What is expressive arts and design?

See the overview document below

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.

1. Creating with Materials

This strand focuses on exploring media, developing physical skills, and sharing ideas through art, construction, and design. 

• Early Exploration: Exploring texture, sound, and colour, and safely using tools like scissors, paintbrushes, and joining materials.
• Experimentation: Developing skills in drawing, painting, and sculpting by mixing colours and experimenting with form and function.
• Communication: Sharing their creations with others and explaining the process and meaning behind their work. 

2. Being Imaginative and Expressive

This strand encourages children to use their imagination in role-play, storytelling, and music.

• Role-play & Drama: Using props to re-enact stories, acting out narratives, and making sense of the world through imaginative play.
• Music & Movement: Singing well-known nursery rhymes, exploring instruments, and moving expressively in time with music.
• Storytelling: Inventing, adapting, and recounting stories, rhymes, and poems with peers or practitioners.