May is Mental Health Awareness month, and we are celebrating by sharing activities, information, stories, and resources to support the mental health and wellbeing of our children and our families. Our next activity is a great one to do with kids at home, school, or even outside!
Creating mandalas with kids is a creative and meditative activity that can help kids relax, express themselves, and be mindful of their thoughts and feelings. Because creating mandalas requires them to concentrate on details, it helps kids to stay present in the moment. This can also foster a sense of calm and relaxation. Mandalas also provide a safe space for children to express themselves artistically without the pressure of judgment. By choosing colors, shapes, and patterns, they can communicate their emotions and inner thoughts in a non-verbal way. This creative outlet allows them to explore and process their feelings, developing self-awareness.
Mandalas for Mindfulness
A mandala is a circular design that has repeating colors, shapes, and patterns radiating from the center. The mandala design does not need to stay within the lines or look any particular way. Kids can use the mandala to express whatever they are feeling and put it on the mandala.
Here’s how to use a mandala for mindfulness and meditative practice:
- There are many ways to create a mandala. You can draw a circle on paper and create patterns with different shapes and lines, you can create 3D mandala from found objects within your home or in nature, or you can find and print mandala coloring pages for free online.
- While kids color or build their mandala, ask them to pay attention to their thoughts, their feelings, and their body. If you’d like, you can also ask them to set an intention for their mandala. For example, “this mandala is to make me feel calm” or “this mandala is to bring me happiness”.
- While they color, or once they have finished, ask them what they were thinking and feeling while they were creating their mandala.
- Kids can either keep their mandala and hang it up somewhere they can see it as a positive reminder, or they can release it and let go of it, if the mandala holds any negative emotions.
By engaging in this meditative art form, kids can experience a calming effect, enhance their concentration and mindfulness, and express themselves creatively. Creating mandalas with kids is a wonderful and easy way to foster mental health and well-being at home. We encourage you to try this activity, or one of our other mental health activities, with your child this Mental Health Awareness Month.