Expressive Arts

Encompassing everything from dance and theatre performance to music, painting, sculpting, writing, and storytelling, the umbrella term ‘expressive arts’ covers a panoply of the most crucial play routes for children. Routes that nurture emotional growth, social interaction, imagination, and self-expression, as well as ‘hard skills’ such as manual dexterity eg paintbrush holding or the fine action of weaving ribbon through a lattice.

As well as encouraging self-expression, the development of creativity and imagination, dexterity and patience, creating art has emotional benefits. It lowers stress, helps us to focus, and can have a range of further social and emotional benefits crucial to development.

Commuicating and expression, through whatever expressive arts medium, is the way that children share with us their responses to their experiences.  Whether that’s what they have seen, what they’ve heard, or what they’ve gone through, this route to self-expression is an invaluable way to be heard and understood.