Why are loose parts important?

Infants, toddlers, and young children are naturally inquisitive. They learn through trial and error and by experimentation. Loose parts and other open-ended materials create opportunities for these young children to explore and investigate their properties freely.

The benefits are numerous and include social-emotional, perceptual-motor, and cognitive learning and development. Loose parts and their subsequent interactions offer children self-knowledge and play a role in a child's growing understanding of their own body and capabilities, fostering a sense of independence and self-sufficiency. Perceptual-motor learning includes the development of hand-eye coordination and other gross and fine motor skills. Cognitive learning and development are supported by the classification or growing ability to recognize differences and similarities among a variety of rich and unique materials.

Spark your child’s curiosity by letting them take the lead and explore with loose parts. Need some prompts to help take their play further? 

• Make observations – State things in a nonjudgmental way to spark conversation. This is also a great opportunity to introduce new words and cultivate a rich dialogue.
• Ask open-ended questions – Think of questions that can’t be answered with a simple yes or no. What do you think this is used for? Or, what do you notice about this object?
• Pose challenges – Give children the opportunity to problem solve by pointing out challenges and encouraging them to make connections with past knowledge. Try asking questions like: What do you think would happen if you built something with that? Or, what would happen if you lined them all up?