Green Your Everyday
Kids & Parenting

Get started with loose parts play

By Margaret Geary

All kids know that anything can be a toy. Where adults see a rock, a child sees items to sell at their store at the park. When parents see a plastic bottle; children see a vessel for potions! If you give a child an opportunity to be creative and imaginative, they will take it and surprise you with what their brain can think of. Children are always looking for ways to be creative and any item such as toilet paper rolls, popsicle sticks, plastic containers, or natural materials such as sticks, leaves, or rocks can be put to good use. 

Using these types of materials is called loose parts play. Loose parts play provides open-ended objects that allow children of all ages to explore different materials and construct different scenarios, structures, and more. By allowing kids to explore with loose parts, they are able to learn about everything from structures to sharing. By engaging in loose parts play, children are able to develop higher level thinking, increasing focus and engagement, increases physical activity, enhances cognitive skills, boosts natural curiosity, develops higher levels of critical thinking and problem solving, and more! 

There are also no set rules to loose parts play which allows children to expand their imagination without needing prompts. Not all play needs to be structured, and sometimes, children enjoy being in charge of their play too. And the best part is a lot of loose parts are free!

Here are some ideas to get the creative juices flowing:

Loose parts materials: sticks, rocks, flowers, grass, leaves, acorns, pinecones, feathers, dried beans, buttons, wood chips, seeds, shells, yarn, string, sand, popsicle sticks, paper rolls.  

You can present the items in containers, give prompts, or just allow kids to explore the materials on their own. This is great for sensory play, dramatic play, gross motor, fine motor, art, and science. The possibilities are endless.

Some of our favourite ideas are: painting rocks, creating rock structures like inukshuks, making self portraits, exploring home décor, and weaving with sticks.

Loose parts are easily attainable in nature, for free, reusable, and can inspire anyone from ages 0-100.  Finding the loose parts can be an adventure. Explore your local park and go for a walk to find items in nature. Maybe even add in a bit of garbage collecting to make the areas you search in even greener and safer. If you’re at home, you can sort through your recyclables to see if items such as plastic containers, glass jars, pizza boxes, packing peanuts, Styrofoam, plastic utensils, old kitchen tools, dried pasta, old bath toys, clothes that no longer fit or are ripped up, old birthday candles, towels, or old sheets can be reused. 

Finding, making, and purchasing loose parts are a great learning opportunity to teach children about the environment, the 3 R’s, needs versus wants, and so many other life skills. This helps children become involved in their play and learning and gets them critically thinking about materials, the environment, and may help around the house in reducing waste. 

Sometimes keeping it simple is the best way to play.

Please note: if you are using materials from nature, please take them responsibly and sustainably. This is a great learning opportunity to teach children respect for their environment and to only take what they need and who else may be using the materials gathered.