Learning Through Play

Andria Englehardt

Have you ever watched children transform a pile of cardboard tubes, shells, and scarves into something completely unexpected? They could turn them into a rocket ship, a puppet theater, or even a city. Loose parts are everyday materials with no predetermined purpose. When placed in a child’s hand they become powerful tools for imagination and discovery. Loose parts support creativity, collaboration, and problem solving while giving educators authentic opportunities for observation and assessment (Cankaya, 2024).

What Are Loose Parts?

The idea of loose parts was introduced by Simon Nicholson in 1971. He proposed that the more variables and open ended materials children have, the more creative and inventive they become. Loose parts can be natural (pinecones ,stones,sticks), recycled (fabric, scraps, cardboard), or traditional classroom items (blocks, tubes, baskets). Their value lies in flexibility because the have no single “right” use. Children are free to invent, combine, and transform them in endless ways.

Why Loose Parts Matter for Learning

Loose parts create rich opportunities for:

• Creativity: Children explore divergent thinking while creating unique ideas and solutions.
• Problem-solving: Children test structures, adjust designs, and adapt materials when challenges arise.
• Collaboration: Large scale projects often invite teamwork, negotiations, and shared leadership.
• STEM exploration: Children are stacking, balancing, and arranging materials that introduce early engineering, measurement, and scientific inquiry.

Recent studies have affirmed these benefits. Holmes et al. (2021) found that loose parts play fosters problem solving and cooperation in group settings. McClure et al. (2023) highlighted how open ended materials promote creativity and resilience, preparing children for complex learning tasks.

Observation and Assessment in Loos Parts Play

For educators, loose parts play is not only joyful, it is a window into development. Observing how children negotiate roles, persist through challenges, or test hypotheses offers authentic evidence of social emotional and cognitive growth.

Strategies include:

• Taking anecdotal notes during play to capture decision making and problem solving
• Using photos to document the process as well as the product
• Linking observations to developmental goals

Wolf et al. (2024) validated the Playful Learning Across the Years (PLAY) tool. Their findings show that structured observation frameworks can successfully capture children’s engagement. They also capture social connections during loose parts play.

Practical Tips for Educators

• Start small: collect everyday materials like bottle caps, fabric scraps, or sticks
• Organize items in baskets or trays so children can combine and experiment freely.
• Rotate materials regularly to spark new interest.
• Offer indoor and outdoor opportunities for loos parts exploration.
• Involve families by inviting donations of safe, reusable items.

Conclusion

Loose parts are more than materials, they are catalysts for learning. They provide children with freedom to create, experiment, and collaborate in ways that foster imagination and critical thinking. For educators, they offer authentic opportunities to observe growth in problem-solving, communication, and persistence. In today’s educational climate, pressure to meet standards can overshadow child-centered practice. Therefore, loose parts play is more important than ever. It reminds us that meaningful learning is not always captured in worksheets or tests. Instead, it is found in the joyful exploration of a child stacking, building, and imagining. By embracing loose parts, we create classrooms where creativity thrives. Children’s voices are honored. Play is recognized as both the process and the evidence of learning. What loose parts could you introduce into your own classroom tomorrow, and what learning might you see unfold?

References:

Cankaya, O., Leach, J., & Akdemir, K. (2024). The journey of loose parts across educational landscapes and history: the role of materials, relationships, space, and time in children’s loose parts lay. American Journal of Play, 16(2-3), 210-245

Holmes, R., Pellegrini, A., & Schmidt, S. (2021). Loose parts play and its role in promoting problem-solving and collaboration. Journal of Playwork Practice.

McClure, E., Guernsey, L., & McCann, C. (2023). Play and creativity in early childhood classrooms. Early Childhood Research Quarterly.

Wolf, S., et al. (2024). Examining the validity of the PLAY observational tool to assess support for engaged learning in early childhood. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 69, 178–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.06.005.