"C is for Cleanliness"

This is a fun project that young children love to do. We use this in our Kindergarten Alphabet Safari Class as the activity project for "C is for Cleanliness." It's really exciting to watch the children's expressions as they discover what dwells within us once we do all the necessary work to clean our minds and hearts.

Materials:
• Image of God/Goddess (we used old outdated postcards that were discarded.)
• Self-adhesive lamination sheets
• Dry Erase Crayon/Marker
• Pair of Scissors

Directions:
1. Cut the image down to size and then place it in the lamination sheet.

2. Once you have smoothed down the lamination sheet and gotten rid of any air bubbles, take a pair of scissors and trim away the excess until you have a nice border around your card. It's important to leave at least 1/4" lamination border around the image so that the edges don't separate.

3. Take a black Dry Erase Crayon/Marker and coat the entire card. Everything should come off easily with a paper towel. And if you want it sparkling clean, then the child can finish the job with a hand wipe. 

Origami Spinning Top

This is the toy that we use in our Kindergarten class to emphasize the Alphabet Safari lesson "E is for Enthusiasm."  Many 5 years olds are not able to make these, but they certainly get excited when they see the teacher do it! We like to bring one in for each of the children to take home... after we have our spin-off contest, of course.

Below is a wonderful YouTube video that takes you through every step in making this easy spinning top. Have fun!

Lord Hanumaan

Here is a coloring sheet that our young children use to practice their likhita japa with. Have them fill in Lord Hanumaan with राम (rāma).

Materials
• Coloring page (see below)
• Markers or pens in different colors

Click on the image below and print

Make sure to adjust your brightness and printing size, if necessary.

Heart and Flower Likhita Japa

This project was designed for the kindergarten class – "K is for Kindness" and "L is for Love." The painting was done in class and the children's assignment was to take the mandala home and fill in one petal a day with likhita japa, finishing on the last day with the border. We explained to them that because love and kindness helps all things become beautiful, grow and flourish, this daily discipline will produce a most beautiful person ... filled with love and kindness (just like this painting!)

Materials
Watercolor paper
Water soluble colored pencils
Paintbrush
Small bowl of water
Heart and Mandala Template (see below)
Fine point writing pens (black or colors)

Directions
1. Copy the Heart and Mandala Template onto card stock paper. Cut out.

2. Using a water soluble pencil, trace the mandala onto your piece of watercolor paper.

3. Then using the same colored pencil, trace the hearts into a flower shape (inside the mandala) onto the watercolor paper.

4. Once the design is in place, have the child color the entire mandala with the water soluble pencils. It is good to emphasize that you should not apply too much color. The pressure should be light and consistent.

5. After coloring, it's time to bring out the brush! Dip the brush in water. Give it a shake or two to remove the excess water. And then begin painting over your design. Be prepared for lots of "ooohs and aahhhs" — it's a lot of fun to watch the colored pencils turn into paint!!

Click on the template page below and print.

Be sure and adjust your printing size, if necessary.

Mandala colored with pencils

Water brushed on to the colors.

Likhita japa added to the painting

Likhita Japa Painting

This project was created for our Kindergarten Class "J is for Japa. This is a very simple technique. All you need is:

Materials
• Watercolor paper
• Water soluble colored pencils (These can be found in most craft/art stores)
• Paint Brush
• Water
• Black writing pens (or color pens for more complicated patterning)

Directions
1. With a bowl (or circle template) trace your mandala circle in the center of your paper. Then with the watercolor pencils lightly color in your areas. (We like to use no more than 3 or 4 colors.)

2. After you are satisfied with the coloring, take your brush (dipped in water) and paint over your drawing. It's like magic — the colored pencils turn into watercolor!!  The younger kids really love this part.

3. Once your painting is completely dry, you can begin your likhita japa. Have them work from the outside of the circle inwards — finishing with a beautiful, silent OM.

Here are a couple of samples we share with the children to emphasize

the importance of neat and steady handwriting.

Frog Drawing

Print the page below and draw a frog. We like to use these activity sheets in our Kindergarten class during the "Sanskrit Fun Segment." Feel Free to copy the sample below, or better yet, create your own image!

Materials
Print out (see below)
Black marker/crayons

मण्डूकः

maṇḍūkaḥ

frog

Click on the image and print.

Make sure to adjust your printing size, if necessary.

Bird Drawing

Print the page below and draw a bird. We like to use these activity sheets in our Kindergarten class during the "Sanskrit Fun Segment." Feel free to copy the sample below, or better yet, create your own image!

Materials
Print out (see below)
Black marker/crayon

खगः

khagaḥ

bird

Click on the image and print.

Make sure to adjust your printing size, if necessary.

Owl Drawing

Print the page below and draw an owl. We like to use these activity sheets in our Kindergarten class during the "Sanskrit Fun Segment." Feel free to copy the sample below, or better yet, create your own image!

Materials
Print out (see below)
Black Marker/crayon

उलूकः

ulūkaḥ

owl

Click on the image and print.

Make sure to adjust your printing size, if necessary.

