Guest Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 OK, I'm in the final stages of writing my new book and I've realised that I am out of touch with the UK 'craze' scene! I"m after examples of Superheroes who are female and positive for a story about superhero play and what is appropriate and inappropriate. Is Dora the Explorer a superhero? Is she popular and well known in the UK? Ideas welcome! American crazes are often so different and I dont want to mention some characters that nobody in Britain has even heard of! What are your rules about Superhero type play? Any particular games banned? Limits? Gender issues? I know how things move on with crazes and I'm sure all the games our nursery children played are way out of date now, six years later!! Nicola Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tredworth Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 Superhero play seems to be the hot topic of the moment! In our setting (pre-school within LEA early years centre) it is entirely gender specific. Superman, Spiderman and Ninja Turtles are the main characters of interest. None of them are seen by the children as forces for good! Sorry I've not heard of your female superhero but maybe others have? We have limits on Superhero play indoors mainly due to space and resultant safety issues. Outside we only intervene if play is considered too aggressive or threatening. I'm taking part in a pilot "Supporting Superhero Play" course run by the LEA in June so I'm hoping to come away with some useful ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybertwin Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 ours are into transformers, ninja turtles, and power rangers still. but for the girls there doesnt seem to be one, barbie is popular but wouldnt sat she is a super hero!!!! also the boys imitate footballers more that the others Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Not sure if it helps but my son watches the Power puff girls. Its a cartoon about three young girls with super powers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beau Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 My girls do watch Dora the Explorer Nicola but thats because we have Sky and it's on Nick Jnr. Don't think it's shown on terrestrial tv. I've been wracking my brains but just can't think of a female super hero popular at the moment. Sorry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 It was wonderwoman when i was little. My little one watches totally spies on fox kids (they save the world - so could be classed as superheros) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 I would agree that totally spies and power puff girls are about as good as it gets! my son loves totally spies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Hi Nicola, not really aware of any female superheroes. Barbie seems to be the perennial favourite, once the girls come into school anyway. Boys seem to always play power ranger type games and we always discourage rough play and fighting as evetually someone gets hurt! Soldiers were very popular this time last year but not so obvious now. not heard of any of the spies or power puff girls or Dora the explorere but who knows? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Gracious - here in a little village we must be in the dark ages - we have no superheroes of any gender at present (only batman with a cloak from the dressing-up box, but batman does not seem to be gender-specific). At present, all the role play seems to be animals: puppies (and special dogs), gamboling lambs, frogs (producing frog spawn and tadpoles), ladybirds, spiders, spider-monsters (lol). The girls are barbie-fanatics (a generalisation), and the boys go for Thomas the TE (another generalisation). But neither of these usually impinge upon the play. Maybe it's because our environ does not have cable, and digiboxes don't work here! Diane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Diane - how wonderful!!!! Where are you, EXACTLY, I'm moving! Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Sue, Come on over. I am in the wilds of Cambridgeshire (not really- just on the Hertfordshire/ Cambridgeshire border)!! The nearest McDonald's is 13 miles away. The nearest cinema is 10 miles. No cable TV, very few (if any) have satellite. No digiboxes here (much to my own children's disgust). I guess our children are relatively uninfluenced. Role play tends to be based around their own experiences, which is rather nice, I have to say. I would find it very hard to be a convincing ninja turtle (or indeed one of these puff people). Diane (who can just about manage to be Harold the helicopter when push comes to shove). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Um - might be my influence I'm afraid, but my Annie (age 6 and three quarters) can't decide whether she'd like to be Arwen, Eowyn or Galadriel. Do they count as superheroines? If not, why not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Steve, it must be your influence. I have always encouraged my children to be Charlotte (from Charlotte's Web). Needeless to say, it never worked for me. My little one was always Burglar Bill, but never the reformed version. Diane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Charlotte - what a great superhero! