Disclaimer: Jeffrey did attend a free screening of Ant-Man at the theater the night before it officially opened. All opinions are our own. There are links below to products I recommend from companies I have a referral relationship with. If you purchase an item after clicking one of these links, I will be compensated - thank you for supporting our small homestead business!
If you’re looking for fun activity worksheets that tie into a movie your whole family can enjoy, Ant-Man might be just what you need.
This Marvel adventure is packed with humor, action, and a surprising amount of science - making it a perfect pick for homesteaders and homeschoolers alike.
While it might not seem like a “homestead movie” at first, Ant-Man actually offers plenty of lessons about teamwork, problem-solving, and the amazing world of ants - tiny creatures that are every bit as hard-working and community-minded as we are.
Pairing this movie with hands-on learning is a great way to keep kids engaged while sneaking in a little education.
Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, or teacher, you’ll love how easily these activities fit into your day.
So grab some popcorn, print the worksheets, and get ready for a movie night that’s both entertaining and educational!
Movie Night Meets Fun Learning on the Homestead
If you’re looking for something that combines fun activity worksheets with an engaging family movie night, Ant-Man might just surprise you.
It’s not the first movie that comes to mind when you think of homesteading or homeschooling - but sometimes inspiration comes from the most unexpected places!
The movie is packed with humor, action, and a whole lot of creativity, and believe it or not, there are plenty of teachable moments tucked between those superhero fight scenes.
From exploring teamwork and the natural world to understanding ants and how communities work together, there’s a lot of science and life-lesson material here - perfect for kids, grandkids, and lifelong learners on the homestead.
A few weeks back, we were in New York City for several blogger conferences.
The city is always buzzing with energy, but one opportunity stood out - a special advance screening of Ant-Man where Paul Rudd himself would be there.
I said yes, without hesitation, but life being what it is, a scheduling conflict came up at the last minute.
So my husband, Jeffrey Rhoades, attended by himself.
Lucky guy, right?
While I had every intention of posting his review right away, the hotel Wi-Fi had other plans - and once we got home, the usual 12-hour homestead grind kicked in.
So the post got pushed back.
But not anymore.
It’s finally time for Jeffrey to share his thoughts on the movie - and at the end, I’ve got a special surprise for you: free downloadable Ant-Man fun activity worksheets that tie the movie into a hands-on learning adventure right at home.
At The Screening
Jeffrey said, “We were supposed to be at the theater at 5:30, and I was excited enough that I arrived about 5:15. I wasn’t the first to arrive, either - about ten people were already lined up ahead of me. As the minutes passed, more and more people showed up, the line stretching longer and longer down the hallway.”
A little after 6:00, Marshall Weinbaum, one of the Disney reps, arrived and began greeting everyone.
“About 6:15,” Jeffrey said, “they started checking names off the list and handed out movie tickets along with a coupon for a free small popcorn and drink.”
Honestly, that’s the kind of little detail that makes events like this so much fun.
The guests were then directed upstairs to the theater where everyone received 3-D glasses.
Jeffrey grabbed his popcorn and soda, found his seat, and settled in.
“I wasn’t sure how the 3-D glasses would work over my regular glasses,” he told me later, “but they fit perfectly. Once I got settled, I was just plain excited - it’s not every day you get to see a new Marvel movie before it officially opens!”
Time for the Show
Around 6:30, Marshall came back with a microphone and officially welcomed everyone to the event.
He gave the audience a heads-up to stay through the credits because there would be two post-credit scenes and of course, no Marvel movie is complete without those.
Then he introduced Paul Rudd, who walked in to a huge round of applause.
Jeffrey said, “Paul Rudd was so down-to-earth. He and Marshall talked for a few minutes about how thrilled he was to join the Marvel family. You could tell he genuinely enjoyed making the movie. Then he said goodbye, and the lights dimmed. It was showtime.”
When I asked Jeffrey what he thought afterward, he said, “I loved it! Ant-Man is one of the best Marvel movies I’ve seen. It’s funny, it’s action-packed, and there are moments that had the entire theater laughing out loud. Some jokes were big and obvious, others were subtle - the kind that sneak up on you. I really liked that Marvel chose to bring one of their lesser-known heroes to life. It made the story feel fresh, different, and a little unpredictable. I can’t wait to see who they bring to the big screen next.”
Fun Facts About Ant-Man (Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios)
Disney shared some incredible behind-the-scenes trivia that Jeffrey brought home - and honestly, it’s fascinating.
These little tidbits make for great homeschool discussion starters or trivia breaks during family movie night.
Here are some of my favorites:
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If you’ve ever wondered how the Ant-Man suit works, here’s the scoop: the suit encapsulates “Pym Particle” technology, which allows a person to shrink down to the size of an ant. When the wearer hits a button on the suit, it regulates the Pym Particles that flow through it like a system of tiny veins. These particles change the distance between atoms, which is what causes the shrinking.
While Ant-Man doesn’t have traditional superpowers, the compacted energy and mass make him incredibly strong in miniature form - a neat way to explain energy conservation and physics to curious young minds. -
The costume design team - led by Sammy Sheldon Differ and Ivo Coveney - built 13 full Ant-Man suits, 17 helmets, 17 belts, 8 pairs of gloves, 15 backpacks, 6 pairs of shoes, 15 balaclavas, and 14 matching necklaces. That’s a lot of sewing, assembling, and attention to detail - something any DIYer or homesteader can appreciate!
