Nursery World - Revised EYFS – In focus… Expressive arts and design

How should practitioners approach the revised learning area of EAD within the new EYFS, and how does it compare to the previous version? Penny Tassoni reports

EAD also links in with other areas, such as Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Expressive Arts and Design (EAD) is a significant part of our lives whether or not we always recognise it as such. From a TV theme tune, the design of a T-shirt or the advert on a billboard, expressive arts and design is a constant presence.

In addition, how many of us have doodled with a pen or more consciously set out to express ourselves through drawing, singing or dancing? It would appear that humans are unique in their need to express themselves through the Arts. Early examples of pattern-making have been found in the Blombos caves in South Africa dating back more than 75,000 years, suggesting that art is a significant part of human evolution. Art in its many forms can be seen throughout the world and in every society past and present. So it is within this context that it is worth considering the revised EAD area within the EYFS framework.

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