To see a world in a grain of sand,

And a heaven in a wild flower.

Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,

And eternity in an hour.

- William Blake

Are you looking for a fun, creative and sensory filled activity for kids to celebrate Earth Day? Then look no further. A nature mandala is a wonderful, group activity which brings the outdoors in.

Supplies for a Nature Mandala

vinyl table cloth or other large drop cloth

measuring tape

straight edge or ruler

black felt marker

found items from nature

How to make a Nature Mandala

Lay the vinyl table cloth white side up, mark the centre, from there create a geometric pattern for the mandala ( I went with an easy star burst).

Go for a nature walk and collect lots of interesting items: pinecones, moss, sticks, bark, sand, leaves, rocks, berries, grass, etc.

Create the mandala by placing the various items onto the geometric pattern. For a group give each child one item and have them take turns deciding on its placement.

Be aware that this activity does involve bringing the outdoors in. Come prepared with a broom and dustpan for easy clean-up or better yet make the mandala outside. 

Inspired by Shanti Generation’s Earth Yoga: Inspirations for Celebrating Earth Day with Kids and Teens 

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Welcome to 2010 and Congratulations to Lynette Mattke, the winner of the Mini Mandala Designer Classic giveaway. Lynette entered a comment on the article Mandala Magic – Teaching Kids About Meditation, sharing her experiences with mandalas in Sri Lanka and at the Smithsonian Museum where some monks were creating one. Click here to read her entire comment and read Mandalas Universal Across Cultures to learn about Tibetan sand mandalas such as were produced at the Smithsonian. Upon learning of her good fortune to start the new decade, Lynette said:

What a wonderful New Year’s surprise! I am excited to try out the kit with my kids. They all love art and especially colors and patterns, so I think they will be delighted with the Mini Mandala Designer.

Congratulations Lynette. Your Mini Mandala Designer Classic will be in the mail today.

Watch for more give-aways throughout the coming year. Become a Fan on Facebook so as not to miss a single one.

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This is a continuation of the post Mandala Magic – Teaching Kids About Meditation. Here I’ll examine some of the cross cultural representations and usages of mandalas throughout the world. As I researched this post I was amazed at their universal application and beauty. I hope you enjoy learning about mandalas as you discover the wealth and knowledge of the great world cultures and religions. This would be a very interesting Social Studies or World Religion topic of discussion or research project and would open students’ eyes to cultural inter-connections and global commonalities.

If you haven’t yet entered to win a Mini Mandala Designer leave a comment on this post now and you too can access the wisdom of the ages by creating your own mandalas. Draw date is January 1st, 2010.

Buddhism: Representing the highest levels of spiritual development, mandalas are extensively used in Buddhism. Some of the most incredible are the sand mandalas created by Tibetan monks. These are highly artistic endeavors fanning out in geometric form from a central dot. The pure devotion and perfection of the work is remarkable and an act of worship in and of itself. Each color has specific symbolism: bue=infinity & healing, white=knowledge & longevity, red=life force & fire, green=harmony & vigour, yellow=renunciation & earth

Hinduism: Yantra mandalas resonate with energy and beauty. They are meant to engross the mind and bring one to a higher level of enlightenment. Their outermost ring is a flame representing the burning of impurities as you enter the mandala. The inner ring of lotus petals symbolises the ‘pure place.’ Mantras (recitations) and mudras (hand symbols) often accompany mandala meditation.

Judaism: The Star of David is a common motif in mandalas and was used extensively before being adopted as a Jewish symbol. It represents fire and water, male and female, heaven and earth, light and dark. These opposing forces linked together symbolize unity and harmony or the reconciliation of opposites. Franz Rosenzweig framed his philosophy of Judaism around the image of the Jewish star, composed of two triads: Creation, Revelation, and Redemption; God, Israel, and World.

Christianity: Christian mandalas appear in rose windows (some of the most notable are in Chartres, Strasbourg and Notre Dame Cathedrals). They are also found in halos which are a representation of spiritual character through the symbolism of light. Rosaries and labyrinths are other Christian examples of mandalas and are used as a focus for spiritual meditation. Hildegard von Bingen is a 12th century German Benedictine nun who recorded visions in mandala form in her art.    

