Coloured sand is often used in Buddhism to make beautiful circular pictures called mandalas.
As well as being lovely to look at, they can be brushed away and gone forever in a flick of your hand!
Making a sand mandala reminds Buddhists of an important teaching – impermanence.
That means that nothing lasts forever.
Good things don’t last forever – you should enjoy every moment.
Bad things don’t last forever – things will change and get better.
You need:
Coloured sand (see below to make your own)
Chalk to draw the template
Small funnel made from a piece of paper, and teaspoons
Small stick or paintbrush
Camera
Templates
What to do
If you are making your own coloured sand, put sand into a ziplock bag with 15 drops of food colouring. Double bag, then squidge around. Spread out to dry overnight.
Choose a template and use chalk to draw the template onto the ground. You could use something like a hula hoop for the outside circle.
Use the coloured sand to fill in the pattern. You might like to use a funnel to pour the sand accurately, or teaspoons, and a brush to tease the sand into place.
Take a photo!
Leave the mandala to the mercy of the elements and watch it change over time
