Nursery Equipment: Loose Parts - Feeling empowered

Loose parts are materials that can be played with in an open-ended way. They include man-made and natural resources and can be large or small scale, such as stones, sticks, cones, shells, logs, planks, crates, tyres, cable drum, pipes, ropes, tubes and more. Often these materials can be found, recycled or bought and, to maximise the play opportunities, practitioners should offer a wide range of resources that are changed and added to regularly. These resources promote imagination, creative thinking, physical dexterity and collaborative play. They also enable children to shape their play without adult direction.

BENEFITS

Juliet Robertson, education consultant specialising in outdoor learning and play, says that loose parts play is becoming more popular in nursery settings because of the open-ended possibilities attached to it. ‘Using loose parts adds depth and richness to play. Children need to be able to use real resources in their play, not just toys. Many education approaches such as the Steiner Waldorf system or Montessori classes advocate the need for real experiences in order to acquire life skills. Playing with a variety of loose parts assists with these approaches.’