Zentangle for Focus

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Zentangle is a method of drawing that is so simple and repetitive that it frees your mind up to relax and focus. Doodling is more freeform and flowing but Zentangle usually follows patterns.

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It’s easy to think that Zentangle is somehow related to “Zen Buddhism”- but it’s actually an artistic method created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. They describe the process of drawing as “tangling.” They added the word “zen” to describe the calm effect tangling produces as you do it. You can read more about how it began here.

Zentangle for Focus:

Materials:

  • Paper or poster
  • Pen

Preparation:

  1. Prepare a Poster:
    • Choose a word to emphasise what you are teaching. The example above uses the word “FAITH,” which goes well with a few lessons in Genesis about people like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.
    • The children could have drawn their own letters but, for this first attempt, you might decide to pre-print a word on a paper using big letter outlines. The font in the example is similar to Janda Manitee Bubble. Create your own or use this one in A4 size or this one in letter size (USA)
  2. Draw a free-flowing grid to create drawing spaces:
    • The tangle designs can be done inside the letters or outside, in the white space.  The example above has white space outside the letters.
    • To help the children get started, you can draw a wavy sort of grid on their paper so they immediately see the small areas to add designs to. By doing this free-hand, you can create a totally unique pattern for each child.

Instructions:

  1. Provide each child with a pen.
    • People take Zentangling to all sorts of levels and spend lots of money on special paper and pens. You can easily use any pen, but people often use fine line pens. The example above used a fine-line Sharpie.
  2. Let each child select a poster.
    • Then, let the children start tangling and filling each of the “squares” with a unique design.
  3. Let conversation flow.
    • As you “tangle,” you can talk about faith. Don’t worry about finishing the zentangles- you can set them aside until the next time your group meets and continue them then.

Adaptations:

Of course you can use any word or phrases that suit your teaching situations. For the word “FAITH” have a look at the following lessons:

Helpful Hints:

  1. Amazingly, this method really can bring calm to the classroom. Fidgeters may find it easier to stop fidgeting and start participating in conversation.
  2. The conversation while tangling can flow very naturally. In one class that used zentangling, the children were relaxed and calm and just chatted about what faith meant in their lives and then about life in general. Even shy children contributed to the conversation since they did not feel extra attention was on them.
  3. You can provide some patterns for zentangling but the children are often happy to create their own designs.

Links to Videos and Patterns:

A simple online search for “Zentangle” will lead you to a number of different examples. Here are a few simple ones.