Me and My Mandalas

April showers may very well bring May flowers, but what to do with the kids in the meantime? Here is a conscious parenting tip for rainy days and other occasions. Having a little rain, are we? Yes, I know it is still March, but “April showers” are here. Today. What to do with the kids when the rain comes? rnFirst, send them out to play in the rain. I do it all the time, and my kids haven’t shrunk yet. Truth be told, sometimes I even go out for a nice long walk in the rain. What are those fancy umbrellas for, anyway? rnAfter they are good and wet – maybe just a tiny bit chilled – bring the kids in, dry them off and feed them something warm. Hot cocoa and chicken noodle soup are favorites in my house. Next, how about some quiet coloring? That’s right, I said coloring. rnHaven’t done it in years? Maybe it’s time. rnKids too old for coloring? You might be surprised. rnColoring is the perfect rainy day activity and while I heartily endorse coloring of any kind, today I am focused on mandalas. rnMandalas have been used for centuries by multiple spiritual traditions, as teaching and meditation tools. Sanskrit for center and circle, a mandala represents wholeness. “The center of each mandala symbolizes that which is beyond our linear concepts of time and space: the eternal now that is constant, yet always dynamic. The mandala’s circumference, on the other hand, reflects its potential as well as boundaries.” – Monique Mandali, Everyone’s Mandala Coloring Book. rnWhat a beautiful meditation for spring, when the Earth shows us something brand new... over and over and over again. Like spring, a mandala reminds us that we are part of something ever-changing, yet timeless. rnYou don’t have to tell this to your children (unless you want to.) Just spread out some coloring books and magic markers and get started. The meditative elements of the mandala work whether you talk about them or not. rnWhen you are finished, cut out around your mandalas and hang them up for viewing. They can be your May flowers, until May comes along. Sometimes, conscious parenting is downright easy. Enjoy! Some Great Mandala Coloring BooksEveryone’s Mandala Coloring Book, by Monique Mandali – Beautiful, relatively simple designs on perforated pages that tear out easily. The mandalas are only printed on one side of each page, so you don’t need to worry about your markers bleeding through onto a different design. Note: The colored mandala featured in this post is a design from Monique's book. Kids’ Magical Mandalas – Even simpler designs, also one per page. Mystical Mandala Coloring Book – More intricate designs, absolutely stunning. You will need fine-tip markers for these. Only problem is, they print on both sides of the page. If you have a home copy machine, you are all set. Just make a copy of the page you want to color – endless options! Mandalas Stained Glass Coloring Book – Intricate designs on translucent paper with black backgrounds. These are cool if you color them on both sides, to make the designs extra intense. Hang them up in your window and let the sun shine through! Related PostHow Do You Know When It’s Spring?