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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Family Calendar for May 30-June 6 – Story times, writing, Wonder Wednesdays and drawing

Hanzala Safi, 8, makes drawings after school at her family's apartment in Alexandria, Va., on April 7. The family was evacuated from Afghanistan and is trying to make a new life in the U.S. while in immigration limbo.  (Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press)

Soar Into Summer – Pick up a wood cutout butterfly from Avenue West Gallery and decorate it to be displayed and/or sold throughout June. Must be returned to Avenue West by Monday. Open to artists of all ages. Avenue West Gallery, 907 W. Boone Ave., Suite B. $5. (509) 838-4999.

Storytime Play and Learn – Share books and songs and spend time in open play with learning activities and craft projects. Open to preschoolers and their families. Available at various times and library branches throughout the week. Visit spokanelibrary.org for more information. Through Dec. 31, Spokane Public Library. Free.

Teen Summer Reading BookBlitz – The Coeur d’Alene Public Library is doing a Teen Summer Reading BookBlitz for ages 13-19. To join, review four books, and the fifth one is free. Punch cards available at Coeur d’Alene Library. The grand prize winner will be selected at the end of summer. Through Aug. 31, noon. Coeur d’Alene Library, 702 E. Front Ave., Coeur d’Alene. (208) 769-2315.

Storytime Shorts – Hear stories that help children learn language and early literacy skills. Every Tuesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. at facebook.com/spokanecountylibrarydistrict. Also available on YouTube at scld.org/storytime-shorts-playlist. Presented by Spokane County Library District. Free.

Drop in and Write – Bring works in progress to share, get inspired with creative prompts and spend focused time writing. Tuesday, 5:30-7 p.m. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Parkway. Free. (509) 279-0299.

Virtual Storytime – A virtual story time for preschoolers on Zoom. Visit events.spokanelibrary.org/events to register. Wednesday, 10-10:30 a.m. Presented by Spokane Public Library. Free.

Wonder Wednesdays – A virtual story time featuring books about imagination, creativity, adventure and exploration. Visit cdalibrary.com/library-events for the Zoom link. Wednesday, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Coeur d’Alene Library, 702 E. Front Ave., Coeur d’Alene. Free. (208) 769-2315.

Drawing Fundamentals for Teens – Marlene Laurich leads students in line, shape, form and space drawing techniques. Open to children ages 12-15. Sponsored by the Kalispel Tribe youth art grant. Supplies and snacks provided. Call (509) 448-9277 or visit createarts.org to register. Masks required. Wednesday, 3-5 p.m. Create Art Center, 900 W. Fourth St., Newport. Free. (509) 447-9277.

Drop in and Draw – Explore different artistic mediums, develop skills and ideas and get feedback. Open to all ages. Wednesday, 5:30-7 p.m. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Parkway. Free. (509) 279-0299.

Drop in and Play – Play board and card games together in a relaxing, positive environment. Open to all ages. Thursday, noon-2 p.m. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Parkway. Free. (509) 279-0299.

“Matilda: the Musical” – The Tony Award-winning Roald Dahl’s “Matilda: the Musical” revels in the anarchy of childhood, the power of imagination and an inspiring story of a girl who dreams of a better life. This show is rated PG for crass language. Showtimes Fridays-Saturdays at 7 p.m., Saturday-Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. $16 adults, $15 military, senior and children ages 12 and younger; $18 door. (509) 227-7638.

Dungeons and Dragons for Teens – Play a virtual game of Dungeons and Dragons with teens in the Spokane area. All skill levels welcome. For more information and to register, visit events.spokanelibrary.org/events. Friday, 3-5 p.m. Presented by Spokane Public Library. Free.

Minecraft Club – Explore architecture, engineering and art through Minecraft. Participants are given a building prompt and a brief lesson, then join a Minecraft world to build around the prompt. Friday, 3:30-5:30 p.m. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Parkway. Free. (509) 279-0299.

Wheatland Bank Free Horse and Carriage Rides – Enjoy the sights of downtown and Riverfront Park from a horse-drawn carriage. Pickup at inside Riverfront Park on Locust Lane (next to the SkyRide entrance) across from Wheatland Bank. Please remember the horses require breaks and plenty of water, and they may be more numerous during hot weather. This will impact wait times for the carriage rides. Each ride lasts approximately 8-10 minutes. The carriage can comfortably hold up to eight adults. Friday, 5-9 p.m. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. Free. (509) 625-6601.

Science From Home – Librarian Molly presents a science experiment each week on the library’s Facebook page facebook.com/spokanecountylibrarydistrict. For children ages 8 and older and their families. Saturday, 10-11 a.m. Spokane County Library District. Free. (509) 893-8200.

Drop in and RPG – Play tabletop role playing games using cooperative problem solving. Open to adults and children ages 5 and older. Every first and third Saturday, 1-3:45 p.m. Saturday, 1-3:45 p.m. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Parkway. Free. (509) 279-0299.

Spokane Humane Society’s 125th Birthday Party – Celebrate Spokane Humane Society’s 125th birthday party. That’s more than 500 dog years! All animal lovers are invited to join us for games and crafts, door prizes, swag bags, food trucks as well as adoption, volunteer and foster information. Bring dog or cat food for the pet food bank and receive a door prize ticket. Prizes will also be given for the largest donation of food (in pounds) for an individual and group. If you can’t attend in-person, but still want to help, send a gift using the Amazon wish list at tinyurl.com/bdcw4jex. For more information, email MLTroop2537@gmail.com. Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Spokane Humane Society, 6607 N. Havana St. (509) 467-5235.

Fire 9 Annual Demo Day & Wellness Fair – Spokane County Fire District 9 hosts its annual Demo Day & Wellness Fair featuring live fire and rescue demonstrations and the opportunity to see and tour fire apparatus and a Life Flight helicopter. Kids can try their hand at firefighting techniques with the Jr. Challenge Course, and everyone can see how they do with extinguishing a fire with a fire extinguisher. More than 50 community organizations will also be onsite with displays, samples and lots of information. Sunday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Spokane County Fire District 9, 606 W. Hastings Road. Free.