The origin story of Diana, Amazonian princess who becomes Wonder Woman, gives girls who love comic books a heroine they could see in themselves. Diana is a god who trains to be a warrior and believes in the good of humans.
When war comes to her shore on her home island of Themyscira, she sets out to complete the promise of her people to kill the god of war, Ares. During WWI, he’s not that hard to find, and with the help of a pilot named Steve Trevor, she learns the depth of her strength and powers. Note to parents: The movie is rated PG-13 for its violence and depictions of war.
Diana Prince thinks she knows who she is, but learns as war rages around her that she still has a lot to learn. She also has a thing or two to teach those around her about bravery and bucking the system. Here are a few great topics to talk to your teens and tweens after you’ve seen the movie:
- Be accepting of others ‘quirks.’ Stranded on an island, Steve Trevor quickly learned that Diana wasn’t like anyone he’d ever met before, both in strength and personality. While others questioned everything from her abilities to her costume, Steve took it all in stride and helped her on her quest. Talk to your kids about the importance of accepting others as they are and not trying to make someone who seems different conform to what we think is “normal.
- Use your gifts for good. As a superhero, Diana is pretty super, able to deflect bombs with her shield and bullets with her wristlets. She worked hard to become a great warrior, and her strength and speed were blessed by the gods. So when she finds out that a village has been taken during WWI and its villagers enslaved, she crosses a battlefield to save them. Maybe your kids are blessed with greatness as writers, musicians or kindness. Talk with them about ways that they can use their gifts for good to help their community.
- “Everyone is fighting their own battles.” Sameer wanted to be an actor, but war turned him into a creative soldier instead. His battle was against those who told him he couldn’t be an early 20th century actor because of his skin color. Remind your kids – and this is hard because younger kids can be very self-focused – that they don’t know the battles faced by the people they see everyday, so kindness is key with everyone they meet (even others on the playground or in school who don’t play fair).
Movie-inspired activities
Now that you’ve seen Wonder Woman, try these screen-free activities inspired by the movie.
- Make your own Wonder Woman wristlets. This craft from Raising Whasians is great for little siblings who want in on the Wonder Woman action and use recycled materials.
- Train like Diana. Living on an island, Diana used what she had to train to be a warrior. Make your own indoor obstacle course for kids to “train” on.
- Read about the original Wonder Woman. DC Comics introduced Wonder Woman to the world in December 1941. Check out your local comic book shop for the latest in Wonder Woman comics. For younger kids, read the DC Super Hero Girls that includes Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Supergirl, Harley Quinn and more.
- Be a star! DC Comics created a Wonder Woman Activity Kit for the weekend of the movie’s original release in 2017. The 47-page booklet includes coloring pages, word searches and even recommendations about how to be a superhero.
- What would Wonder Woman do? Given a choice, Diana picked love to help save the world. What can your kids do this weekend to save the world? Maybe it’s as simple as picking up trash around the local park (make sure to use gloves during a pandemic), or as complex as organizing a porch pick-up drive for a local charity.
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