Is there a way to animate display:none to display:block using CSS so that the hidden div slides down instead of abruptly appearing, or should I go about this a different way
Yes, there is a way: http://jsfiddle.net/6C42Q/12/
By using CSS3 transitions, and manipulate height, rather than display property:
.hidden {
height: 0px;
-webkit-transition: height 0.5s linear;
-moz-transition: height 0.5s linear;
-ms-transition: height 0.5s linear;
-o-transition: height 0.5s linear;
transition: height 0.5s linear;
}
.hidden.open {
height: 200px;
-webkit-transition: height 0.5s linear;
-moz-transition: height 0.5s linear;
-ms-transition: height 0.5s linear;
-o-transition: height 0.5s linear;
transition: height 0.5s linear;
}
More here: Slide down div on click Pure CSS?