Open ended materials that ignite creativity and enrich play experiences in a very sustainable way.
Loose parts are bits and bobs of everyday materials that can be repurposed or reused as open ended resources. As such they do not come with any specific set of instructions and can be moved, carried, combined, redesigned, lined up, taken apart and put back together in an infinitude of ways, providing great manipulative and creative freedom for children.
The open ended quality of loose parts gives children more control over their creations, as they can decide what to create and how to make their ideas work, independently.
The autonomy and creative freedom present in loose parts play experiences, actively encourages problem solving, trial and error, risk taking, cooperation, experimentation and imagination. With loose parts the play is led by children rather than adult directed.
Our role as educators, when deciding to incorporate loose parts in our settings, is to intentionally curate, prepare, guide, scaffold and document the fantastic learning experiences triggered by these amazing materials.
Plentiful, cheap, interesting and environmentally friendly, loose parts are a great way to repurpose materials that otherwise would end up in the landfill. What makes them also a very sustainable option to create stimulating and engaging play provisions without spending any money.
With loose parts we can produce treasure out of our trash.
“The wider the range of possibilities we offer children, the more intense will be their motivations and the richer their experiences.”
Loris Malaguzzi, Founder of the Reggio Emilia Approach
Important:
Always do risk assessment on each resource prior to make them available for children to play