Recycled Cardboard Dots: A Dot Day Process Art Invitation

Every child has a mark to make, & #InternationalDotDay is a beautiful celebration of the creativity, courage, & confidence it takes to make it! Celebrated each year on September 15th (& the days surrounding it), Dot Day was inspired by Peter H. Reynolds’ beloved book, The Dot. The story follows Vashti, a young girl who doesn’t believe she can draw until her teacher encourages her to simply make a mark & see where it takes her. One little dot becomes the beginning of a journey filled with creativity, confidence, & self-discovery.

Inspired by Vashti’s story, we invited the children to make their own marks through a colorful, open-ended process art experience that eventually transformed individual creations into one collaborative work of art.

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For our canvas, we repurposed recycled pizza boxes, cutting the cardboard into circular canvases. Colorations® Fluorescent BioColor® & Metallic BioColor® Paint in a combination of divided & single paint cups. An assortment of paintbrushes encouraged the children to experiment with different strokes, movements, colors, & techniques. 

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Children were simply encouraged to paint, explore, experiment, & make their mark, just like Vashti.

Once the painted dots had dried, we moved on to a second layer of creative exploration. With colored masking tape, washi tape, & colorful dot stickers the children cut, , layered, & decorated their artwork.

Adding these materials transformed the experience into a mixed-media invitation while also encouraging fine motor development, bilateral coordination, hand-eye coordination, scissor skills, & creative decision-making.

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Each dot became completely unique, reflecting the child who created it. The final, & perhaps most meaningful part of the experience was bringing all of the children's dots together. Connecting the finished pieces with tape to create one large collaborative Dot Day artwork. What began as individual marks became something even more beautiful when placed together, creating a visual reminder that while every child’s ideas, choices, & creative expression are uniquely their own, they can also contribute to something bigger.

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That is part of what makes The Dot such a meaningful story to explore with young children. Creativity isn't about making something “perfect." Sometimes it simply begins with having the courage to try, experiment, & see where one little mark might lead. Happy International Dot Day!

Here are other ways to celebrate dot day: 3 ways to paint the dot & dot marker collage.