Loose Parts Book 1

Ages 3+ / Grade PreK

Loose Parts are natural or synthetic found, bought, or upcycled materials—acorns, hardware, stones, aluminum foil, fabric scraps, for example—that children can move, manipulate, control, and change within their play. With more than 550 color photographs of many kinds of Loose Parts in real early childhood settings, classroom stories, and a dynamic overview, Loose Parts provides inspiration and information about the ways everyday materials can support open-ended learning, enhance play, and empower children. With Loose Parts, the possibilities are endless.

• EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE: Use Loose Parts to spark children’s creativity and innovation. Provides inspiration and information about the ways everyday materials can support open-ended learning, enhance play, and empower children.
• INSPIRE: Loose Parts help children inspire imagination and creativity on their own terms and in their own unique way. Loose parts create endless possibilities and invite creativity.
• CHILD CENTERED: Open-ended materials, environments, and experiences encourage problem solving and are child centered.
• LEARNING EXPERIENCES: Children involve themselves in concrete experiences using Loose Parts, which lead to explorations that occur naturally, as opposed to adult directed. However, adults do play important, intentional roles in preparing, guiding, and documenting open-ended learning experiences.
• MAKING CONNECTIONS: When children are encouraged to integrate play materials and areas in their own creative ways, they are experiencing open-ended learning.