Kimberly Lusk

Young artists, our hearts are a flutter. Your valentine art brought so much color and joy to the newsroom on a cold and dreary day.

Gourdeous: Pumpkin coloring contest announces winners

That saying, “April showers bring May flowers” probably wasn’t written with Spokane in mind.

Vanessa Delgado says that when she was growing up, gender and sexuality weren’t discussed as being on a spectrum. She didn’t see books that addressed such topics.

Kick off the new year with some family fun. Here are 10 ideas to get you started:

For years I’ve looked at pictures of gorgeous star-, wreath- or tree-shaped holiday breads and pastries, knowing that they looked far more complicated than they really were. But, I never bothered to make one.

These mittens may not keep hands warm, but they sure warmed the judges’ hearts.

In recognition of Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Spokane Community Observance of the Holocaust Art Contest has announced its winners. High school and middle school artists were asked to create pieces on the theme “Why Holocaust Education?” For the month of May, the works will be on display.

It was a colorful harvest this year. Nearly 200 area children (and a few adults) turned in some pretty spooky squashes. It was a tough job, but the judges at The Spokesman-Review picked their favorite pumpkins. In the 0-4 category, Grace Blair charmed judges with her dotted pumpkin. Grace is 3 and lives in Mead.

Spokane sixth-grader Brook Packard won the state’s annual Poison Prevention Poster Contest.

Step inside the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture on a hot day, and the first thing you might notice is how cool it is. To protect its collections and any traveling exhibits, the temperature in the museum never goes above 72 degrees or below 68.

Sisters Nancy and Julia Glen started a new adventure a few years ago. Julia Glen was a volunteer at a school. “She wanted a book for them about their immediate city,” Nancy Glen said.

“Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” – Friday-Thursday, Village Centre Cinemas Wandermere, 12622 N. Division St.; Airway Heights, 10117 Highway 2. Celebrate Father’s Day with Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones and Sean Connery as his dad.

Nancy Drew is turning 91 on Wednesday. That’s the anniversary of the publication of the first Nancy Drew book, “The Secret of the Old Clock.” To celebrate, SCLD is hosting “The Mystery of Nancy Drew.”

Buttercups are among the first blooms each year. Since 1967, the Dishman Hills Conservancy has been inviting people to come look for buttercups and other early wildflowers each spring.

Cupid has lots of help this year. More than 300 Inland Northwest children entered this year’s Valentine’s Day coloring contest. And, boy, did the judges feel the love. In the 0 to 4 age group, there was lots of color.

There’s a new kid in the YouTube neighborhood, and she’s from North Idaho. Mopsy was created by Matt and Lily Edwards to be the feminine answer to Blippi, a YouTube personality their children love watching. The family moved to Hayden from Los Angeles.

For some families, decorating the tree is a walk down memory lane. There are ornaments brought home from travels, made by little hands at school and purchased to commemorate occasions or accomplishments (baby’s first Christmas or a new house). Maybe there’s a shark or three because sharks are a child’s favorite animal.

Family Fun: Pop open science fun with author Lynn Brunelle

With regular routines upended by the coronavirus pandemic, families are seeking new and old ways of creating structure. Even better if it counts as a bit of education. For many, that means the family reading together.