Dot Day

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by Andrea Mulder-Slater

International Dot Day (September 15th) is a fun celebration of creativity, inspired by Peter H. Reynolds’ book The Dot. It’s all about making your mark, and seeing where it takes you.

Here are some great ideas you could use for your art lessons, either at home, in a classroom, or in a studio setting:

Creative Art Project Ideas:

  • Collaborative Dot Mural: Give each child a circle (paper plate, cut paper, or canvas board) to decorate in any style they like—paint, collage, doodles, mixed media. Put them together into a giant wall display.

  • 3D Dots: Use coffee filters, tissue paper, or cupcake liners to create layered, colorful “dot flowers.” These can be arranged in a garden-like mural.

  • Dot & Line Connections: Start with a page of dots. Kids use lines to connect them into imaginative creatures, objects, or abstract designs.

  • Spin Art Dots: Use salad spinners or turntables with paint to create vibrant spinning dots.

  • Digital Dots: Have kids use a drawing app to make digital dots and patterns, then print them out for a gallery wall.

  • Nature Dots: Paint dots on rocks, shells, or leaves (great tie-in for outdoor learners).

Literacy and Art Ideas:

  • “The Dot” Response Pages: After reading The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds, ask kids to write or draw their own way to “make a mark” in the world.

  • Dot Poetry: Students write short poems inside a circle shape.

  • Dot Stories: Provide a circle sticker or dot stamp on a paper and challenge kids to turn it into the start of a drawing and story.

Fun School-Wide / Group Activities:

  • Wear Your Dots Day: Encourage kids (and teachers!) to wear polka dots.

  • Dot Hunt: Hide colorful dots around the classroom or school. Each dot could have an inspiring word or art prompt on the back.

  • Interactive Wall: Put up a giant circle on the wall and let everyone add their mark with paint pens, stickers, or doodles throughout the day.

  • Dot Dance Party: Play music and let kids dance around dots on the floor (like musical chairs but with colorful circles).

Inside The KinderArt Club, we have lots of terrific ideas that teachers and parents can use on Dot Day.

Club member Fahren Crawford made these terrific “Tie Dye Dots” with her elementary students.

And these clay dots are always a hit, with all ages!

You can find these ideas, and much, much more, inside our amazing art lesson membership club. Find out what thousands already know, by joining us at The KinderArt Club, today.