Mesoamerica: The Aztec calendar is a mandala. Both the sacred calendar (Tonalpohuallia – 260 day calendar) and the seasonal calendar (Xiuhpohualli – 365 day calendar) are depicted in elaborate mandala form. At the centre of the calendar is the sun god, Tonatiuh. He is surrounded by the five world creations. These calendars underscore the importance of each day and are a representation of the belief that time goes in cycles. These calendars work together as a wheel within a wheel and realign every 52 years.

Celtic: The Celtic cross, knot, and triquetra are beautiful mandalas perfect for meditation. They have a dual meaning, as an art form and as a symbol of the voyage from earthly realm to the Otherworld of Celtic legend. The intricate designs are contained within the ‘eternal circle’ which relates to the Wheel of Life. These are meant to assist in each person’s spiritual journey and are a tool for coming into contact with our origins, visions, desires and devine ancestry.

Native American: Navajo and Pueblo Indians create sand paintings during complex healing ceremonies. The paintings consist of representations of deities, animals, lightning, rainbows, plants, and other symbols which accompany a chant. Upon completion of the ceremony the painting is destroyed. The circular design represents the sun, the full moon, the earth and eternity. Other First Nations symbols using circles are dream catchers, feather, sun and wind, and labyrinth mandalas.

Aboriginal: Aboriginal art are depictions of Dreamtime which invent and maintain creation myths that are seen as ‘sacred time’ because it is a time before anything else could exist. Aboriginal people of Australia use ground art in sacred ceremonies. Ground art is created by men only and is a extensive ritual accompanied by chanting. Mandalas are also seen in bark paintings. Artist employ numerous symbols made from dots, concentric circles, curved and straight lines to create these amazing art forms.

Another area of research would be to find mandalas through the sciences. For example they can be found in geology, physics, biology, chemistry and astronomy. But we’ll save that for another day.

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Mandala means circle in Sanskrit and they are well known in Buddhist and Hindu traditions. However, mandalas are not limited to eastern philosophies and practises. In fact, mandalas have been the focus of meditation, contemplation and admiration across the world and throughout the centuries. A circle within a circle is a pattern found in nature. At our very basic level each cell has a nucleus, each atom is a mandala. The opposite is also true. As you contemplate the sun, moon, planets and the cosmos, mandalas become apparent as a basic element of the universe.

The circle is a universal form with tremendous symbolic meaning. It is simple and yet contains the eternal. It reminds us of our relation to the infinite world both beyond and within our bodies and minds.

Mandalas With Kids

Many school districts have regulations regarding spiritual instruction in the classroom so omit religious connotations when working with mandalas in the public school system. If you are using it as part of a yoga class, prayer group or religion class, incorporate belief teachings as appropriate.

Mandalas are a visual and physical tool for meditating. Mandalas are to be visually appealing so as to absorb and calm the chatter of the mind. When meditating it is important to first set your intention and to select a mandala that appeals to you. There are an innumerable array of mandalas to choose from inspired by various religious and cultural backgrounds. Alternatively you can create your own mandalas using various mediums: sand, string, crayons, paints, chalk, collage, tile, glass, fabric, etc.

Colouring Mandalas

Producing individual, multicoloured mandalas is a creative and personal process. It is a calming, nourishing expereince which does not require any expertise and as such can be used with all ages. This exercise can provide deep insight into our lives and ourselves. Colouring mandalas helps children process their emotions through colour and art, and is a well known method of art therapy. To find numerous printable mandalas visit Free Mandala. There are also Christmas Mandala and Halloween Mandala colouring pages. Thanks to KarmaSpot Blog for suggesting this activity.

Communal Mandalas

You can also create larger group mandalas as part of a special occasion, workshop or celebration. This is a way to cooperatively work together, deepening connections, and building ties while exploring the use of symbolism. Group mandalas can be made from any material and can take minutes to days to complete. Visit The Mandala Project for ideas on group mandalas or to learn how to get your class involved into something grander than themselves.

Mandala Give Away

As my Christmas gift to you, I will be giving away a Mini Mandala Designer Classic to one lucky commentator. This fun mandala creator lets kids explore their creativity and make their own mandalas using basic templates. Just add paper and some coloured pens and you’re set for hours of entertaining and creative fun. To enter the draw leave a comment below. You have until New Year’s Day.

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