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Calm

Plate Mandala Drawing

Here's one to try together!

Trace a few circles, add spokes, and fill every slice with a repeating pattern. It's calm and magical!

30 min5 min prepAges 8 and uplow mess

Reviewed by our team.

Safety first
  • pencil points are sharp
  • small coin could be a choking hazard for young children

What you need

  • Paper, 1 sheet
  • Plate or tray, 1 dinner plate
  • Clear cups, 1 smaller plate or cup
  • Crayons or markers, 1 set of markers or colored pencils
  • Pencil, 1
  • Ruler, 1
  • Coins, 1
  • Phone, 1, for quiet music (optional)

How to do it

Grown-up prep: Set out the supplies on a clear table. Keep the coin away from little ones, since it is a choking hazard.

  1. Put on quiet music if you like, and take a slow breath.
  2. Place the big plate on the paper and trace around it.
  3. Trace the smaller plate or cup in the middle of the circle.
  4. Trace the coin right in the very center.
  5. Use the ruler to draw lines across the circles like wheel spokes.
    Ask: How many slices do you think your wheel will have?
  6. Pick one shape for the first ring and draw it in every slice.
  7. Move outward and fill the next ring with a new repeating shape.
    Ask: What shape will you pick for this ring, and why?
  8. Color your mandala with markers or colored pencils.
  9. Now show your family, or make another one! What shapes will you try next?
    Ask: How does your mandala make you feel, and what would you change next time?

Play it again

  • Color story: use only warm colors, or only cool colors.
  • Mini mandalas: trace a cup and a coin to make small ones.
  • Mirror twist: draw each shape in opposite slices first, then fill the rest.
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More activities

Plate Mandala Drawing: 30 minute activities for ages 8 and up | Ask Ollie