
We are also big fans of the Ralph Cosentino books. They are way more age appropriate than any others I’ve found, and they provide the whole superhero story in a way the “I Can Read” books don’t. My son actually wanted to SLEEP with Cosentino’s “Superman: The Story of the Man of Steel” book.
Natalie says
I love the modeling he does in these pictures. My daughter is convinced that superheroes are strictly for boys. Too bad because I think she might enjoy some of the fantasy stories. Perhaps I’ll try Cosentino books.
JDaniel4's Mom says
He looks ready to take on the Jokers of the world!
Cara says
I LOVE it! My son recently discovered the world of superheros and is equally obsessed. He got a superhero cape (with his initial on it) for Easter. Another great book we found is Superhero ABC’s. It’s got a different superhero for every letter of the alphabet, and is appropriate for younger superheros. 🙂
clodagh says
that is brilliant! kids and undies are a great mix. Love the idea, thanks .
Brandy says
Wow. Now my boys will have a PURPOSE for wearing underwear on their heads. Thanks for such a great idea!
BTW, do you have any ideas for whitey tighties?
Gazolette says
I’m glad to see that you have a child that is passionate about Batman. We are on month 2 with my son’s obsession with Batman. I have made capes, wings, belts and even a paper mask. Thank you for the story reference because I, too, find that Batman is a bit too dark for him.
Teresa says
I laughed out loud when I read your directions to make the mask: “Grab some of the bum fabric….” Ha! Major points for creativity.