Mandala Fun: Creating a Nature Mandala

Topic
- Nature & ecology
- Arts & crafts
Learning skills
- Spatial orientation
- Attention & concentration
- Fine motor skills
Activity type
- Crafting & constructing
Materials
- Basic
Age
- 6 - 11 years
- 12 - 14 years
>15 minutes
+5 players
Easy
Calm
Medium (classroom, square)

Contributors

Mobile School

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Everything you need to play this game

Organic materials from nature
Mandala Fun Poster Download mandala-panel-finaal.jpg (874.4kb)

A step-by-step guide to play the game

Find a peaceful place out in nature to create nature mandalas.

Once you've picked the location, let the players gather some organic materials around to use. Things like twigs, leaves, grasses, flowers, berries, pinecones, and acorns work well.

Now it’s time for the players to create their mandala. Let them start with placing a meaningful item in the centre. Encourage them to use something significant to them, because it will be their "unifying centre".

After that is in place, the players use other items you gathered to form the rest of their mandala. Place items near the centre first and then continue moving outward from the centre until they’ve created a circular design.

The players continue making patterns until the items are used up and their nature mandala looks complete. Encourage them to create it however they like! They could use bright colours or muted earth tones, make it big or small, and make it as simple or complex as they want.

The Mandala Poster can be used as an inspiration for their mandala.

Extra game information

The repetitive and structured nature of drawing mandalas can help calm the mind, providing a soothing and meditative experience that significantly reduces stress and anxiety, helping children feel more relaxed and secure. Additionally, drawing mandalas requires concentration and focus, diverting children's attention from distressing thoughts and memories. This mindful engagement fosters a sense of inner peace and stability, promoting overall emotional well-being. A mandala is a geometric shape that means “circle” in Sanskrit. It is a common design among many different cultures and often appears as the sun, moon, and earth. In Hinduism and Buddhism, a mandala is a symbol representing the universe and life. The circular design is meant to express the concept that everything is connected in life.

This game is part of the Trauma-Informed Youth Work toolkit, which is designed to create a safe, supportive environment for all participants by acknowledging the impact of trauma on young people and fostering trust and empowerment. By incorporating activities that use indirect methods to explore emotions and behaviours, the toolkit makes sensitive topics more accessible and less intimidating, especially for younger audiences. The teamwork aspects of these activities foster collaboration and support, aligning with trauma-informed principles. This approach promotes healing, resilience, and positive development in every youth engaged, while emphasizing emotional awareness and understanding.

Source: https://sproutingwildones.com/creating-a-nature-mandala/

Variations

All players can collaborate and make one big nature mandala together.
You can organise a nature mandala exhibition and explore everyone's nature mandala once they're ready.
Instead of using organic materials, you could also use chalk and draw a big mandala on a local square or pavement.

Specific learning objectives

Recognizing and creating patterns

What people said about this game

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