Fall-themed Nature Mandalas

Fall has always been my favorite time of the year with cool crisp mornings and sunny warm afternoons. It is also a time when the garden is winding down for the season and it can be difficult to plan outdoor activities during the colder months. Nature mandalas are one way to connect with nature year-round and can be completed indoors.

The word mandala comes from Sanskrit and literally means “circle”. Coloring mandalas has become a popular form of relaxation, but you can also use natural objects to create mandalas. It is not by accident that so many of us sought peace in nature during the pandemic. Just collecting or interacting with natural objects can have a calming effect. Read more about the impact of nature on human well-being in this article from the University of Minnesota.

I like to use (and reuse) black felt circles as a background to create nature mandalas. Students can collect natural items, such as leaves, acorns, and flower petals, from home or the school garden. A variety of dried beans, grain, rocks and shells also work well. I love to see all the different creations that students come up with; no two will be the same. I also have come to recognize the importance of impermanence. This mandala represents this moment and this moment is not permanent, the emotional learning benefit is in creating, not keeping, the mandala. Whatever is happening in our lives right now whether good or bad is not permanent. Fall is a wonderful time and the school garden is a wonderful place to observe and understand change.