Make a nature mandala
You’ll need
- Natural materials (such as leaves, petals, twigs, and pebbles)
- Bags or baskets to collect the natural materials
- Examples of mandala patterns (optional)
- Camera or device to take photos (optional)
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- Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. There's guidance to help you carry out your risk assessment, including examples.
- Make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
- Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help.
Planning and setting up this activity
- This could be a lovely activity to do in autumn, using things like fallen leaves, pine cones, and conkers, or on the beach, using pebbles and shells.
- If you want to keep or display your mandala, you could arrange your design on some sticky-back plastic. Use a little masking tape to stick it to a flat surface in front of you, then when it’s finished, cover it with another piece of sticky-back plastic to seal it. You could also stick your design onto a piece of card.
Make your mandalas
- Ask if anyone knows what a mandala is, or uses them. If anyone does, let them explain. You could print off some examples of mandalas to show everyone.
- Tell everyone that a mandala is a special, circular design originally used in Buddhism and Hinduism, two religions that began in India thousands of years ago. They’re used for prayer and meditation to help people feel calm and focused. The word ‘mandala’ means ‘circle’ in Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language. Mandalas have a central point, often include complex shapes, have different meanings, and are usually symmetrical.
- Explain that everyone is going to create mandalas using natural materials such as leaves, petals, twigs, and pebbles. People can work individually, in pairs, or in small groups.
- Collect your natural materials. Look for several similar or identical items to help create symmetry in your design. Remember to only use things that have already fallen to the ground (don’t pick leaves or petals off plants), and never disturb wildlife.
- Find a flat, empty space on the ground to make your nature mandalas. You might want to avoid any windy spots too!
- Arrange your natural materials into a mandala design. Start with a central point in the middle and work outwards, creating patterns and symmetry as you go.
- When your mandala is finished, you could take a photo to remember your design.
Reflection
This activity was about getting creative, exploring nature, and learning about mandalas.
How did you feel while you were making your nature mandala? Although mandalas began as part of religious practices, they are now used more widely for things like art therapy, mindfulness, and helping people to relax.
What was it like being outside while making your mandala? Spending time in nature and moving around can help us feel happier and more relaxed.
This activity let us use nature to be creative. What was it like using natural materials instead of normal craft materials?
Did you notice any interesting shapes or patterns in nature that gave you ideas? Nature is full of patterns, like the rings of a tree, the petals on a flower, or the shapes of shells. These can all inspire us when we create our own designs.
Safety
All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.
You must run your activities in line with the Safeguarding Code of Conduct for Adults (Yellow Card) and report any concerns to the UK HQ Safeguarding Team.
- Gardening and nature
Everyone must wash their hands after the activity has finished. Wear gloves if needed. Explain how to safely use equipment and set clear boundaries so everyone knows what’s allowed.
- Outdoor activities
You must have permission to use the location. Always check the weather forecast, and inform parents and carers of any change in venue.
- Scissors
Supervise young people appropriately when they’re using scissors. Store all sharp objects securely, out of the reach of young people.
- To make this activity easier, you could provide some simple mandala patterns for people to copy. You could help people draw a circle and mark the centre point to guide their design. You could collect natural materials before the session for people to use. People could work together in pairs or small groups to collect their materials and make their mandala.
- To make this activity harder, you could create a bigger or more detailed design.
- If it’s not practical to get outside to collect natural materials, materials could be collected in advance. Or, you could use other items, like craft materials, to make your mandalas.
- Some people might find scissors tricky to use. Make sure to provide scissors that everyone can manage (such as left-handed, tabletop, loop, or easy-grip scissors). People can also tear instead of cutting. You could have some pre-cut materials ready too.
- Some people might not like touching certain textures or getting messy. They shouldn’t be forced to touch anything they don’t want to. They could wear gloves, use tools to handle items, or find another way to join in. They can also work in pairs or groups so someone else can do that part.
All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.
If you enjoyed this activity, you could explore more patterns in nature - both in the natural materials you collected and in the world around you. Can you spot repeating shapes, symmetry, spirals, and other designs? You could create some art inspired by these patterns.