🌱🌞Finding Calm in Nature🍄🌱

In this newsletter, you will get....

• Parenting Tips

• Activity of the Week

Parenting Tips

Nurturing Calm Through Nature

• Make Outdoor Time a Daily Habit 

  Even just 10–15 minutes a day outside can reduce stress and improve focus.

• Use Your Senses

  Encourage your child to tune in—“What do you hear? What do you feel? What do you smell?” Mindful noticing builds presence.

• Follow Their Curiosity

  Let children lead the way—if they stop to watch an ant or collect leaves, join them in that moment of wonder.

• Take Breaks in Green Spaces 

  When your child feels overwhelmed, a quick walk or time under a tree can be incredibly calming.

• Model Nature Appreciation

  Share your own moments of calm or joy in nature to encourage them to do the same.

Activity of the Week

Nature Mandalas – Creating Calm Through Art and the Outdoors

Nature mandalas encourage kids to slow down, focus, and express themselves creatively. The symmetry and repetition in mandalas naturally soothe the mind, while being outdoors provides a calming sensory experience.

Materials Needed:

• Leaves, flower petals, pebbles, pinecones, sticks, acorns, shells, or any other natural items

• A flat outdoor space or a large sheet of paper/cardboard if doing indoors

• (Optional) Camera or phone to take a photo of the finished mandala

1. Go on a Nature Treasure Hunt

   • Collect small natural items that catch your child’s eye. Encourage them to notice colors, shapes, and textures while choosing.

   • Remind them to collect gently—only pick up items that have already fallen or that won’t disturb the living plants and environment.

2. Find Your Calm Space

   • Choose a quiet, comfortable spot where your child can sit and focus. It could be a shaded area outside or even an indoor space with a mat or large piece of paper.

3. Create the Mandala

   • Start with one item in the center, then build outward in a circular pattern. Encourage your child to repeat shapes or colors to create balance.

   • There’s no “wrong” way to build a mandala—this is about the process, not perfection.

4. Practice Mindful Noticing While Creating

   • As your child works, invite them to slow down and focus on how the materials feel, how they’re arranging things, and how they feel inside while creating.

   • Use phrases like, “Let’s take a deep breath and notice the colors you’re choosing,” or “How does it feel to put this piece right here?”

5. Reflect Together

   • When the mandala is finished, take a few minutes to admire the design together. Ask:

     • “How do you feel now compared to before we started?”

     • “What was your favorite part of making this?”

     • “What do you want to name your mandala?”

Additional Nature-Inspired Calming Activities

• Cloud Watching: Lie on a blanket and describe what shapes you see in the sky.

• Rock Breathing: Hold a smooth rock in your hand while taking deep breaths—great for grounding.

• Sound Safari: Close your eyes and count how many different natural sounds you can hear.