Best of Family

by Pia Hansen


Best Daycare Center - KinderCare


Though many of you answered this question with "grandma," "mom" or "home," the reality is that parents often depend on daycare centers while they are out earning the dough. Among those, KinderCare, which has been in Spokane for 17 years, was a clear winner. The five local centers care for just about 500 children every day, while nationwide KinderCare operates more than 1,100 learning centers (as they like to call their daycares) and takes care of more than 120,000 children every day. Playdough, crayons, Legos, puppets and musical instruments -- you can find everything it takes to make a kid happy here.


Second place: Harvard Park


Third place: YMCA





Best Kids' Event - Junior Bloomsday


With all the bad press kids are getting these days for being overweight, we're happy to announce that our readers' favorite kids' event is all about outdoors fun and fitness. It's the largest children's footrace in the world, and it's become just as much of a Spokane staple as its adult namesake. When the race began 16 years ago, organizers expected a couple of hundred kids -- well, they got 3,000, and they've been growing ever since. This year as many as 10,000 children are expected to be at the starting line at Joe Albi Stadium on Saturday, April 14. If you are between 5 and 12 years old, you can still make it, the entry