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Welcome to Creative Mama, where mamas can have fun connecting creatively with their kids and find meaning in mamahood.​

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Creating and Colouring Mandalas

1/4/2020

4 Comments

 
​Mandala is Sanskrit for ‘circle’. It represents wholeness and balance. The symbol’s purpose is to assist with healing through meditating on a central or guiding focus.  Many cultures around the world use them as part of their spiritual practices and as a therapeutic art technique.

It was an honour to design hand-made mandalas for author, mama of three and creator of Happy Mama, Amy Taylor-Kabbaz. The mandalas are part of Amy's Divine Mama Circles, where mamas sit in circle together (physically or virtually, online) and hold space for each other. For more information on Matrescence and the transition to motherhood, please listen to her amazing Happy Mama Movement Podcast.

Colouring mandalas has numerous health benefits for kids and adults, used as a form of:
  • meditation,
  • self-expression,
  • stress reduction,
  • mindfulness or being in the present moment,
  • organising frenzied thoughts, and
  • accessing the subconscious mind and changing limiting patterns and beliefs

The psychology behind the therapeutic art effects of colouring such intricate symmetrical patterns is attributed to the use of fine repetitive motor movements that assist us to return to the central point of focus and put aside thoughts that arise. 

The floral mandala pictured above was inspired by Amy's focus, 'Simplicity, Creativity, Connection' for a program currently underway. It is my hope that mamas connect with their innate creativity and feel inspired as they colour the pattern surrounding the focus. The buta mandala pictured below was inspired by Amy's affirmation, 'Rest to Rise' for another recent program. The buta is Sanskrit for ‘fire’. I hope mamas in this program feel relaxed and renewed with fiery energy as they colour and contemplate the mandala.


Colouring is one of the kids - and my - favourite activities. My kids enjoyed colouring in these mandalas over the school holidays :)

WHAT WE USE:
  • Find and print your mandala from online resources or email me at creativemama.com.au@gmail.com if you like my designs. Better yet, create your own with the help of numerous online tutorials.
  • Select your coloring medium. Color pencils are the best but colour markers work well too.

LET'S CREATE!
  • When it comes to choosing colours, there is no right or wrong colour and it is entirely a personal choice. 
  • A technique I use is to colour in a shape with a light shade, then colour another shape (in close proximity) in a deeper colour in order to create contrast.

CONNECT & INSPIRE...
It was great to see my kids physically relax and get creative over which colours they would use. Be as creative as you like and unleash your imagination. The flowing and swirling patterns in the mandalas pictured here are especially helpful in reflective thinking and encouraged my kids to let go of the day.

To learn more about my mandala designs for your unique project or program, please email me at creativemama.com.au@gmail.com and I would love to hear your feedback in the comments below!
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Painting with Marbles

14/3/2019

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Painting with Marbles is an art activity for your kids that is super simple to set-up and do - again and again! So it can get a little messy...but the end result - a colourful and abstract piece of art - is totally worth it! 

It's also a fun indoor play idea that combines art with movement, for kids who like to be active! This activity even encourage kids to apply basic creative skills as part of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM) concepts into their play - what's not to love about it?!

To learn more about STEAM, go to Fun Marble Runs.


WHAT WE USE:
  • Marbles 
  • Paint in various colours
  • Muffin tin or egg tray - pour various coloured paints into the sections
  • Cake baking dish or cardboard box with a sheet of Paper 
  • Paper (cut to baking dish size)
  • Spoon

LET'S CREATE!
Drop a marble into each section of the muffin tray. Using a spoon, coat the marble with paint and then transfer it to the paper in the shallow dish. Lift the dish and tilt it from side to side so that the paint covered marbles roll around and leave trails of paint, creating interesting and colourful patterns on the paper.

CONNECT & INSPIRE...
Depending on how much the kids are enjoying the marble painting process, more marbles can be added and can be rolled around the paper to blend colours, creating new colours and designs. Or, you can replace the painted paper with a fresh one and create multiple marble paintings for framing, along side each other. A little messy play is sometimes worth all the effort!


I would love for you to share your experiences in the comments section below and any photos you might have taken of your kids cool creations!

For some more creative STEAM activities, go to Amazing Mazes and Sensory Play with Light.
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Sensory play with LIght

11/2/2019

2 Comments

 
 Let your kids play with light! Light is a fascinating subject for kids and a light box can be used to enhance sensory and STEAM skills in playful ways. To learn more about encouraging Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths (STEAM) play, go to Fun Marble Runs!

We were inspired to create this Light Box from this post on The Imagination Tree - thank you so much Mama Anna for your amazing ideas!
​
WHAT WE USE:​
  • Large clear plastic storage box
  • A string of fairy Christmas lights
  • Baking paper
  • Sticky tape
  • Semi-transparent toys and things such as: marbles, magnetic tiles, water beads, wooden sensory blocks and DIY glitter jars
  • Scoops and cups

LET'S CREATE!
I put together a simple DIY light box by spreading out the Christmas lights, inside the box. The lead wire came out from the side of the box which I plugged into a power point. Before putting the lid on the box, I lined the inside with sheets of baking paper and stuck it with tape. This helped to dull the light and disperse it evenly inside the box. After putting the lid on, I turned the room lights out and turned the power point connected to the Christmas lights on. The boys then loaded the box with the semi-transparent toys that they had scavenged around for their observation. 

CONNECT & INSPIRE...
The kids had fun looking at the light through the various coloured shapes. They learned some great science, math and motor skills using all the senses such as adding, pattern making, sorting, stacking, balancing, scooping, filling and emptying. Plus, they learned how
 shadows and silhouettes work. In particular, they enjoyed playing and observing the luminous colours through the wooden sensory blocks we had borrowed from our local Toy Library. 

What sensory play do your kids engage in? 

Go to Amazing Mazes and Painting with Marbles for some more creative STEAM activities.
2 Comments

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