It’s likely that you’ve heard of International Dot Day. After all, you’re on this page! However, if you’ve only heard the name, you might be wondering what Dot Day actually is.
Maybe your child is set to celebrate a Dot Day at their school, or perhaps you’ve just heard it on the news.
Wherever you’ve come across the idea of Dot Day, if you want to know what it’s all about and when it started, then you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, we will explore the origins of Dot Day and the importance that it plays for children (and adults) in nurturing their creativity.
It All Started With A Book
Back in 2003, children’s author Peter H. Reynolds (famous for the Judy Moody series) published a picture book simply titled “The Dot”.
The story follows a young girl called Vashti who believes that she can’t draw. Seeing her disappointment, Vashti’s teacher encourages her to just “make a mark and see where it takes you”.
From this, Vashti draws a dot and is asked by her teacher to sign it.
Later, when Vashti sees her dot framed and displayed in the teacher’s office, she is inspired to make an even better dot.
This continues until Vashti is confident in her abilities and knows that even she can be creative and artistic.
All it took for Vashti to find and nurture her creativity was encouragement and motivation from her teacher.
The point of this book is to show that everyone has a creative side that is just waiting to come out; sometimes, we just have to encourage it out of us.
This is the main ethos of the Dot and the driving force behind Dot Day at school.
Coming to Schools
The Dot became an immensely powerful and popular story with teachers, parents, and children alike.
Millions of teachers brought the story to their classrooms and introduced their students to the creative process.
In 2009, one teacher named Terry Shay brought the book in to share with his class on September 15. This small demonstration became the seed from which International Dot Day would grow.
Every year, near the beginning of the term, on or around September 15, thousands of classrooms across the world engage in a celebration of creativity, collaboration, and courage.
What started as a simple classroom discussion has evolved and taken flight into a massively popular and important day that gives children the opportunity to explore different creative outlets with the support and encouragement from the grown-ups in their lives.
How To Take Part In Dot Day At School
There is no official way to sign up in order to take part in Dot Day other than getting the go-ahead from your school administration if you’re a teacher.
All you have to do to get involved is bring your students or children in on a fantastically creative day of exploring their passions and not inhibiting them.
Some people will encourage the children to create a dot similar to Vashti, or, if you have the resources, you could give them the opportunity to discover other forms of self-expression.
This could be through painting, coloring, collaging, writing, or acting – whatever space and means you have to let the children explore is enough.
If you can, why not set up different stations across your house or classroom to let the kids pick and choose what kind of creative medium they want to explore and play with?
The most important thing is that you encourage them and don’t try to hinder their creative exploration.
Spreading The Word
Another very important aspect of International Dot Day is spreading the word and encouraging other teachers or parents to get involved. The main way that you can do this is through blogs and social media.
A simple Instagram or Facebook post can spread to thousands of teachers or parents, introducing them to the concept of Dot Day and inspiring them to participate in the event in the future.
Social media and online collaboration are one of the reasons that Dot Day has become an international event, and if we continue to share and document the celebrations and activities, then more people will be able to get in on the fun.
Activities To Try For Dot Day
If you’re really enthusiastic about the idea of taking part in Dot Day but you’re not sure where to start, then check out some of our ideas for getting involved.
If you consider yourself a creative person, why not show off some of your artwork or performances to inspire the children and demonstrate the courage it takes to share your work?
You could also get your kids singing and dancing along to The Dot Song for some more energetic movement and get their creative juices flowing.
You never know what kind of creative medium you’re drawn to until you try it to get as many art supplies as possible to give everything a try.
This could be paint, clay, crayons, string, or different musical instruments – create to your heart’s desire; after all, your imagination is the limit!
Final Notes
Now that you know all about International Dot Day, we hope that you’re inspired to introduce it to your friends, family, pupils, or the children in your lives.
Being able to access and nurture your creative side is so important at any age, so make sure that you’re providing a space where you or your kids can do so by getting involved with International Dot Day.
Being creative can take courage and confidence, which is one of the reasons why it’s so important to tend to that sensitive part of yourself or your children whenever you can.
If you can share your creativity, you will surely inspire others to do so as well.
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