International Dot Day Coding Activity with Robots, Robotics

Celebrate creativity and innovation while building essential STEM skills with Carly and Adam’s International Dot Day Coding with Robots activity.

Inspired by The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds, this engaging lesson helps elementary students “make their mark” with code as they explore the programming process in a hands-on, collaborative way.

What’s Included

• Teacher Instructions with setup guidance and differentiation tips
• Coding Mat & Dot Cards for interactive robot navigation challenges
• Program Planning & Reflection Sheets to guide critical thinking and self-assessment
• Vocabulary Cards introducing coding terms like computer, programmer, and code
• Student Challenge Prompts that encourage creative problem-solving and multiple coding solutions

How It Works

Students place colorful dot cards on the coding mat, draw a matching card, and then program a robot to travel from the start space to the chosen dot. Along the way, they practice creating algorithms, writing and debugging code, and sharing their solutions with peers.

Options for increasing difficulty include finding the shortest or longest path, or designing multiple solutions to the same challenge.

Skills Students Will Build

• Computational thinking and problem-solving
• Sequencing, loops, and debugging skills
• Collaboration and communication through coding challenges
• Creative confidence inspired by The Dot story

Why Teachers Love It

• Works with a variety of coding robots
• Perfect for celebrating International Dot Day or introducing coding any time of year
• Flexible enough for both beginners and more advanced elementary students
• Encourages creativity, resilience, and perseverance in problem-solving

Give your students the chance to merge art, creativity, and technology as they celebrate Dot Day in a meaningful way—through coding!

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