Halloween Costume Parade

By Photographs by Jami Saunders
Courtesy of Jami Saunders and Molly Kohl
Every year, the neighborhood of Cobble Hill, in Brooklyn, New York comes to life on Halloween. Trick-or-Treaters march down a main street and gather in a park, where our team editors and photographers camped out to see what they could find. Lucky for us, the kids struck a pose and the parents shared their craft tips.
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Spunky Chicken

Jami Saunders

Aiden Sinha, age 4

"Some kids like cows and some like goats, but Aidan has a soft spot for chickens. He sends me off to work every day with a hug and a peck."

-- Mom, Shari Sinha

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Mini Marathoner

Jami Saunders

"He started to walk a few weeks before Halloween, and he just took off. So a runner seemed fitting. His homemade bib number was his birthdate."

-- Mom, Amanda Kingloff, Parents lifestyle director

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Girly Ghosts

Jami Saunders

Lilla, age 2 1/2, and Mom, Vela Burke

"For Lilla's third Halloween, she chose to be a ghost. White tulle over white dresses provided the phantom look I was going for."

-- Vela

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Heirloom Mushroom

Jami Saunders

Nelly Otcasek, age 3

"My kids love mushrooms; they like to look for them in the woods. A friend gave us this vintage dress that we layered with white clothes."

-- Mom, Kamila Otcasek

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Rocket Man

Jami Saunders

Valentino, age 4

"We were talking about cool things in outer space and he said he'd like to be a rocket ship for Halloween. Luckily, we found most of the materials at our local hardware store."

-- Mom, Lola [last name withheld]

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Sock Monkey

Jami Saunders

Charlie Hutchison, age 16 months

"He sleeps with his Blabla doll every night, and I often find them lying in exactly the same position."

-- Mom, Elizabeth Bower

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Fiery Tiger

Jami Saunders

Luca Pereira-Frears, age 7

"He chose to be a tiger for three reasons: It's his favorite animal, he likes their stripes, and they're orange just like his hair."

-- Mom, Amy Pereira

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Morbid Mummy

Jami Saunders

Anju Andren, age 7

"He's of that age that loves scary things like mummies, zombies, and ghosts. And scary, he was."

-- Mom, Mayumi Andren

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Cuddly Cowboy

Jami Saunders

Oscar G. Hernandez, age 15 months

"This one paid homage to a classic. I cut a hole in a cheap pashmina to make a poncho; then I taught him my best Clint Eastwood stare."

-- Mom, Kristina M. Hernandez

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Little Chick

Jami Saunders

Ruth Kenny, age 7 months

"Her grandmother collects vintage chicken figurines, so I made this costume in her honor."

-- Mom, Corinne Gill

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Lion Cub

Jami Saunders

Eli Owles, age 1

"I wanted to create something cozy that would keep him warm. The tail was the best part. It dragged on the ground as Eli toddled through the grass."

-- Mom, Katie Nelson

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Precious Pixie

Jami Saunders

Penelope Shulman, age 18 months

"Fairies are such cute mythical creatures, and she seems to be just about their size."

-- Mom, Jocelyn Miller

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Cosmic Astronaut

Jami Saunders

Benjamin J. Fernando, age 1

"We called him our little spaceman from the time he was born. It just stuck! His helmet was open in the back, so he could breathe just fine!"

-- Mom, Jade Doskow

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Punk Rocker

Jami Saunders

Aiden Moyer, age 5

"He really wanted to sport a Mohawk, so we gelled his hair and colored it with spray hair dye. Holes in an old T-shirt and a studded dog collar completed the look."

-- Mom, Sarah Adams

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Bat Girl

Jami Saunders

Aria Bevacqua, age 4

"Rather than be a typical bat, Aria wanted to be a sweet one like the fruit bat from Stellaluna, by Janell Cannon. By the end of the night, she was calling herself the 'candy' bat!"

-- Mom, Amy Bevacqua

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Edward Scissorhands

Jami Saunders

"With the wig and gloves (costumescollection.com), Jack practiced looking like the creepy character for weeks before he even put the makeup on."

-- Dad, Ben Gibberd

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Wild Cat

Jami Saunders

Lulu Chamness, age 18 months

"The costume was sent from her aunt in California. But the nose and whiskers were all me— drawn with the eyeliner from my purse."

-- Mom, Mary Hermant

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Red Ninjas

Jami Saunders

Lucy and Pip Booth, ages 3 & 6

"They are dressed as characters from Lego Ninjago. The costumes were super simple with cardboard swords, a T-shirt headdress, and pajamas from Chinatown."

-- Mom, Nora McCauley

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Funny Bunny

Jami Saunders

Sofie Jackson, age 3

"Sofie's favorite books are the Knuffle Bunny series, by MoWillems. So the costume was a must!"

-- Mom, Cari Hanzl

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Little Owl

Jami Saunders

Zadie May Jones, age 15 months

"I thought she'd be a cute baby owl, plus it was something I could put together without too much difficulty."

-- Mom, Joanne Jones

Originally published in the October 2012 issue of Parents magazine.

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Baby Gnome

Jami Saunders

Benjamin Langland, age 9 months

"My wife and I have a fondness for gnomes; we even used them in our wedding invitations. That, and an infant with a white beard is totally hilarious."

-- Dad, Matthew Langland

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Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf

Courtesy of Jami Saunders and Molly Kohl

Willa and Griffin Maurette, ages 5 & 3

"Every year we do a family-themed costume. I made it easy on myself and just dressed up some store-bought costumes."

-- Mom, Molly Kohl

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