Being asked back is the best review you can get.
When Google Sydney invited Bearish to return for their second annual Family & Friends Day, it confirmed something beyond the success of the first year. It confirmed that the experience was worth repeating, worth sharing with new people, and worth building into the culture of how Google brings their team and their families together. That kind of trust isn't handed out lightly, and we didn't take it lightly either.
The result was one of the most energetic days Bearish has ever been part of. Hundreds of Googlers and their loved ones, 380 individual creations, and a sold-out session that ran from start to finish on pure momentum.
What We Ran: Fluid Bear Painting and DIY Keyring Making
Two activities anchored the day. Fluid bear painting, which returning participants already had a fondness for, and DIY keyring making, which gave younger visitors and first-timers something hands-on and immediately satisfying to take home.
The fluid bear painting process is exactly what it sounds like and nothing like what most people expect. Participants mix vibrant colours and pour them across their bear canvas, then tilt and manipulate the surface to create flowing, unpredictable patterns. No two outcomes are the same. For many at this event, it was their first time working with fluid art, and that first-timer experience has a particular magic to it; the moment someone realises they've created something genuinely beautiful without knowing exactly how it happened.
The keyrings added a different dimension, quicker to complete, tactile, and small enough that kids could finish one and immediately want to start another. Across a full-day family event, having two formats running in parallel kept energy high and gave people the freedom to choose their own experience.
380 creations by the end of the day. Every single one different.
Why Family Days Hit Differently
Corporate team building is one thing. Family and friends days operate on a different emotional register entirely. When employees bring the people they love into the workplace, the stakes shift. The experience reflects on the company, but it also reflects on the employee who showed up and said "this is where I work, and I'm proud to show you around."
An activation that lands well on a day like this earns a different kind of loyalty than a Thursday afternoon workshop. Children going home with a bear they made themselves, partners with a keyring, everyone with a story from the day; that's the company becoming part of a family memory. Google understood that when they designed the event, and the format Bearish brought to the floor was built to deliver exactly that.
The fact that it sold out, for the second year running, is the proof.
Returning Clients, Raised Expectations
There's an honest challenge in being asked back. The novelty is gone. Returning participants remember the first experience, and they've told their families what to expect. The bar isn't just "as good as last time," it's better, or at least different enough to feel fresh.
Bearish met that by running two activities instead of one, bringing the same standard of guided facilitation, and leaning into the family-friendly format with hosts who could read the room and adjust energy levels accordingly. The result was a day that felt cohesive and considered rather than a repeat of something that already happened.
Interested in Hosting a Family Day Activation?
Bearish designs creative workshop activations for corporate events of all formats, including family days, onboarding events, end-of-year parties, and brand activations across Sydney. Whether you're planning for 50 people or 500, get in touch and we'll build something worth coming back for.
