Kids in Halloween costumes are a good thing.

Kids in homemade Halloween costumes are even better.

And then there are the life-affirming and joy-bringing children who commit to a homemade costume with a San Francisco theme. Young people with enough civic pride to say, “I won’t be a Ninja Turtle or Minion this year. How about I dress up like the Coit Tower?”

Today, and for the month of October, we honor you.

The crafty Halloween costume contest returns for its 10th year in 2018, with a San Francisco twist. Heather Knight and I are folding it into our Total SF project, giving a $250 cash prize to the kid in the best San Francisco-themed costume. (Contest rules are at the bottom of this story.)

Below is our Hall of Fame of S.F.-centric costumes from the first nine years of the contest.

GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE GIRLS

Kate Fim’s twin daughters helped execute this stunningly beautiful costume, which also served as a tribute to their new home. They won our 2016 contest — even before receiving bonus points for including a San Francisco Chronicle in the background.

“We’ve moved recently to Northern California and are very happy about it!” Fim wrote in her contest entry. “My girls were so impressed with the colorful bridge, so we decided to try to do it as a costume. My twin girls made houses and cars for costumes and helped a lot with the skirt-ocean!”

ROCCO THE TACO

Like previous overall winners, there’s incredible execution in this costume submitted by Mike Rizzi and Terri Manning, and a strong Bay Area vibe.

But the costume also has strong ties to the child’s interest; Rocco, 9 years old at the time of the entry, is a taco fiend. The costume is a technical marvel — red onions FTW — looking even more grand in front of the El Tonayense taco truck. (Excellent taste!)

Epilogue: Rocco and Mike stopped by The Chronicle in 2017 on food truck day and got lunch following a tour of the newsroom.

MISSION DISTRICT ICE CREAM VENDOR

The Super Crafty Halloween Costume Contest received more than 1,500 entries over nine years. None of them melted our hearts like this 2-year-old who wanted to dress up like his favorite ice cream vendor.

“El Niño Paletero gave out 100 free Otter Pops around the Mission tonight,” mother Judy Haworth reported, including a photo of the boy with a neighborhood vendor. “He had a blast and even ran into his twin!”

THE FABULOUS SPERRY BOYS

For the final several years of the contest, Milo and Solomon Sperry committed to dress up in San Francisco-themed costumes. The Glen Park residents were the Coit Tower and Transamerica Pyramid one year, the Golden Gate Bridge (photo at top of the page) the next, and finally a pair of cable cars during the last year of our contest in 2016.

“Yes, the bells do ring, using the cord inside,” father Raphael Sperry wrote to us. “Now, off to candy!”

THE KID WHO LOVED MUNI

One of several children who have turned their Muni obsession into a Halloween costume.

Three-year-old Ben ended up being a subject of Mike Kepka’s City Exposed series in The Chronicle and got a tour that included a meeting with the head of Muni. His costume with a made-by-hand Muni worm logo included real bus transfers that he handed out to other children at school.

ROBIN WILLIAMS TRIBUTE

After Robin Williams died on Aug. 11, 2014, several children showed up less than two months later in Williams-themed tribute costumes.

From mother Leslie Chew, who debuted this Mork costume on her 2½-year-old son in 2014: “Hopefully those who saw my mini-Mork trotting around were inspired to remember a young brilliant Robin Williams that still makes me laugh. This is our tribute to Robin Williams.”

PHILZ COFFEE AND BARISTA

We received this San Francisco coffee-themed entry from Vilaska Nguyen, whose entry in 2014 was too late to make the contest but still lives on as a legendary S.F. costume.

“My 3-year old son Russell is a cup of Philz coffee (he helps me make my Philharmonic every morning, from scooping and grinding beans to stirring the brew in the French press) and his older sister, age 6, is the hipster barista.”

Total SF Halloween Costume Contest

Heather Knight and Peter Hartlaub are bringing back The Chronicle’s homemade costume contest!

The contest started on The Chronicle’s parenting blog, The Poop, a decade ago and celebrates crafty families who make their own Halloween costumes. It’s returning this year with a San Francisco twist — prizes for city-themed costumes!

Is your child dressing as a Muni bus or Sutro Tower? A family costume as the Painted Ladies or the Grateful Dead? A baby just learning to walk could be the leaning Millennium Tower. (Too soon?)

You can enter your costumes by emailing phartlaub@sfchronicle.com and hknight@sfchronicle.com. Please include “Total SF Costumes” in the subject line. Deadline for entry is Oct. 31 at 9 p.m. Please include photos and a short story about your costume.

This is a children’s costume contest, although themed family costumes with children and parents will be considered.