Outdoor Mandala Designer

There is something quite lovely about scribbling on the ground outdoors with chalks. We've had some dry sunny days and I was sent a rather intriguing Outdoor Mandala Designer from Ravensburg. I didn't need any more reasons to get the kids out onto the patio.

The Outdoor Mandala Designer kit contains a pack of chunky, brightly coloured chalks, a mandala template and instruction booklet.

My little boy, having never heard of a mandala and unable to read the words on the box, called it a carpet making kit and was desperate to get outside and make carpets! With a 5+ age recommendation, it was more suited to my daughter who was also keen to get started.

The template fitted very neatly onto our standard sized paving slab (that could really do with a bit of attention from a pressure washer!).

The first job was to draw around the circle and then make a chalk mark by one of the arrows on the circumference.

Probably the hardest part was deciding which of the designs on the template to choose for our first attempt. We made our choice and used the stencil to chalk the pattern onto the paving slab. Next, the clever bit - the template was rotated using the arrows and the chalk mark as a guide and the process repeated. With each rotation, the pattern builds until you have completed the full circle.

Patterns can be overlayed using a different design from the template. Varying the designs used, the number of repetitions per complete revolution and the colours chosen means that there is a huge amount of variety that can be achieved. Once the outlines are completed, the patterns can be also filled in with colour to create stunning results.

I loved how our 'carpet' looked, especially for a first attempt - really brightening up the dull paving slabs.

Of course, there will always be someone who just wants to go freestyle... and I'm very much in favour of that too!