Staff Tool 9 Resourcing play – loose parts

Resources can be found or provided to facilitate and encourage play. Resources such as sand, water, shells, fabric, buckets, boxes, rope, tyres, bottles, wood and scrap materials of all kinds have come to be known as ‘loose parts’. This refers to anything that can be moved around, carried, rolled, lifted, manipulated or combined to create interesting structures and experiences.

Loose parts for play may take on a different value in situations of crisis as they may be useful household or building items. Securely storing these types of materials may be problematic. Children and their families may have few personal possessions, so toys and other materials may be argued over with negative consequences.

However, loose parts provide enormous value for play and efforts should be made to provide them in some way. Staff may need to be resourceful and creative – obtaining nondescript materials that can be used flexibly may work best.

Loose parts give children resources to help them create optimum environments for their play. Because loose parts are not prescriptive they offer many possibilities. Children are often very drawn to making dens and shelters – this is achievable with sticks, fabric and blankets. Scrap cardboard can be used to make signs, shields, costumes and masks. Sticks become fishing rods, spoons in a kitchen or a magic wand.

Loose parts can be natural or synthetic and include:

•wood • containers • shapes • toys • stones • stumps • sand • gravel

•fabric • twigs • logs • stones • flowers • rope • balls • shells and seedpods.

Playing in a space rich with loose parts supports a wide range of development including flexibility, creativity, imagination, resourcefulness, problem solving, self-esteem and spatial awareness.