Dog Drawing

Print the page below and draw a dog. We like to use these activity sheets in our Kindergarten class during the "Sanskrit Fun Segment." Feel free to copy the sample below or better yet, create your own image!

Materials
Print out (see below)
Black marker/crayons

शुनकः

śunakaḥ

dog

Click on the image and print.

Make sure to adjust your printing size, if necessary.

Turtle Drawing

Print the page below and draw a turtle. We like to use these activity sheets in our Kindergarten class during the "Sanskrit Fun Segment." Feel free to copy the sample below, or better yet, create your own image!

Materials
Print out (see below)
Black marker/crayons

कूर्मः

kūrmaḥ

turtle

Click on the image and then print.

Make sure you adjust your printing size, if necessary.

Bee Drawing

Print the page below and draw a bee. We like to use these activity sheets in our Kindergarten class during the "Sanskrit Fun Segment." Feel free to copy the sample below, or better yet, create your own image!

Materials
Print out (see below)
Black marker/crayons

मधुमाक्षिका

madhumākshikā

bee

Click on the image and then print.

Make sure you adjust your printing size, if necessary.

Rabbit Drawing

Print the page below and draw a rabbit. We like to use these activity sheets in our Kindergarten class during the "Sanskrit Fun Segment." Feel free to copy the sample below, or better yet, create your own image!

Materials
Print out (see below)
Black marker/crayons

शशकः

śaśakaḥ

rabbit

Click on image below and print.

Make sure you adjust your printing size, if necessary.

Spider Drawing

Print the page below and draw a spider. We like to use these activity sheets in our Kindergarten class during the "Sanskrit Fun Segment." Feel free to copy the sample below, or better yet, create your own image!

Materials
Print out (see below)
Black marker/crayons

तन्तुनाभः

tantunābhaḥ

spider

Click on image below and print.

Make sure to adjust your printing size, if necessary.

Cat Drawing

Print the page below and draw a cat. We like to use these activity sheets in our Kindergarten class during the "Sanskrit Fun Segment." Feel free to copy the sample below, or better yet, create your own image!

Materials
Print out (see below)
Black marker/crayons

बिडालः

biḍālaḥ

cat

Click on the image below and print.

Make sure you adjust your printing size, if necessary.

Elephant Drawing

Print the page below and draw a picture of an elephant. We like to use these activity pages in our Kindergarten "Sanskrit Fun Segment." Feel free to copy the sample we have given, or better yet, create your own image!

Materials
Print out (see below)
Black marker/crayon

गजः

gajaḥ

elephant

Click on the image below and print.
Be sure and adjust your printing size, if necessary.

Fish Drawing

Print the page below and draw a picture of a fish. We like to use this activity sheet in our Kindergarten "Sanskrit Fun Segment." Feel free to copy the sample we have given, or better yet, create your own image!

Materials
Print out (see below)
Black marker/crayon

मत्स्यः

matsyaḥ

fish

Click on the image below and print.
Be sure to adjust printing size, if necessary.

Lion Drawing

Print the page below and draw a picture of a lion. We like to use this activity page in our Kindergarten "Sanskrit Fun Segment." Feel free to copy the sample we have given, or better yet, create your own image!

Materials
Print Out (see below)
Black marker/crayon

सिंहः

simhaḥ

lion

Click on the image below and print.
Be sure and adjust your printing size, if necessary.

Mouse Drawing

Print the page below and draw a picture of a mouse. We like to use these activity pages in our Kindergarten "Sanskrit Fun Segment." Feel free to copy the sample we have given, or better yet, create your own image!

Materials
Print Out (see below)
Black marker/crayon

मूषकः

mūṣakaḥ

mouse

Click on the image below and print.
Be sure to adjust your printing size, if necessary.

Lord Raama's Lotus Feet

Here is a very simple outline of Lord Raama's feet for the children to do their creative likhita japa with. All you need are a few colored writing pens and a copy of the image below. Have fun!

Click on the image and then print. 

Peacock Feather Drawing

The peacock feather is a fun image to do creative likhita japa with — the lines are extremely easy to follow. A good writing strategy is to start at the base of a line and work upwards. Make sure to finish one full line of the feather before moving on to the next.

Because older children are able to write smaller (and have greater focus), they might want to try a full mantra such as ऊँ श्री कृष्ण शरणं मम (om shree krishna sharanam mama). Younger children will probably fare better with filling the picture with ऊँ, aum or OM and using colors. What is important for us to remember is that the objective with these art exercises is that the child experiences joy while chanting the Lord's name — how "well or proper" they do it is secondary :-)

Happy Likhita Japa!!!

Materials:
• Good writing pens

Black artist pens, with different sized nibs, create beautiful tones. An excellent pen to look for is Prisma Color. You can find them at any quality craft or art store. A complete set comes in sizes .005, 01, 03, 05 and 08 — which is a perfect range of line widths. Other good pens are Micron (by Sakura) and Staedtler Triplus Fine liner.

Click on the image and print. If you want lighter lines, adjust your printer contrast setting.