Expressive Arts and Design includes art, music, dance, role play and imaginative play. The children have lots of opportunities to explore this through the different continuous provision and enhancements in the nursery. We always have a role play area for the children to investigate. Small world play and construction are used to develop these skills. We have recently bought an Alexa and the children love asking for a song and then singing and dancing to the music. 

When they leave our Nursery, your child should be able to:

• Take part in pretend play, using an object to represent something else.
• Make up complex ‘small worlds’ using animal sets, dolls and dolls houses etc.
• Make detailed ‘small worlds’ using blocks and construction kits.
• Explore different materials, and develop their ideas of how to use them and what to make.
• Join different materials together, exploring the texture of the materials.
• Create closed shapes with continuous lines, and use these shapes to represent objects.
• Draw with increasing complexity and detail, such as representing a face with a circle and including details.
• Use drawings to show their ideas.
• Show emotions in their drawings and paintings, such as happiness, sadness and fear.
• Enjoy exploring colours and colour mixing.
• Listen to sounds with increasing attention, and respond to what they hear.
• Remember and sing entire songs.
• Enjoy creating their own songs.
• Play instruments with increasing control.

How you can help your child at home: 

• Make homemade paintbrushes using pegs and items you have found around your home.
• Join in pretend play together.
• Use cardboard boxes and fabric to make dens.