World Art Day 2026

World Art Day is a day that celebrates all mediums of artwork in the hope that it inspires and encourages creativity and to appreciate the arts. The development of children’s artistic and cultural awareness supports their imagination and creativity.

It is celebrated each year, on 15th April, which is believed to be the birthday of the world famous artist, Leonardo da Vinci.

At St. Michael's Nursery, children are freely given opportunities to explore their artistic development and this in turn supports their creativity, imagination and self expression. It also supports cultural awareness, artistic techniques, materials and physical development and dexterity.

Our Early Years Curriculum highlights the importance of ensuring that children have regular opportunities to engage with the arts.

"The quality and variety of what children see, hear and participate in is crucial for developing their understanding, self-expression, vocabulary and ability to communicate through the arts."

Gov.UK

Expressive arts are enjoyed here at nursery, we have dancing, puppet shows, musical instruments, sewing, weaving and we even have some budding photographers!

We believe in 'process over product' because we know that when children have the autonomy to be fully immersed and engaged in the process, they experiment, discover and create. This is when the learning happens - for example, digging, scooping and pouring, all encourage hand-eye coordination, fine and gross motor skills and mathematical understanding.

Weaving and other wool work is excellent for understanding where materials are from, dexterity, creativity, lengths, repeating patterns and fine motor skills.

Painting with a variety of paints and brushes invites discovery of colour mixing, textures, prints, shapes, dexterity and supports and refines muscle development.

As practitioners, we value the importance of meeting the children where they are in their development and offering invitations to support, extend, scaffold and promote their next steps. We love to think of fun and creative ways to do this. For example, we often offer large paper on the floor for children to work collaborate and explore the materials provided. This encourages language development, turn taking, negotiating, sharing ideas, respect and sustained engagement. It is also amazing in supporting spatial awareness, core strength, balance and stability.