Loose Parts Library Tour

The term loose parts didn’t make sense to me when I first learned about it in college.  I didn’t understand the label at all.  When the items were listed off such as boxes, bowls, rocks, sticks, water, buckets, fabrics, I just thought these were the toys I played with as a child.  I was so confused as to why the materials I have so many fond memories of all of a sudden had this new label.​

I LOVE loose parts, but I can also understand the confusion around what they are, this unique term and connecting it to your current knowledge.

Loose parts or known as variables were termed in the paper The Theory of Loose Parts by Simon Nicholson.  He believed that children were being robbed of their creativity from static playgrounds, schools and museums. 

In simple terms loose parts/variables can be shapes & materials, water, cooking and fire, sound, animals, plants, words, concepts & ideas, electricity, magnetism, light….you get the picture. Nicholson states that all children love to engage and play with these items naturally.  Loose parts are anything that can be manipulated, transported and transformed. 

​You can read this paper which is in the Educator Library!

Once I got into the Loose Parts Play facebook group that is organized by Dr. Carla Gull and podcast host of Loose Parts Nature Play, it all started to make sense.  How the materials I was already providing were called Loose Parts.  

A spark to learn more about how loose parts could nurture children’s development was ignited and my journey of learning has been very eye-opening.  I am amazed as to how loose parts can support children to learn how to self-regulate and develop their sensory systems which aids in understanding behaviours. ​How loose parts play an integral role in all aspects of children’s development.  And personally how loose parts have helped me support my son who is autistic and have been so important in us learning how to support his regulation and for him to learn how to self-regulate.  We use loose parts as apart of his daily play for his sensory diet, which you can learn more about what that is and connections to loose parts in the online workshop, Supporting Sensory Needs.

This led to the beginning of my exciting journey to collecting….and over the past 4 years I can now say I have a library of loose parts.  If you are new to loose parts or need some inspiration for your collection make sure you download the FREE Loose Parts Guide!

Below is a tour of my loose parts library and unfortunately this isn’t all of my loose parts…

But what I hope you take away from this tour is the vast and endless materials that are loose parts.  I believe anything is a loose part.  So if you’re asking if the item is a loose part?...YES it is!  An open mind to the possibilities of what the item can be is what keeps it a loose part.

After you watch the video make sure to leave a comment below and share what items you have in your collection.  This will continue to support and inspire your fellow educators.

links mentioned in video

Loose Parts Guide
Educator Library
The Modern Educator Toolkit

OTHER BLOGS TO CHECK OUT!
Connecting Loose Parts to Play
Loose Parts Storage
Invitations to Play