Australian winter school holidays land at the worst possible time: cold weather, short days, and grandkids who've already exhausted the iPad. Painting together fills two afternoons easily — and produces something they take home.
Here's how to make it work without it becoming hard work.
Pick the Right Canvas for the Age
Ages 6–9: a 20×30 cm canvas with bold sections and around 12 colours. Anything fussier and they'll quit before the first colour is done.
Ages 10–14: a 30×40 cm canvas of a pet or a landscape they chose. Our animals and pets and landscapes and nature designs both suit this age. The bigger jump in difficulty is fine if they had input on the subject.
Set Up Before They Arrive
Lay out the canvas, paints, brushes, water cup and paper towel before they walk in. Excitement evaporates during 'wait while I find scissors'.
Have one canvas per kid — sharing causes more fights than the cost of an extra kit from our paint-it-yourself range.
Paint One Together (Strategically)
Pick one canvas you'll work on while they work on theirs. Don't hover over their painting — work on yours, glance occasionally, comment positively when they're not asking. It teaches them that adults paint too, not just supervise.
If a younger grandchild gets stuck, paint a small section together with hand-over-hand guidance.
Pace and Snacks
Plan for 60–90 minutes maximum per session. Build in a snack break at the 30-minute mark — chocolate biscuits and a hot Milo make it feel like an event, not a class.
Two afternoons is plenty to finish a small canvas. Don't drag it across the whole holiday.
Send It Home Properly
Photograph the finished canvas with them holding it. Send the photo to their parents the same day. Wrap the canvas in a tea towel for the car ride home so it doesn't smudge.
They'll remember the afternoon. The painting on their bedroom wall is the proof.
An afternoon of paint-by-numbers with a grandchild costs less than a cinema ticket, lasts two hours longer, and ends with something on their wall. Worth pulling out of the cupboard.
— Be Artistic Club