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Loose Parts | Day 25 – 30DaysTYP

April 25, 2014 By Racheous

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Here’s the thing about loose parts play. You know all those incredible open-ended materials which we have been discussing? (playdough, clay, construction, light, mirrors, sand)? Well, add loose parts and you are guaranteed the magic formula to creative, engaged, meaningful play. Not to mention adding loose parts to outdoor play, small world play and even using them in more structured learning.

Loose Parts Play

So what are ‘loose parts’? Loose parts are all about flexibility. They are items and materials that children can move, control and manipulate through play. They are adaptable and have high play value. They encourage creativity and choice.

Loose parts can be:

  • Containers: small buckets, boxes, pots, bags, jars, baskets, bowls, trays, bottles, cups, canisters, ice-cream tubs, etc.
  • From Nature: wood cookies, pinecones, sticks, stones, shells, seed pods, bark, gum nuts, leaves, flowers, pebbles, etc.
  • Purchased/Re-purposed: pipes, ropes, craft match sticks, pom poms, lids, fabric, tubing, buttons, gems, beads, marbles, Q-tips/cotton buds, scarves, pipe cleaners, straws, pattern shapes, paddle pop sticks, cotton reels, ribbon, yarn, etc.

Spielgaben has many beautiful, high quality versatile items that are perfect for loose parts play. I am not being paid at all to continue to share about Spielgaben, I was given the set to review and write a post. What you see from here on out is just because we truly love it!

Loose parts invite kids to use their imaginations to invent, tinker, build, play and discover. They are genderless and ageless. They can be collected inexpensively – with natural items, cheap craft materials and odds & ends. The power behind open-ended materials are that they allow children to express themselves through symbolic means.

We love Reverse Garbage (for those near Brisbane) for loose parts.

Task:

  • Consider the craft items, natural items and bits and pieces which you already have that are loose parts.
  • Could you find a more inviting display in transparent or natural containers, in an accessible place?
  • Could some be added to a new play space (i.e. outdoors? in your creative space? near your block area?)
  • Try to organise the loose parts to best facilitate future play.

I’d love for you to share a photo of your loose parts on display on Instagram with the hashtag #30daystyp and/or on my Facebook page. 

____________

Further Reading:

An Everyday Story: The Theory of Loose Parts

Learn with Play at Home: Using Loose Parts for Play

Let the Children Play have several posts involving loose parts!

30 Days to Transform Your Play series

Here is the rest of the 30 Days to Transform Your Play series!

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Filed Under: Transform Your Play

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Comments

  1. Rhonda Franz says

    August 21, 2018 at 12:14 am

    Love this! Loose parts are great for fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, sensory needs…and just plain fun: teachers/early childhood specialists use them evaluation and play-based intervention, and they can often keep young children quite focused.

  2. Patricia Stubbs says

    January 21, 2015 at 10:09 am

    Thank you for getting back to me. Im looking forward to more emails from you. Pat

  3. connie says

    August 28, 2014 at 12:27 pm

    would love to see some indoor loose parts ideas for 3-5 year olds

    • Racheous says

      August 31, 2014 at 9:16 pm

      Are you following me on Pinterest Connie? My Reggio Emilia Inspiration board has a fair amount of ideas (http://pinterest.com/racheous)

  4. Amy says

    April 30, 2014 at 10:15 am

    I love using loose parts in my son’s play Rachel, but I have a problem with how to store them. Do you have any suggestions or tips on how you store them so that they’re accessible when you next want them, but not taking over the house?

  5. Laura says

    April 27, 2014 at 11:54 pm

    Any tips on using loose parts with a baby in the house? I’d love to make them more accessible to my 2.5 year old, but my 7 month old is on the verge of being mobile and already puts everything within reach in her mouth. I suppose we could just keep doing things like beads and skewers when we’re doing playdough but not leave them out?

  6. Renee says

    April 26, 2014 at 7:13 am

    Loose parts are my favourite! So open-ended and so very easy to enjoy!

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