Children and adults have the right to participate in arts and culture. Expression conveys both thinking (ideas) and feeling (emotions). Children use a variety of ways to express and communicate, through a wide range of materials, music and movement. Creative thinking involves original responses, not just copying or imitating existing artworks.
Expressive Arts and Design fosters imagination, curiosity, creativity, cognition, critical thinking and experimentation. It provides opportunities to improvise, collaborate, interact and engage in sustained shared thinking, and requires time, space and opportunities to re-visit and reflect on experiences. Multi-sensory, first-hand experiences help children to connect and enquire about the world. Appreciating diversity and multiple perspectives enriches ways of thinking, being and understanding. Skills are learned in the process of meaning-making, not in isolation.
Aspects of Expressive Arts and Design include:
- Movement and dance
- Visual art – drawing, painting/colour work and 3D (line, colour, form)
- Music – listening, vocalising, movement, making
- Drama and stories
Children may need time to explore or revisit different media or tools, which will allow them to gain a deeper understanding of how to use them to express their ideas or thinking.
You can find detailed guidance on Expressive Arts and Design in the Areas of Learning and Development.