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueFinanceManager Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Female superheros seem to be seriously unrepresented now you have got me thinking about it. I am not much help I'm afraid as my little girl is Disney princess mad and the likes of Cinderella, Ariel and Snow White can't really come into the category of superhero can they. Princess Fiona in 'Shrek' is quite cool with her kung foo skills. I will keep thinking though and hopefully will have a flash of inspiration. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Hmm, thanks everyone! I'm realising that I maybe need to write a female superhero book once I've finished this one! Diane, my three year old is crazy about Charlotte's Web right now. Totally obsessed. We have to play at being Wilbur and Charlotte, but I have to say that her absolute favourite is Templeton the rat. I like the idea of Batman, isn't there a Batgirl? gosh, I feel old...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted May 7, 2004 Share Posted May 7, 2004 I always fancied Mulan, but I don't think I'd manage that pole thing!! No, it's Eowyn for me - Arwen and Galadriel are a tad too 'ethereal' for solid me. Just got to learn to ride a horse Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted May 7, 2004 Share Posted May 7, 2004 BTW, Steve- That's a fantastic new signature! Noticed it yesterday but too tired to comment. And you've got me !!! Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 7, 2004 Share Posted May 7, 2004 My daughter is heavily into all the Disney heroines like Mulan, Poccahontas, Tinkerbell. She also likes Kim Possible who is on TV on a Saturday morning - can't remember which channel. She's a super trendy superhero!! I must admit I enjoy watching this cartoon aswell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueFinanceManager Posted May 7, 2004 Share Posted May 7, 2004 Hi Nicola Had a chat with my own children this morning and they came up with 'Sabrina the teenage witch' or my friends daugther suggested 'Buffy the vampire slayer'. Still not being much help am I. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 7, 2004 Share Posted May 7, 2004 Has anyone come across The paper bag princess. She is a bold female ready for action. An Historical Super Heroine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 8, 2004 Share Posted May 8, 2004 Mimi - I'd forgotten about the Paperbag Princess! I love that book! Although when I arrived in the US I bought a copy as my old copy was so worn out, but didnt read it before I left the shop. In fact, the first time I read it was to some children, and I had a real shock at the last page. Instead of 'you are a toad', it reads 'you are a bum' !! Although 'bum' has a different meaning here, I also think they lost part of the brilliance of the story - althuogh I"m now wondering if it's an American story translated for Britain or the other way around... hmm, I need to check that out Thanks everyone for the suggestions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 8, 2004 Share Posted May 8, 2004 Robert Munsch is Canadian it is worth looking at his web site www.robertmunsch.com he has written lots of stories, you can hear them too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 8, 2004 Share Posted May 8, 2004 I have had a really good think and i can't think of any female superheores. Again our children are the usual mix of nija turtles ( ONE LITTLE BOY THINKS HE IS A TURTLE)and spiderman. I do like the idea of superheores i will suggest it at our next meeting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 20, 2004 Share Posted May 20, 2004 just remembered there is now a lady hulk. not sure of offical title ,she is bruce banners cousin, is green all the time but doesn`t have the mood swings! quote"i`m lean ,mean and green!" very fit ,all the men fancy her, (they see past the green!) and she can kick butt! maddy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Koo Posted May 20, 2004 Share Posted May 20, 2004 Does anyone remember the stories about SUPER GRAN? A frail old lady with amazing strengths and powers! Used to love that one. Apart from that there is Wonder Woman, Cat Woman, Super Girl, Lara Croft, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Xena Warrior Princess (are probably way to scary for them) She-ra - the female version of He-man. Hermione from Harry Potter, The little Mermaid. and I believe that Lassie the dog was female too (although not entirely appropriate!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Posted May 21, 2004 Share Posted May 21, 2004 Blimey that brought back some memores i loved Super Gran If i remember right the female hulk is called 'She Hulk' What ever happened to Super Woman?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 21, 2004 Share Posted May 21, 2004 I'm making lunch at the moment! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 Does nobody remember Supergirl (Superman's long lost cousin)? Or am i just showing my age???? lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 Does anyone remember the stories about SUPER GRAN? A frail old lady with amazing strengths and powers! Used to love that one. I used to love SuperGran! Sing with me: ''Stand back superman, iceman, fireman, batman and robin too. She's gonna cause a raucus with ba baracas have we got match for you'' Yes I am sad! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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