Are you looking for a way to inspire your little one to sit down and create? We’ve got an engaging activity that will help you with that…
Creating Mandalas
A mandala is a circular structure with radial symmetry. That means that the design radiates out symmetrically from the center.
You can find mandalas in nature if you look closely enough. Take a walk outdoors, visit the forest, or the beach and look closely at...a spider web, a snowflake, a flower, a seashell, a sea star. What do you see? Take a close look at a slice of lemon or tomato. Look at your eye up close in the mirror. Do you see the beautiful mandala formation in these items?
You can also find mandalas in man made things. Look closely at...a bike wheel, a tire, or a fan. Do you see the interesting mandalas in these items?
Here's a challenge for you. How many mandalas can you find in the natural world and the man made world? 5, 10, 15? Take pictures of the mandalas that you find and create a collage, a book, or a slideshow.
There are many artists that create art out of nature using mandalas as their inspiration. These are temporary pieces of art using sticks, stones, leaves, acorns, shells, anything they can find in nature and is referred to as Land Art. Two artists that have made this type of art famous are James Brunt and Andy Goldsworthy.
If you are interested in finding out more about mandalas, check out these resources:
The Mandala Book: Patterns of the Universe - absolutely gorgeous photographs
Kid's Magical Mandalas - a coloring book for kids filled with simple mandalas
Printmandala - downloadable mandala coloring pages to print
James Brunt - land artist
Andy Goldsworthy - sculptor and photographer of nature art installations
Finding mandalas in nature and around the house is absolutely mesmerizing and creating mandala art is an engaging way to explore this formation.
Here are six ways that you can create mandalas.
1) Free Form Drawing Mandala
*use crayons on paper, markers on a whiteboard, or chalk on a chalkboard or sidewalk
2) Sticker Mandala
*use a dark colored piece of construction paper and a variety of stickers
3) Loose Parts Mandala
*use materials from around the house - craft sticks, yarn, buttons, toothpicks, legos, blocks, spoons, pencils, etc.
4) Dried Pasta Mandala
*use a variety of dried pasta
5) Nature Mandala
*use materials found outdoors - pine cones, acorns, rocks, sticks, seashells, etc.
6) Land Art
*use nature items in your backyard, at the park, in the forest, or at the beach
For a more detailed explanation of how to create mandalas, I invite you to watch my very first Art with Ms. Amy Video.
Have fun creating mandalas and be sure to snap pictures of your artwork and share them via social media using the hashtag #harmonymandalas and tagging @harmonynlc.
Until next time, Amy
We’d love to see any Harmony-inspired moments you capture along your child’s early years journey. Tag us (@HarmonyNLC) on Facebook and Instagram, and use the hashtags #HarmonyNaturalLearningCenter #TheHarmonyApproach #HarmonyNLC
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Interested in introducing more of The Harmony Approach to your preschooler at home? Check out Harmony at Home (FREE activities available).