Mandalas For Children: 6 Benefits You Did Not Know – Parenthood
Do you know the benefits of mandalas for children? The word mandala comes from Sanskrit and means “perfect circle”. According to its definition, these are spiritual symbolic forms that are used in Hinduism and Buddhism.
Mandalas are made up or represented by a set of concentric geometric figures and shapes. These represent the Universe and its characteristics.
Its main objective is to promote the concentration of energy at one point as well as serenity and reflection. For this reason, the benefits of mandalas for children are manifold. We present a few of them to you below.
6 benefits of mandalas for children
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They generate circular harmony
According to Buddhists, its circular shape and designs help organize the interior of each individual. This is why coloring mandalas – from an early age – turns out to be very beneficial for children.
Thanks to visual stimuli, they encourage them to create, imagine and find harmony in their emotional disorder.
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They promote concentration
The ideal is for children to concentrate and be in silence when coloring the mandalas. Depending on the complexity of each, the benefits will vary. Indeed, the cognitive processes mobilized to carry them out will increase. Thus, it will develop their imagination, attention and flexibility.
That said, each mandala must be completed in order to achieve the visual and emotional effect it offers us. Children will be eager to finish to show them with pride. This stimulates their capacity for accountability and success. This will consequently increase their self-esteem.
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They are perfect allies for children with special needs
For children born with Down’s syndrome or autism spectrum disorders, coloring a mandala will be very useful for coordinating its movements. In addition, it contributes to relaxation and will help him find his channel of expression. Hyperactive children will also find it a great fun way to be calm.
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They help develop coordination and psychomotor skills
Mandalas help strengthen the coordination of the hands and feet. Thus, it promotes the psychomotricity of the fingers. They gradually improve brain connections in children two to eight years old.
In addition to these benefits, it helps children to reinforce the precision of their writing, but also to tie their laces or to handle certain objects.
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They introduce a new vocabulary
Coloring mandalas is a great stimulant for the brain. This allows children to develop their knowledge and vocabulary with new colors, geometric shapes (circles, squares, triangles, stars, among others), sizes and even emotions. In addition, they stimulate their sense of aesthetics.
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They increase their self-esteem
This is one of the most obvious benefits of children’s mandalas. Children thus associate a drawing as something clean and original. Their self-esteem is thus reinforced. They will thus have more self-confidence and easier to cope with later difficulties on their own.
Remember that in order to establish a routine, it is essential to provide them with all the materials necessary for this activity :
- Colouring pencils,
- Felts,
- Temperas,
- Watercolors,
- Colored sheets for gluing,
- Compass,
- Rule,
- Rubber,
- Anything that can help them color with creativity and imagination.
It is very important to understand that coloring a mandala should not become an obligation for children. They must have a good time doing it. That’s why it’s essential to find the perfect time of day to invite them to color.
Over time, you will see that it will be them who will ask you for mandalas that are more and more difficult to color. These will become new challenges for them.