Celebrate World Down Syndrome Day on 3/21

World Down Syndrome Day is coming up on March 21st. WDSD is celebrated on the 21st day of March to honor and share our love for those living with Down syndrome and to create awareness for others. March 21st (3/21) was chosen as the day to signify the uniqueness of the triplication of the 21st chromosome, which is what causes Down syndrome.

Every year on WDSD, we celebrate these awesome individuals in my classroom! Here are some ways you can celebrate WDSD in your classroom or community!

1. Participate in the "Lots of Socks" campaign. 

The World Down Syndrome Day Organization is hosting the "Lots of Socks" campaign again this year! Wear lots of socks, colorful socks, crazy socks, or maybe even 3 socks to represent the 3 chromosomes. Stand out so others will ask you about your socks so you can share awareness and get others talking about WDSD! You can learn more about this campaign here.  

My students wearing LOTS of SOCKS 5 YEARS AGO!

My students wearing LOTS of SOCKS last year!

 2. Make blue and yellow ribbons for staff and students to wear.

3. Rock your designer jeans (genes). 

This is my all-time favorite that one of my students did a few years ago!!! So stinkin' adorable!!!

4. Celebrate WDSD with some blue and yellow cupcakes...or cookies! This year we are doing blue/yellow iced sugar cookies. Walmart never lets me down! Every year they always seem to have blue and yellow cookies and/or cupcakes this time of year!

5. Show/View these videos.

Just Like You, Inc. 


6. Read this book.

You can find it on Amazon here.

7. Share 21 facts about Down syndrome with your audience.

You can get this fact sheet from my FREE WDSD Freebie Set here!!

It also includes free ribbon buttons and a fun hat!!

8. Host a Disability Awareness Day!

Hosting a Disability Awareness Day Event is one event you will never regret! The reactions, responses, and feedback is beyond priceless! Students get to experience what it may be like to have to live with a particular disability. Students leave with a better understanding and an acceptance of people with special needs. I shed a tear (or two) every year! I've hosted this event at my school four times and it's always so inspiring!!! Read about last year's event here! 

If you're unsure where to start, this amazing kit plans out your entire event for you here. 

Check out the video preview!!

9. Get the word out there!

In addition to celebrating in your classroom or in your community, get the word out there! Share WDSD and the "Lots of Socks" campaign with your family and friends and on your social media sites. Use the hashtag #wdsd18. Get everyone wearing LOTS of SOCKS!

MARCH 21st

Mark your calendars and spread the love and awareness for these precious individuals!

Save and share this image to promote WDSD on March 21st!

Follow my WDSD Pinterest Board for even more ideas! If you would like to collaborate and post to this board, leave your email below and I will add you!!

Host a Disability Awareness Day at Your School!

Tis the season for spreading disability awareness! Spring seems to be the time where many groups and people engage in spreading awareness since World Down Syndrome Day is in March and Autism Awareness month is April! 

Every other year, I host a disability awareness day event at my school! Starting this a few years ago was the best thing I ever did! We get such a great response from everyone and the students just love it! It's neat to see how our regular Ed students transform and take on a better understanding of the "special" students that they go to school with every day! They become more caring and understanding. And hearing them talk about it for days, or come up to you a day or two later and say, "Now I understand why _______ does that in class" is just priceless! 

I host the event for 3rd-5th graders at my school. I do it during the school day and split it into two sessions. Three classes attend the morning session and three classes attend the afternoon session. I have 6 stations. Each station lasts for 20 minutes and has 2-3 activities they must complete. I count students off; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6....to determine who starts where and then students rotate clockwise every 20 minutes when I blow a whistle! With six 20-minute stations and the time taken to explain procedures and count students off, each session lasts for 2 1/4 hours. 

Here's a look at the activities and the six different stations.

I place task cards in all six stations, so students know exactly what to do! My students run the stations! I also have an adult volunteer in each station (typically the parents of my students), and the classroom teachers attending with their class also help in each station!

All stations are numbered.

I tape the numbers cards on the ends of the table and place the task cards in 8 x 10 plastic standing photo frames from Dollar Tree to stand on each table (as shown below).

Here is the letter I send out to my parents....

....and the letter I send out to the teachers.

Here's a peek at one of the activities at the "Physical Impairment" Station. 

The students at this station are learning sign language!

Here's a "large picture" of the event. You can see 5 of the centers in action here to get an idea of how it looks.

It's been two years since I held the event (since I  hold it every other year), but I'll be hosting again this May, and I cannot wait! 

I'd love to see others spreading awareness among our youth and in our schools, so I've compiled all of these resources and printables into a "Complete Disability Awareness Day Kit!"

With this kit, you can easily host your own Disability Awareness Day with very little prep or stress! 

