Raise your hand if you think you can draw.

If you didn’t raise your hand, you are like most of us…our inner artist has been discouraged and hammered down.

How does this happen?  A parent says, “No, the grass should be green!”  The teacher says, “That’s not how a dog looks!”  A fellow classmate says, “You can’t draw!”

In 2003, Peter Reynolds wrote and illustrated a book that encouraged children of all ages to be to imagine, dream and create.   His premise was that there is no right or wrong way.  

This week over 500,000 children in all 50 states and around the world will be participating in International Dot Day, in their classrooms or at home. 

Visit http://www.thedotclub.org/dotday/ to learn more about International Dot Day.  You will find activity suggestions, resources, a global map showing participants…you can even take a look at the dots being created by celebrities.

As parents and as teachers, we can

• Encourage our children to enjoy all types of art mediums…paint, clay, paper cutting, drawing and sculpting.  
• Provide the materials and participate with our kids.
• Make thoughtful, but non-judgmental comments about our children’s art.
• Proudly display the art our children produce.

Creative expression is art in its purest form. 

If you allow yourself to have fun with art, so will your children.

During my time in New Hampshire, my almost four-year old grandson became fascinated with Cheerios.  We had a Cheerios Halloween Board Book that called for using Cheerios on different pages to fill in missing buttons, eyeglasses, etc.  Jeremy had a ball…placing Cheerios in the “proper” places…and then eating each one!  Here’s his International Dot Day dot picture.

Related articles

• The Dot – International Dot Day (childrensbooksheal.com)
• International Dot Day – Sept. 15, 2012 (childrensbooksheal.com)
• Come Celebrate International Dot Day with Us – September 15, 2012 (angelamaiers.com)
• International Dot Day – 4′s Class (swsharrington.wordpress.com)
• Art Therapy and 9/11 (schoolpsychscholar.com)