1. Batman, 2. Buzz Lightyear pumpkin, 3. Spiderman – Extreme, 4. Harry Potter Pumpkin, 5. Superman, 6. batman pumpkin, 7. Mighty Mouse, 8. Buzz Lightyear, 9. _Harry Potter Pumpkin, 10. Einstein, 11. Spider-man Pumpkin, 12. 2007 Wonder Woman, 13. Spidey-O-Lantern, 14. Batman pumpkin dark, 15. Superman Pumpkin

…some from our planet, some from outer space, all from the mighty depths of our imagination. Now you and your kiddo can create your own superhero sidekicks, alien allies and supervillains – out of paper! Readymech is an online site that offers free, flatpack toys for you to print and build. They are designed to fit on an 8.5″x11″ page and printed with any printer. To tackle this project you’ll need double-sided tape, thick matte paper and approximately 10-15 minutes to construct your creation. Have fun!

I recently wrote about the earliest store-bought Halloween costume I can remember owning. Growing up, we typically we made our costumes or cobbled them together from my dad’s old clothes – which meant we we clowns and hobos many times over. Money was usually tight and I can only imagine that I must have begged mercilessly for my mother to allow me to buy one of the boxed costumes at the drugstore.

I chose Fred Flinstone. The costume consisted of a printed plastic sheath you wore like a hospital gown and a hard plastic mask that made your face sweat (not to mention the elastic band that cut into your ears). This was the manufactured costume norm in the 1970s. Don’t believe me? See the ad below. I’m pretty sure that get-up was a one time only deal – not to repeated (primarily because of comfort issues!)

Needless to say, I never had a costume quite as fantastic as a handmade Little Hero Cape but I do have fun memories of dressing up. So, a pre-Halloween request – if you’re kiddo is wearing a Little Hero Cape for trick-or-treating this year – take pictures! We’ll be asking for them in November…and who knows, you might just win something worthy of a superhero.

In a minor to salute to vintage costumes and more of a celebration of the kids who wore them, I offer you the following images from the creative folks at Flickr.com.

1. costumed child with trick dog, 2. David L. Fox in Indian costume, 3. My George Harrison costume, 4. superboy, 5. Halloween #23, 6. high ten, 7. Halloween 1968, 8. meow: halloween 1970, 9. Star Wars, 10. Halloween #25, 11. Halloween #5, 12. dracula and ?

Esta Sketch is a self described “part time artist / part time student” out of Sydney, Australia whose work is combination of drawing and collage. Her series entitled Superheroes Among Us combines fashion style sketches and collaged pages from vintage comic books. What I really loved is the way she described the thought process behind her creative process.

“The hundreds of people you pass during a day, commuting, at school, at work, wherever you go might never know the real you. If only you could wear what’s inside on the outside – your creativity, personality, individuality, passion, the things that make you special. I always wondered how Clark Kent could put up with being just another face in a sea of suits, did he ever want to shout “pay attention to me, I’m special!” or was knowing his true identity, super powers and all those he helped enough. These pieces are representations of the secret identity lying within all of us.”

It’s a great idea and could also translate into an interesting activity for you and your little hero. Gather plain paper, crayons and the Sunday funny pages or comic books headed for the recycle bin. Draw simple self portraits and then, like Esta, paste images cut from the comics to create clothing. Look for images that represent who you are or perhaps what you’re feeling. This could be a fun lesson in learning how to express feelings and you may surprised by what your learn about your child!

Learn more about Esta Sketch on her blog or see more of her work in her Etsy shop.