Are you looking for creative ways to celebrate Dot Day in the classroom? You’re in the right spot!
Over the years, International Dot Day has gained popularity as a way to teach students about social emotional learning and to encourage creative and innovative thinking. Keep reading to find a bunch of teacher-approved ideas to help kids explore the opportunities that arise when they begin to make their mark on the world.
The Book That Inspired International Dot Day
International Dot Day celebrations started on 15 September, 2009, when teacher Terry Shay introduced the students in his class to Peter H. Reynolds’ picture book The Dot. The Dot was originally written and illustrated by Reynolds back on 15 September 2003. Now each year, International Dot Day is celebrated on 15 September! Even better, 2024 is the 15th anniversary of the event! Making it the perfect year to start celebrating Dot Day in the classroom.
The Dot, (the International Dot Day Book), is a story about an empathetic teacher who dares a doubting student to believe in her own abilities, and encourages her to bravely ‘make her mark.’ By making a start – a small dot on a piece of paper – the student begins to gain confidence and develop courage. The inspiring tale has continued to inspire countless children around the world. You can view a read-aloud of The Dot here:
On International Dot Day, teachers and students share the beautiful and inspirational story and celebrate creativity through engaging classroom experiences.
How to Celebrate International Dot Day at School
Celebrating International Dot Day at school provides an opportunity to teach children that they should all ‘make their mark’ on the world! Dot Day can be celebrated in the classroom with simple, dot-themed activities, which can be integrated into your curriculum areas for seamless planning.
You’ll find all of our International Dot Day resources in our dedicated collection.
Explore Pointillism Painting
If you’ve never heard of Pointilillism, that’s okay! As you may have guessed, it’s an artwork style that entails using small dots to form intricate masterpieces. You can start by introducing the style to your students with some examples of famous artists, such as Georges Seurat.
Once your students have an understanding of the style, why not let them try it for themselves? To get started, all you’ll need is some acrylic paint and cotton buds (or the pointy end of a paintbrush). Choose a picture to use as a reference for the class to follow – this could be anything that you wish, such as a landscape, portrait or something abstract.
Once finished, hang your students’ artwork up to create a beautiful gallery wall to celebrate their unique pieces of work!
Learn About Famous Artists and Their Painting Styles
What better way to explore Dot Day than with artists from around the world who created some of the most famous works using dot painting styles?
Combine history and art by introducing your students to the likes of Van Gogh, Wassily Kandinsky and Yayoi Kusama, just to name a few. You can take the lesson a step further by encouraging students to choose an artist and go away to do some research of their own. Your class can then compile their research in a poster or brochure to present in front of the classroom.
Create Kandinsky-inspired Artwork
Did you know? Wassily Kandinsky was a Russian artist who was considered one of the pioneers of abstract art, using circles and other shapes, having said, “Everything starts with a dot.”
Kandinsky is one of many artists who used dots in their artwork and is a great figure from whom to take inspiration and introduce your students on International Dot Day. How about using some Kandinsky-inspired colouring pages or roll-to-create your own Kandinsky-style artwork?
Design a Dot Day T-Shirt
With creativity a central theme for International Dot Day, our Design a Dot Day T-Shirt Challenge is an exciting way to teach students about art and design. Students will use the template, crayons, and a pencil to create a unique dot design that they can use as the basis of their very own t-shirt design for International Dot Day! This activity is perfect for students who enjoy a challenge whilst creating something eye-catching and creative!
Make an International Dot Day Hat
Art that you can wear? Yes, please!
The perfect wearable artwork, our International Dot Day Hat Craft will excite your little learners. This one’s perfect for early years classrooms. Students colour, cut, and glue to make their dotty hat, which will spark conversations at home, too.
Dot Day STEAM Challenge Task Cards
Our STEAM Dot Day activity encourages students to work creatively in teams to construct three-dimensional shapes in a competitive environment. Students are guided through the construction of eight different three-dimensional shapes (using sticky tack or gumdrop lollies) and toothpicks. What a great way to celebrate International Dot Day in a hands-on way!
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