Expressive Arts and Design

The development of children’s artistic and cultural awareness supports their imagination and creativity. It is important that children have regular opportunities to engage with the arts, enabling them to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials. The quality and variety of what children see, hear and participate in is crucial for developing their understanding, self-expression, vocabulary and ability to communicate through the arts. The frequency, repetition and depth of their experiences are fundamental to their progress in interpreting and appreciating what they hear, respond to and observe.

Expressive arts and design involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials. It also provides opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, design and technology. The children have daily access to activities that promote their creativity and imagination through continuous provision both outside and inside the classroom.

This could include:

• Sand and water trays
• Messy play e.g. shaving foam, rice, pulses, beans, mud, cornflour
• Junk modelling- using a range of tools
• Art activities- painting, drawing, sketching,
• Music area outside and daily singing inside
• Using percussion instruments
• Playdough
• Role-play areas linked to topics or themes
• Stage area
• Loose parts play
• Large and small scale construction
• Small world play
• Story telling – orally and using story maps
• Puppet play