Loose Parts is similar to a Reggio based learning approach and is not only a collection of useful materials, but the setting up of provocations or setting the stage for the classroom to be a third teacher. The environment and loose parts help teach as they draw the children in who will want to know what is going on. The children are presented with some loose parts, a story or staging, and work to construct solutions to the presented problem. They engage in higher level thinking, creativity, and the discovery of multiple possible solutions. The actual materials or loose parts may be reconfigured for use in new provocations, sorted, save, and reorganized for other problem solving activities. It is STEAM learning! ( )

Use loose parts to spark children's creativity and innovation
Loose parts are natural or synthetic found, bought, or upcycled materials that children can move, manipulate, control, and change within their play. Alluring and captivating, they capture children's curiosity, give free reign to their imagination, and motivate learning.
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Use loose parts to spark children's creativity and innovation. Loose parts are natural or synthetic, found, bought, or upcycled materials that children can move, manipulate, control, and change within their play. Alluring and captivating, they capture children's curiosity, give free reign to their imagination, and motivate learning. The hundreds of inspiring photographs showcase an array of loose parts in real early childhood settings. And the overviews of concepts children can learn when using loose parts provide the foundation for incorporating loose parts into your teaching to enhance play and empower children. The possibilities are truly endless.

Plenty of pictures to inspire ideas about how to create a loose-parts environment. Although I had to question the safety of some of the materials they used with their kids such as metal pipes, CDs, and glass stones. I guess you just need to know who your kids are and apportion the types of available materials appropriately. ( )