Captain America – Learning With My Boys

My little Titus is now 5. He loves math, superheros, and Legos. We took the boys to see the new Avengers movie and now it’s a favorite around the house. We had fun planning this Avenger’s party and coming up with all the fun games. We found this awesome Avengers balloon at our local party store and it floated in our house for over 3 months.

I made his name by cutting up and Avengers comic book and using modge podge to stick it to wooden letters.

I made tissue paper pom-poms to look like comic book “POW” bursts and hung them around the house.

I made a photo booth with a black table cloth hanging in the back ground and put some more comic book “POW” bursts on it. I covered boxes with black paper and cut out yellow rectangles as windows for the buildings in the foreground of the photo booth. I had wire rack set up with the boys superheros dress-ups for the kids to use in their pictures.

I made the cake in the shape of a five this year. I covered it with my buttercream and then used fondant to create all the special pieces on top.

Buttercream Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
1 cup Crisco
4 cups powdered sugar (2 lbs)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon milk (if thick)

Directions:

Cream together the butter and Crisco with a mixer.
Slowly add in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time.
Add the vanilla, if it seems too thick you can add a bit of milk.

Marshmallow Fondant Recepie

Ingredients:

16 oz. Mini Marshmallows
3 TBSP water
2 lbs Powdered Sugar (4 cups)
Crisco

Directions:

Grease a large glass bowl with Crisco.
Pour in the marshmallows and water; then microwave at 30- second intervals, stirring after each interval, until melted.
Reserve about 1/4 cup of the powdered sugar. Place the red of the powdered sugar in a large bowl of a standing mixer.
Grease the paddle attachment with Crisco and pour in the melted marshmallows on top of the powdered sugar.
Beat until a dough form; there will be a lot of loose bits and sugar in the bottom of the bowl.
Grease a clean work surface with Crisco and dump out the fondant and all the loose bits. Grease your hands liberally with Crisco and knead the mixture together, just like kneading bread, for about 5 minutes until smooth.
Grease hands again as needed. As the fondant becomes smoother, use the reserved powdered sugar to coat the surface to keep it from sticking.
Once smooth, you can divide and color the fondant. While working with one piece, cover the remaining fondant with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
When you have your colors finished coat the fondant in a light layer or Crisco; wrap in plastic wrap and place in a large baggie for at least an hour, preferably overnight.
Store at room temperature for several months. To us it, dust the surface and rolling pin with powdered sugar and roll out to 1/8 of an inch.

I had fun making different special foods too.

I thought this was a fun idea for the soda because I was raised up north where we grew up calling it “pop”. Every time I visit my dad and he calls it “pop” it sounds funny to me because I never hear that any more.

Present Time!!!

I try to teach my boys to say “Thank You” and give a hug after each gift that they open.

Josiah gave Titus the Hulk Smash gloves and mask that he’s been asking for.

Gifts sent in the mail from Grandpa Davis…

Game Time!!!

I set up the games so there were 3 Avengers on each table.

Hulk Smash-

We used the Hulk gloves to smash the buildings that I made out of boxes.

Iron Man Repulsor Blasts –

I used a funnel to fill balloons with flour and then cut circles in another balloon to put around the flour balloon ball.

Thor’s Hammer Throw –

I made a hammer with a foam rectangle covered in duct tape and stuck a wooden dowel rod in it. I glue it all together and put a brown ribbon and shoelace on the handle.

Captain America’s Shield –

I found red plastic plates for the kids to decorate and make a frisbee shield.

Hawkeye Shoot –

I used the boys bows and hung some balloons for them to shoot the bows at.

Black Widow Shoot –

I spray painted some dollar store squirt guns black and let them shoot them at the hanging balloons. It was a hot day so these ended up being a favorite… the kids squirted eachother all day.