The Mandala
A group of children had been exploring pattern and design through their art. This resulted in Anne from Taradale Library bringing in books on this topic on one of her visits. One of the books included a photos of a mandala. Soon we noticed mandals’s appearing in some of the children’s art work.

It was suggested that maybe this group of children could put their heads together to come up with an idea to design a group mandala for them all to work together on. It was suggested that it could be put on the wall so that everyone could see what a mandala was.

To begin with the children chose a geometric design in from one of our library books. The teachers then helped to drew this design onto a large white table cloth.

A nature walk at Puketapu Domain resulted in the children collecting lots of interesting items: pinecones, moss, sticks, bark, sand, leaves, rocks, berries, grass, etc. All of which were brought back to the centre. Our collage area never looked so well stocked.

Children created the mandala by taking turns to place the various items onto the geometric pattern, deciding on the placement. When all was agreed with the final look the children used PVA to glue the items down. Please take time out to view the mandala on display. 

What is a mandala? The word "mandala" is from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit. Loosely translated to mean "circle,"  the mandala appears in all aspects of life: the celestial circles we call earth, sun, and moon, as well as conceptual circles of friends, family, and community. Creating a group mandala is a unifying experience in which people can express themselves individually within a unified structure.