Birth to 3 years: Expressive Arts and Design

When I am a baby:

  • I am aware of sounds and music
  • I enjoy music and respond emotionally and physically when it changes
  • I move and dance to music
  • I anticipate phrases and actions in rhymes and songs, like ‘Peepo’
  • I enjoy making sounds and exploring my voice
  • I join in with songs and rhymes, making some sounds
  • I can make make rhythmical and repetitive sounds
  • I enjoy exploring a range of sound-makers and instruments and playing them in different ways
  • I notice patterns with strong contrasts and I am attracted by patterns resembling the human face

When I am a bit older:

  • I enjoy mark making. I am starting to make marks intentionally
  • I enjoy exploring paint, using my fingers and other parts of my body as well as brushes and other tools
  • I express ideas and feelings through mark making. I sometimes give meaning to my marks
  • I enjoy taking part in action songs, such as ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.’
  • I am beginning to take part in pretend play. I pretend one object represents another, e.g. holding a wooden block to my ear and pretending it’s phone
  • I like to explore different materials, using all of my senses to investigate them. I manipulate different play materials like play-dough
  • I use my imagination when I think about what I can do with different materials
  • I can express my ideas through making simple models