Expressive Arts and Design

Expressive Arts and Design is the strand about making, imagining and pretending. Scribbling, sticking, banging a rhythm on a pan, feeding a soft toy an invisible dinner. It is where a toddler starts to represent one thing with another, which is the root of every drawing and story they will ever make. The activities here are chosen for that. They are low on materials and high on mess-free making, and none of them need the result to look like anything.

18 activities

Shadow Puppet Wall Watch illustration Shadow Puppet Wall Watch from 14 months · 5-10 min Yogurt Finger Paint illustration Yogurt Finger Paint from 14 months · 10 min Animal Walk Parade illustration Animal Walk Parade from 16 months · 5-10 min Cotton Swab Paint Dots illustration Cotton Swab Paint Dots from 16 months · 10-15 min Soft Toy Tuck In illustration Soft Toy Tuck In from 16 months · 5-10 min Broom Sweep March illustration Broom Sweep March from 18 months · 5-10 min Envelope Stuff Mail illustration Envelope Stuff Mail from 18 months · 10-15 min Sock Puppet Hush illustration Sock Puppet Hush from 18 months · 5-10 min Doctor Bear Checkup illustration Doctor Bear Checkup from 24 months · 10-15 min First Scribble Page illustration First Scribble Page from 24 months · 5-10 min Gentle Torch Shadows illustration Gentle Torch Shadows from 24 months · 5-10 min Put Toys To Bed illustration Put Toys To Bed from 24 months · 5-10 min Teddy Tea Party illustration Teddy Tea Party from 24 months · 10-15 min Clothes Peg Picnic illustration Clothes Peg Picnic from 26 months · 10-15 min Flour Finger Drawing illustration Flour Finger Drawing from 26 months · 10-15 min Shaving Foam Swirl illustration Shaving Foam Swirl from 26 months · 10-15 min Sticker Peel And Stick illustration Sticker Peel And Stick from 26 months · 5-10 min Muddy Garden Pat-A-Cake illustration Muddy Garden Pat-A-Cake from 28 months · 10-15 min

Other EYFS areas

Communication and Language activities for toddlers · Physical Development activities for toddlers · Personal, Social and Emotional Development activities for toddlers · Literacy activities for toddlers · Mathematics activities for toddlers · Understanding the World activities for toddlers · All activities