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Flower Mandalas In Preschool

A mandala is a circle that represents wholeness. It's usually filled with geometric designs that represent the different parts of the whole.

 

Mandalas can be used as a tool to journey deep within ourselves to tap into some feelings and patterns we might not be aware of. They are creative and artistic representations of our inner world.

 

In this flower mandala activity, we will use the mandala a bit differently so that the parts of the mandala are parts of us that we want to "grow" from within. The circle will represent the whole child and the flowers and petals will represent the parts of the skill or character quality they want to build or strengthen.

 

related: Christmas Mandalas

Fall Leaf Group Mandala

 

How to Create a Flower Mandala

Each child will need a round paper plate and some faux (or real) flowers. You can either remove the flowers from the stems and use whole flowers or cut the petals and use just the petals.

 

The plate will represent the whole child and the flowers will represent the parts of something they want to strengthen or build. In other words, a skill or quality they would like to grow from within. It might be getting better at soccer, getting better at taking turns, or being a good friend.

 

For example, if I want to get better at soccer, I could use white petals to represent running faster, I could use red petals for kicking better, and yellow petals for being a good teammate. Running, kicking, and being a good teammate are all parts of being a good soccer player.

 

I would then create patterns with the petals in the mandala to represent me as a great soccer player.

 

Just talking about what makes a good soccer player or friend or artist, etc. is enough, so don't get hung up on patterns and representations. Simply let the creativity flow and have fun with it!

 

Here's what you do:

1. Have your kids take a few deep breaths to relax. Have them put their hand on their heart and just notice for a bit. Give them a few minutes to notice their heart beat, as well as any images, sounds, thoughts, or feelings that come up. Ask them what kinds of things they would like to get better at or "grow"- like sports, kindness, picking up, sharing, etc.
2. Then, instruct them to use the flowers or petals to start creating the mandala on the paper plate. Have them use the flowers to represent the things they want to get better at. They can use individual flowers or petals or they can group them by color, shape, or size to represent the things they noticed.
3. They can start by creating the things they noticed during the quiet reflection time, but encourage them to allow any new skills or qualities to creatively flow onto the mandala.
4. Once the mandala is complete, use it to start a conversation about what kinds of things they want to work on building. Some things will be obvious, but there might be a few new discoveries, too.
5. Mandalas also represent that things aren't forever, so when you are done, the mandala can be taken apart and the pieces used again and again. Or, of course, you glue the flowers as you go and create a flower mandala garden to serve as a reminder to keep practicing and growing new skills.

 

As always, start a conversation about the mandala activity. Let each child share their unique mandala, what it means, and anything else about their experience.

 

 

More Mandala Ideas

Here are more ideas for creating flower mandalas in preschool:

• Inspiring flower mandala and flower art
• More beautiful flower mandalas
• Free flower mandala coloring pages
• What is a mandala?

 

Flower mandala double duty

Flower mandalas can do double duty in your preschool classroom. Here are some ideas for you:

• dissect real flowers for a science activity and use the flower parts to create your mandalas
• add mandala coloring pages to your art center
• put mandala materials in the math center to continue exploring patterns and shapes
• grab a handful of flower petals and graph them as a group math activity
• display your mandala art collection in your "dramatic play" art museum

 

related: how to create an outdoor peace center

 

If you're looking for more mindfulness activities to add to your preschool day, check out The Mindfulness Library for free, 24/7 access to meditation scripts, activity packets, deep breathing printables and more.