In the end, two brothers and their doll edged out the competition.
In September, L.A. Parent hosted a mask contest for local kids. We asked parents what masks their children like to wear. We also asked for their tips about explaining to kids why masks are important and getting them to wear them consistently.
Parents sent us photos of their adorable kids wearing their masks, and we selected a winner based on the inspiring stories behind the masks and parents’ commitment to keeping their families healthy and safe.
We loved all of the entries, but brothers Anthony De Giacomo, 6, and Dominic De Giacomo, 3, won out. The brothers are champs about wearing their masks, and take their masked doll with them everywhere.
“It was a smooth transition to teach them to wear a mask,” says their mom, Vanessa Barrios of Agoura Hills. “It first was about being ninjas to fight an evil virus, but later became, ‘If our dolls wear it, I should, too, because we want to stay safe.’ I use pretend play for all transitions and to convey important messages. Our baby goes everywhere with us. Just yesterday, the baby went to get a flu shot just like us.
“This picture definitely reminds me that they learned to wear masks not by pretending to be ninjas, but because they care about others and want to model being good citizens and staying safe for their baby, essentially a symbol for all babies.”
Our contest was generously sponsored by Gelson’s Markets, and our friends at Fresh Brothers Pizza donated $100 worth of gift cards to our winner.
Our finalists were:
Valeria Arriaga, who will soon be 4 years old. Her grandmother made her mask. 
Natasha May Fleischer, who just turned 1. Her grandmother made her mask. 
Abigail Lafaurie, age 6, whose mask is handmade by her paraplegic cousin who lives in Florida. 
Paisley McCall, age 6, whose mom noted that Paisley loves accessories, from her Jojo Siwa mask to the cheetah glasses she showed off during a recent shopping trip. 
Sophia Mayer Pliner, age 8½, whose mom explained that their family believes that every person should do their part to protect themselves and others against the virus – and that Sophia’s favorite animal is a llama. 
Rosie Rillorta, age 6, whose mom, Marie, used one of Rosie’s favorite T-shirts that she had outgrown to make the mask.
Congratulations to our winners! And a big thank you to everyone who participated.