If it's not included in this kit, you most likely already have it in your classroom!

All activity printables, signs, teacher letters, parent letters, letterhead, etc. are included. 

In fact, all you'll need to gather to host your event is:

paper

pencils

markers

cotton balls

yard sticks

masking tape

blindfolds

sandpaper

containers with lids

pennies

socks or gloves

radio/listening station

I hope you'll consider hosting your own Disability Awareness Day event! It really is life-changing for all of the students, and even for some of the staff, and our general Ed students need to have a better understanding of what these individuals live with every day! It will also be life-changing for you! Also when your students can run the stations, it gives them a great sense of belonging and builds their confidence!

If you'd like to ease your planning, you can take a look at my kit by clicking below!! Also, you can read another post I did about this event here.

Feel free to drop me any questions you may have about planning your event!

Bunches of Luck & Fun,

Our WDSD Classroom Celebration!

I promised I'd be back to share pictures of #WDSD16 in my classroom! Our spring break actually started today, but that didn't stop us! We celebrated WDSD in my classroom on Friday!! {Side note: Isn't this photo the cutest!? I've been saving it since last year to share with you!} 

We wore crazy socks!!

We all wore blue and yellow ribbons!!

We watched this video from "Just Like You, Inc." You can view it on You Tube here. 

 We learned facts about kids with Down syndrome!

This sheet is from my WDSD Freebie Set!

We also made the adorable hats from this set, but I completely forgot to take pics of them in their hats!!! :(

And at the end of the day, we enjoyed yellow and blue mini cupcakes, so they could each enjoy one of both colors!!

 We had alot of fun celebrating, spreading awareness at my school, and learning more about Down syndrome! This is my first year teaching that I have not had any students with Down syndrome in my class, and I have really missed working with this special group of individuals this year!!! Cheers to Down syndrome!!!! :) :) :)

I also started a collaborative Pinterest board in honor of these neat and loving individuals for WDSD! 

Follow Traci Bender - The Bender Bunch's board Celebrate Down Syndrome on Pinterest.

If you'd like access to pin your images, resources, and celebrations onto this board, leave your email in the comments and I'll send you an invite!! :)

Bunches of Love for Down Syndrome, 

11 Ways to Celebrate World Down Syndrome Day!!!

Mark your calendars!!! World Down Syndrome Day is coming up on March 21st. WDSD is celebrated on the 21st day of March to honor and share our love for those living with Down syndrome and to create awareness for others. March 21st (3/21) was chosen as the day to signify the uniqueness of the triplication of the 21st chromosome, which is what causes Down syndrome.

Every year on WDSD, we celebrate these awesome individuals in my classroom! I'm here to share some ideas with you to help you celebrate WDSD in your classroom!

1. Participate in the "Lots of Socks" campaign. 

The World Down Syndrome Day Organization is hosting the "Lots of Socks" campaign again this year! Wear lots of socks, colorful socks, crazy socks, or maybe even 3 socks to represent the 3 chromosomes. Stand out so others will ask you about your socks so you can share awareness and get others talking about WDSD! You can learn more about this campaign here and print flyers to spread the word and share with your colleagues here and here. 

My students wearing LOTS of SOCKS!

We even pinned them to our pants and shirts!

 2. Dress in blue and yellow or wear blue and yellow ribbons.

Blue and yellow are the designated colors for WDSD, so we also wear blue and yellow ribbons on our shirts.

3. Rock your designer genes (jeans).

LOL!!! :) One of my students did this last year.....LOVE!!!!!!!!!

4. Bring in blue and yellow cupcakes.

5. Show these videos at your school.

Just Like You, Inc. 



6. Read this book.

You can find it on Amazon here.

7. Share with your class or have them share 21 facts about Down syndrome.

8. Have your students share 21 things they love about their classmate, friend, or family member with Down syndrome.

9. Do something special for the children at your school or in your community with Down syndrome.

10. Host a Disability Awareness Day!

You can read all about the Disability Awareness Day I hosted at my school here, and get most of the materials needed to host your own!

11. Get the word out there!

In addition to celebrating in your classroom or at your school, get the word out there! Share WDSD and the "Lots of Socks" campaign with your family and friends and on your social media sites. Use the hashtag #wdsd16. 

UPDATE (3/13/16): I've created a freebie set you can download that includes a hat template, materials for making your ribbons, gift tags, and 21 facts about kids with DS. You can grab it here for free!!

MARCH 21st

Mark your calendars and spread the love and awareness for these precious individuals! 

I'll be back on the 22nd to share pictures of our 2016 WDSD classroom celebration and hopefully give you the opportunity to link up your own photos! So take lots of photos!!!!! 

Feel free to save and use this image to promote WDSD to your friends, family, parents, and colleagues!!!

Bunches of Love,