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Families

Activities for kids of all ages to do, watch, make and learn

The Keeper of Paintings and the Palette of Perception
Step into a hidden world of art and magic at the National Gallery in this new immersive app

Things to make and create

Follow along at home with our 'make and create' art tutorials. Most suitable for ages 5+ 

Printing on fabric

Making art together

Bethan explores the idea of collaboration, with a little help from her friends

Self portraits

Learn how to make self portraits using different techniques, with Bethan and Gus the cat

Drawing Van Gogh's Sunflowers

Bethan shows you how to take your pencil for a walk, and other ways of drawing nature

A collage inspired by Rousseau's 'Surprised'

Watch how Bethan creates a jungle-inspired collage using materials you can find at home

Things to watch and learn

Discover some of the stories behind our paintings. Most suitable for ages 8+ 

How to spot your saints

Cleavers, poison and snakes, oh my! But what do they have to do with saints? Ed Dickenson explains all

Birds and death in paintings

What have birds got to do with death? Ed Dickenson reveals some of the hidden meanings in our paintings

A creepy crawl through the collection

Things for grown-ups

Time for a tea break? Discover new ways of investigating paintings with your kids or students. 

5-minute meditations

Take some time out and unwind with a mindful look at one painting 

Picture of the month

A 60-second snapshot of a different painting each month  

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