loose parts play Early education settings provide a range of learning environments for young children. Using loose parts has become an established method to encourage children’s learning through their play. The theory of loose parts was proposed 50 years ago by architect Simon Nicholson. It suggests that offering children a variety of open-ended materials for their play significantly influences how they play and what they are able to create, design and discover. The unique features of loose parts are that they are able to be moved around, rearranged, put together, pulled apart and redesigned, and this has an irresistible appeal for children.
Planners, designers and inventors Using diverse materials, big and small that can be used in many different ways allows children to bring their own ideas and imagination to their play. Loose parts don’t come with a set of instructions for use. They can be used on their own or combined with other materials. Children develop complex thinking skills as they work together to plan their play and make decisions about how they will use the loose parts. They begin to invent games and play worlds around the materials.
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Natural, recycled and repurposed objects Almost anything can be used in loose parts play and opportunities are everywhere. Nature offers a rich bounty of open-ended objects: seed pods, pine cones, leaves, gumnuts, pebbles, rocks, sticks, feathers, flowers, etc. Ordinary items such as boxes, bottle lids and cardboard rolls all provide scope for children’s creativity where they can be used for stacking, balancing, making patterns, or together with other objects for construction. Craft materials including pipe cleaners, patty pans, ribbon and string have multiple uses. Children enjoy experimenting with how to put things together and the challenge of using different items to connect and fasten promotes their reasoning and problem solving skills. Small mats, trays and shallow containers are useful for children to sort and position items and they provide a ready-made frame for their arrangements. Add in children’s preferred toys such as blocks, or people and animal figures and their play ideas will flourish.