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Each Ant-Man suit included over 159 LED lights, all controlled remotely. The batteries and wiring were cleverly hidden in the small backpack. The gloves, belt, and entire suit could light up. Makes you wonder how much power those things would pull off-grid, doesn’t it?
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The Yellowjacket suit - worn by the villain - was heavily armored and could withstand bullets. It even had articulating plasma-ray arms and built-in sensors with infrared vision. Both suits used the same shrinking technology.
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For the miniature Ant-Man sequences, the filmmakers used a mix of macro photography, motion capture, and miniature sets. The macro team even built a mini clapperboard - an old-fashioned chalkboard version scaled down for the tiny sets!
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The studio researched real ant species to portray accurate behavior. For example:
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Paraponera clavata (bullet ants) have painful stings and move like tiny dinosaurs.
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Solenopsis (fire ants) are like architects - they link together to form bridges and rafts.
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Camponotus (carpenter ants) can fly and even provide Ant-Man with “transportation.”
Those details make for great nature lessons - or maybe a homeschool ant-farm project waiting to happen.
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Director Peyton Reed dove into the research too. His mother even mailed him his childhood copy of World of Insects, a book with an ant on the cover that rekindled his fascination with bugs.
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The movie was filmed in San Francisco and at Pinewood Studios in Atlanta, where it became the first film shot in the studio’s newly built facilities.
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The production design for Hank Pym’s Victorian house included authentic wallpaper from a New York shop that sells real 1930s-40s prints. Because each roll was limited, they had to plan the sets carefully - talk about old-fashioned resourcefulness.
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Keep an eye out during the movie for tiny hints around the house: miniature chairs, weapons, and objects scattered about - clues to Pym’s early experiments.
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The basement set, designed like a corrugated metal tube, resembled an old bomb shelter and included a vertical ant farm filled with live ants that kept right on working during filming.
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Even the van in the movie - Luis’s beat-up brown van - went through several “versions”:
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The “Mark 1” was the original beater,
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“Mark 2” got upgraded mirrors and sideboards,
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and “Mark 3” was painted to look like a utility vehicle for the big heist scene.
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The wig Michael Douglas wore as the younger Hank Pym was one he already owned for another movie about President Reagan - talk about recycling props!
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Director Peyton Reed, a lifelong Marvel fan, once drew his high-school punk band as the Avengers - and he drew himself as Ant-Man. Maybe that was a sign of things to come.
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Bringing Ant-Man to the Homestead Classroom
So how does all this tie into homesteading or homeschooling?
More easily than you’d think.
Ants are nature’s tiny farmers, builders, and team players - and their world reflects many of the same values we hold dear on a homestead: hard work, cooperation, and resilience.
Watching Ant-Man can actually spark curiosity about the natural world, physics, and even creative problem-solving - all of which make for great hands-on learning moments with kids.
Here are some fun ways to tie the movie into homestead learning projects:
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Ant Observation Jar: Safely collect a few ants and watch them work. Talk about teamwork - how ants share food, protect their colony, and communicate. Then compare that to how families on a homestead work together to care for animals, gardens, or chores.
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Mini Homestead Science Project: Use the movie’s idea of “shrinking” to talk about atoms, energy, or density. How can something get smaller but stay strong? Let kids experiment by compressing soil or stacking different materials to see how density affects strength.
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Craft Time: Print and color the fun activity worksheets featuring Ant-Man and his world. Encourage your kids to invent their own superhero who protects nature, the farm, or pollinators.
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Ant Garden Experiment: Sprinkle sugar or honey in different areas and observe how ants find it and communicate back to the colony. Record your findings in a nature journal or homestead science binder.
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Creative Writing Prompt: Ask, “If you could shrink to the size of an ant, what would you do first on our homestead?” It’s a fun way to combine imagination with writing skills.
These kinds of activities not only reinforce lessons from the movie but also give kids a chance to connect what they watch with real-life experiences - something every homesteader understands well.
Download Your Free Ant-Man Fun Activity Worksheets
Because learning should be fun, I’ve created a set of Ant-Man inspired fun activity worksheets you can download for free when you sign up for my newsletter. They’re filled with coloring pages, puzzles, and creative prompts that keep little hands and minds busy — perfect for rainy days, homeschool lessons, or a quiet afternoon while you’re working in the kitchen or garden.
👉 Click here to sign up and get your free printable worksheets.
Each worksheet set includes:
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Movie-themed puzzles and word searches
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Coloring pages featuring Ant-Man and his tiny insect friends
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And much more!
They’re fun, educational, and tie perfectly into a movie that’s all about teamwork, ingenuity, and seeing the world from a new perspective.
What Ant-Man Teaches Us About Life on the Homestead
When you really think about it, Ant-Man and homesteading share a common theme: small actions that make a big impact.
Whether it’s tending a garden bed, caring for animals, or teaching children how to be curious and kind, every little thing adds up.
Ants don’t do anything alone - and neither should we.
Watching this movie together as a family reminded me how important it is to nurture that same spirit of cooperation here on our own homestead.
Even the tiniest effort - like planting one seed, feeding one chick, or taking one evening to watch a movie and talk about it - can grow into something meaningful.
So grab the popcorn, print the fun activity worksheets, and turn your next movie night into an unforgettable learning experience.
Ant-Man might be small, but the lessons he brings to the big screen are mighty.
