"I Feel Peaceful" Mandala

Enjoy this meditative activity with our printable templates.

Practice mindfulness with this simple craft. This project was designed to accompany Douglas Woods' A Quiet Place, which sets the perfect tone for conversation about peace and quiet.

Our friend Todd Hoover, a doctor who contributes his time working in India, has this to say about how mandalas can keep the little upsets in our life in perspective:

“The Tibetan Buddhists have a wonderful tradition where they create mandala paintings out of colored sands. These paintings can take days or even weeks of painstaking and diligent effort to complete and are magnificently intricate and beautiful to behold. Then, at an appointed time, the painting is swept away, demonstrating the impermanence of life.”

Possible recipients

Enjoy this peaceful project as a family.

What you’ll need

• Our printable "I Feel Peaceful" Mandala Templates

• Colored paper

• Scissors

• Glue stick

• Large piece of easel paper or poster board

Instructions

• Working together, cut at least four pieces of the larger shapes in the colors of your choice.

• Now cut numerous teardrop shapes in a variety of colors.

• Choose a large shape for the center of your mandala. Write "We feel peaceful..." or "I feel peaceful" on your center shape.

• Invite each family member to write when, where, or with whom they feel peaceful on one of the colorful shapes. Write down as many as you can come up with.

• Now, create your circle, your mandala, on your poster board or easel paper. This process is meant to be meditative. Take your time. Breath and enjoy your work.

• Once you’ve arranged your artwork, you may either

  • use the glue stick to affix it to the paper.

  • be like the Buddhists and blow your exquisite artwork away—and begin it again (and again!) another day.

Reflection Questions

• Did you find the process of assembling the mandala meditative, or quieting?

• What other tasks do you find calming or meditative?

• Do you think it will be difficult to think of your peaceful, quiet places the next time you are feeling upset or overwhelmed?

• What situations do you find upsetting or overwhelming?

• Can we brainstorm ways you might remind yourself of your quiet places in times of conflict?

Resources

• A Quiet Place by Douglas Wood.
  This beautiful book empowers children to discover the quiet places that feed their spirits, including the many adventures that await between the covers of a good book.

• Sitting Still Like a Frog: Mindfulness Exercises for Kids (and their parents) by Eline Snel.
  This last recommendation is a life skills book rather than a parenting book. You'll find creative, practical tools for meditation with children in the book and on its accompanying CD. In just ten minutes a couple of times each week, your family can develop useful mindfulness skills to relieve stress in an anxious child, ward off tantrums, and improve coping skills for your whole family.

Take it Further

• If your children decide to glue their creation to their poster board, display it to remind your family of your peaceful places in times of stress or tension.

• Or, if your children decide to glue their creation to their poster board, gift it to a friend or family member who could use a gift of peace.

• Create your own shapes to expand your mandala.

• Laminate your mandala pieces and reuse them as a peaceful meditation during stressful times.

• [Sponsored] Expand your Mandala capabilities with a mandala painting kit, great for expressing creativity while practicing mindfulness.

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The recommendations we offer are based solely on our mission to empower parents to raise children who care and contribute.