LOOSE PARTS
(text from the book “Loose Parts: Inspiring Play in Young Children” by Lisa Daly and Miriam Beloglovsky)
(photos from our Tiny Tykes program playing with loose parts in the classroom)
In early childhood education (ECE) setings, LOOSE PARTS mean alluring, beautiful found objects and materials that children can move, manipulate, control, and change while they play (Oxfordshire Play Association, accessed 2014). Children can carry, combine, redesign, line up, take apart, and put loose parts back together in almost endless ways. The materials come with no specific set of directiosn, and they can be used alone or combined with oher materials (Hewes 2006). Children can turn them into whatever they desire: a stone can become a character in a story; an acorn can become an ingredient in an imaginary oup. These objects invite conversations and interactions, and they encourage collaboration and cooperation. Put another way, loose parts promote social competence because they support creativity and innovation. All of these are highly valued skills in adult life today.
When children interact with loose parts, they enter a world of “what if” that promotes the type of thinking that leads to problem solving and theoretical reasoning. Loose parts enhance children’s ability to think imaginatively and see solutions, and they bring a sense of adventure and excitement to children’s play.
The Value of Loose Parts
Children prefer loose parts. Anyone who has watched children play with toys or playground equipment knows that they quickly tire of things with a sole purpose. Once they’ve mastered the key function of an object – pushing the button to make a figure pop up or climbing a ladder, for example – they are ready to move on. The intrigue and the challenge are gone. In other words, children make their play choices based on how much variability those materials offer. A stick is a richer choice than a slide because it become a fishing pole, a spoon for stirring a conction, a magic wand, or a balance beam for snails. Loose parts offer almost numberless variables, promtping children to create their own stories.
Loose Parts are captivating, open-ended and are mobile. They:
- Promote active learning
- Deepen critical thinking
- Promote divergent and creative thinking
- Support developmental domains (physical, social-emotional, cognitive)
- Are developmentally inclusive
- Promote a wide range of play (functional play, constructive play, dramatic and symbolic play)
- Are sustainable and economically feasible
- Support the curriculum (math, physical science, dramatic and symbolic play, language and literacy, art sensory exploration, movement and music)
