Expressive Arts and Design
Key points and how to support EAD
There are two aspects of EAD;
- Exploring and using media and materials
- Being imaginative
Exploring and using media and materials
Children sing songs, make music and dance, and experiment with ways of changing them. They safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function. A milestone for this aspect of learning is to tap out simple repeated rhythms.
Being imaginative
Children use what they have learnt about media and materials in original ways, thinking about uses and purposes. They represent their own ideas, thoughts and feelings through design and technology, art, music, dance, role play and stories. One milestone for 3 year olds in this area is to build stories around toys, e.g. farm animals needing rescue
from an armchair ‘cliff’.
Home learning resources
Exploring and using media and materials
Three years old
Instrument march! Use arts and crafts to make a drum or shaker with your child! Encourage them to find their own resources form recycled boxes and bottles and support them to put the pieces together. Once you have drums, use these drums to march around the house. Change the beat of the drum and challenge your child to copy the rhythm of each march! You can switch it around and give them a chance to create their own rhythms too. Throughout this, point out the differences using describing phrases such as "a fast beat".
Being imaginative
Three years old
Activity time! Make a wheel with different sections (technology, art, music, dance, roleplay and stories) with your child and whenever you would like to do an activity with them, spin the wheel. Whichever activity this lands on encourage your child to think of their own activity, e.g. if it lands on dance (What kind of dancing would you like to do?). You can research ideas by searching with the phrase "activities for 3 year olds", e.g. "Dance activities for 3 year olds".
Website Links
Use the photo-links below to for extra ideas on how to further support your child with this area at home!
