Chasing Rainbows

Rainbows have captivated imaginations since time began, symbolizing hope, joy, and the magic of possibility. They’re a natural gateway to mindfulness, inviting us to slow down and appreciate the beauty around us. And what better way to share this mindful magic with children than through art? Here are 3 rainbow-themed art projects that will nurture your child’s creativity, focus, and inner peace:

 Nature Mandalas:

• Materials: Leaves, flowers, twigs, pinecones, feathers, and anything else nature provides.
• Mindfulness benefits: Foraging for materials encourages connection with nature, while arranging them in a mandala pattern fosters focus and a sense of calm.

Steps:

1. Gather a variety of colorful natural materials. Encourage your child to explore their senses – how do the leaves feel? How do the flowers smell?
2. Find a clear space outdoors or on a table.
3. Starting from the center, invite your child to arrange their treasures in a circular pattern. They can create symmetrical designs, radiating patterns, or let their intuition guide them.
4. Take a moment to admire the finished mandala together. Share what you like about it and how it makes you feel. It may be difficult for children to let go of their mandala creation, to either take it apart or to let it be blown away (if it was built outside), but that is part of mindfulness. When we are mindful, we recognize that nothing is permanent, so we are able to appreciate it’s beauty while it’s there.

Breath-blown Rainbows:

• Materials: Watercolor paints, white paper, straws, and a shallow dish of water.
• Mindfulness benefits: This activity combines the calming effects of focused breathing with the vibrant joy of color creation. Blowing gently requires control and awareness, promoting mindfulness in a playful way.

Steps:

1. Dilute your watercolors in the shallow dish.
2. Place a drop of each color at the top edge of a white paper, spaced slightly apart.
3. Invite your child to take a deep breath in, then blow gently through the straw towards the paper, directing the air at the paint drops.
4. Watch as the colors dance and blend, creating beautiful, unpredictable rainbow streaks.
5. Encourage your child to experiment with different blowing techniques and color combinations.

Yarn Rainbows:

• Materials: Cardboard, yarn in various colors, scissors, and glue.
• Mindfulness benefits: Wrapping the yarn requires focus and repetitive movements, promoting a sense of calm and grounding. Choosing colors and creating patterns encourages creativity and self-expression.

Steps:

1. Cut out cloud shapes from cardboard.
2. Provide your child with different colors of yarn and invite them to wrap it around the cardboard clouds. They can create thick or thin stripes, swirls, or any pattern they like.
3. Secure the ends of the yarn with glue.
4. Hang your yarn rainbows in a window or from the ceiling to add a pop of color and cheer to any room.

Join us at The MindfulNest for more creative ways to connect with your children. We have classes and special events every day that promote mindfulness, imagination, and JOY! Find our schedule here.