International Dot Day 2024 Teaching Resources

Celebrate International Dot Day 2024 with printable Dot Day activities, Dot Day-themed maths worksheets, bookmarks kids can colour and more teaching resources to boost your students' creativity and help encourage bravery and courage! These International Dot Day activities for kids were all created by teachers to help make your celebration a success.

Maybe you're wondering 'what is Dot Day' and when will this international event be celebrated in Australian classrooms? Or maybe you're just looking for fresh ideas and activities for your classroom. Get to know more about this event with a primer from the Teach Starter team of teachers! Plus, read on for some more Peter H. Reynolds books you can add to your SEL lessons.

What Is International Dot Day All About?

The story of Dot Day begins with a children's storybook called The Dot. It was written and illustrated by American author Peter H. Reynolds and released on 15 September 2003.

The book tells the story of Vashti, a little girl who is struggling with her art. Vashti's art teacher comes to the rescue, and the little girl in the picture book learns to believe in herself and her abilities and discovers that even a simple dot can be a work of art.

The now world-famous book encourages kids to embrace their creativity and to never give up on their dreams. It literally encourages kids to 'make their mark' on the world!

Who Created Dot Day? Meet Terry Shay!

The book inspired American teacher Terry Shay so much that he created Dot Day in 2009 to inspire his own students to be more creative and to express themselves through art.

He shared the idea with other teachers, and the celebration began to spread. Schools worldwide (and here in Australia!) now celebrate International Dot Day by reading the story and then getting creative with fun Dot Day activities.

When Is International Dot Day 2024?

International Dot Day will be held on 15 September 2024 all around the world.

This global celebration of creativity, courage, and collaboration is typically held around the 15th of September to celebrate the publication of the book.

Because 15 September is a Sunday in 2024, you may want to complete your Dot Day activities the Friday before or the Monday after!

Fun Dot Day Activities for Kids

Looking for some fun Dot Day activities to do along with the teacher resources featured in this collection? Here are some ideas from our teacher team to inspire you and your class!

• Have your students transform a collection of blank dots into a creative masterpiece.
• Set up an International Dot Day display in your classroom with your students' very own masterpieces.
• Organise a Dot Day STEM challenge. Students can use sticky tack and toothpicks to create different 3D shapes.
• Create a Dot Day Hat.
• Design a Dot Day t-shirt.

More Peter Reynolds' Books to Add to Your Classroom Library

If you love the message of The Dot — and so do your students — you might want to consider adding more of Peter Reynolds' books to your classroom library to inspire future social emotional learning lessons!

Here are a few favourites from our teacher team, along with some ideas on how to incorporate them into your lesson plans:

Ish

In this story from The Dot creator, a little boy named Ramon loves to draw. One day, Ramon's brother makes a negative comment about his artwork, and Ramon loses confidence in his abilities. Fortunately, Ramon's sister helps him to see that art can be 'ish' — meaning it doesn't have to be perfect.

The story is a great mentor text to read when introducing resilience and encouraging them to embrace imperfections.

Happy Dreamer

Happy Dreamer is another Reynolds book that makes a perfect mentor text when introducing a lesson on self-acceptance and embracing individuality.

The story highlights the fact that not all learners fit into traditional moulds. There's beauty to be found in being a dreamer, a thinker and a creator!

The Word Collector

The title of The Word Collector may have already given you the sense that this book could fit into a lesson on language and the power of words.

Indeed the story of little Jerome, a boy who collects words that inspire him and make him feel something, is a good one for English teachers to use to promote vocabulary development and appreciation for the richness of language.

Be You!

This Reynolds book is a favorite among our teacher team members for reading on the first day of school to set the tone for a positive and inclusive classroom.

Reynolds tells readers to 'be your own work of art' in this colourful book that's perfect for teachers from foundation through year 2.

Say Something

In this final favourite Peter H. Reynolds book from our teacher team, you'll find motivational messaging you can use to teach your students the importance of using their voices to make the world a better place. The story tells kids, 'The world needs your voice!'