What is Loose Parts Play?<\/h3>\n![\"twigs](\"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Garage-for-Toy-Car-1100x640.jpg\")
Loose parts garage for toy car<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nLoose parts play is as easy and affordable as it sounds. All you need to get started is a collection of assorted odds and ends. What kinds of items does that include? Well, that\u2019s really up to you!<\/p>\n
Get kids involved in collecting their own assortment of natural loose parts by involving them in an outdoor scavenger hunt around your yard or nearby greenspace. Even in winter there can be plenty to discover and collect, including:<\/p>\n
\n- Snow<\/li>\n
- Icicles<\/li>\n
- Rocks and pebbles<\/li>\n
- Pinecones<\/li>\n
- Leaves<\/li>\n
- Berries<\/li>\n
- Twigs<\/li>\n
- Moss<\/li>\n
- Feathers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
You can also supplement your collection with household items, such as boxes, baskets, bowls and spoons.<\/p>\n
Sparking Curiosity, Creativity and Exploration<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/North-Arrow-1100x640.jpg\")
Once you and your kids have collected your unique assortment of loose parts, it\u2019s time to play! Give them some uninterrupted time to examine their items and indulge in unstructured play \u2013 that means giving them the freedom to explore, create and discover without any expectations. Try to avoid the temptation to interrupt them with suggestions or corrections unless there is danger of them getting hurt.<\/p>\n
To help kids get started, and to encourage conversation along the way, feel free to ask them some simple open-ended questions, such as:<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n\nWhat<\/strong><\/p>\n\u2022 What are you making\/doing?
\n\u2022 What do you think?
\n\u2022 What do you need?
\n\u2022 What comes next?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nHow<\/strong><\/p>\n\u2022 How did you do that?
\n\u2022 How does it work?
\n\u2022 How do you know\u2026?
\n\u2022 How are these the same\/different?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nOther<\/strong><\/p>\n\u2022 Show me how you\u2026
\n\u2022 I wonder what\/why…
\n\u2022 Tell me about\u2026
\n\u2022 Is there another way to\u2026?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\nAsking these types of open-ended questions (rather than closed-ended or leading questions) helps kids think about their approaches and ideas, develop their language skills, and give meaning to their actions and experiences.<\/p>\n
A Quick Note About Safety<\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Shelves-made-from-bark-996x640.jpg\")
Loose parts come in all shapes and sizes, and that\u2019s what makes them so great! However, it\u2019s important to always keep your child\u2019s safety in mind. Small objects can be a choking hazard for young children and sharp objects are better suited for older children or may require some adult supervision. If in doubt, keep it out of your child\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n
What Are the Benefits?<\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Snow-castle-1100x1100.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Snow-castle-2-1100x1100.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div>\nBecause loose parts play is open-ended, it fosters the development of lots of different skills, including:<\/p>\n
\n- Creativity<\/li>\n
- Communications<\/li>\n
- Cooperation<\/li>\n
- Critical thinking<\/li>\n
- Exploration<\/li>\n
- Independence<\/li>\n
- Self-confidence<\/li>\n
- Physical activity<\/li>\n
- Emotional well-being<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Ready to Get Started?<\/h3>\n
Check out some wonderful examples of loose parts creations below and share your own creations with us on social media using @CWF_FCF<\/a> #WILDFamilyCWF<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Family Day is coming up and there\u2019s no better time to get outside and play! As part of our series of at-home WILD Family Nature Club activities, we invite you…<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":10702,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[631,642],"tags":[6123,219,9148,666],"class_list":["post-10674","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-connect-with-nature","category-education","tag-family-day","tag-get-outside","tag-outdoor-play","tag-wild-family-nature-club"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10674","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10674"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10674\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10711,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10674\/revisions\/10711"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10702"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10674"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Loose parts play is as easy and affordable as it sounds. All you need to get started is a collection of assorted odds and ends. What kinds of items does that include? Well, that\u2019s really up to you!<\/p>\n
Get kids involved in collecting their own assortment of natural loose parts by involving them in an outdoor scavenger hunt around your yard or nearby greenspace. Even in winter there can be plenty to discover and collect, including:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Snow<\/li>\n
- Icicles<\/li>\n
- Rocks and pebbles<\/li>\n
- Pinecones<\/li>\n
- Leaves<\/li>\n
- Berries<\/li>\n
- Twigs<\/li>\n
- Moss<\/li>\n
- Feathers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
You can also supplement your collection with household items, such as boxes, baskets, bowls and spoons.<\/p>\n
Sparking Curiosity, Creativity and Exploration<\/h3>\n
Once you and your kids have collected your unique assortment of loose parts, it\u2019s time to play! Give them some uninterrupted time to examine their items and indulge in unstructured play \u2013 that means giving them the freedom to explore, create and discover without any expectations. Try to avoid the temptation to interrupt them with suggestions or corrections unless there is danger of them getting hurt.<\/p>\nTo help kids get started, and to encourage conversation along the way, feel free to ask them some simple open-ended questions, such as:<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n\nWhat<\/strong><\/p>\n
\u2022 What are you making\/doing?
\n\u2022 What do you think?
\n\u2022 What do you need?
\n\u2022 What comes next?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nHow<\/strong><\/p>\n
\u2022 How did you do that?
\n\u2022 How does it work?
\n\u2022 How do you know\u2026?
\n\u2022 How are these the same\/different?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nOther<\/strong><\/p>\n
\u2022 Show me how you\u2026
\n\u2022 I wonder what\/why…
\n\u2022 Tell me about\u2026
\n\u2022 Is there another way to\u2026?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nAsking these types of open-ended questions (rather than closed-ended or leading questions) helps kids think about their approaches and ideas, develop their language skills, and give meaning to their actions and experiences.<\/p>\n
A Quick Note About Safety<\/h4>\n
Loose parts come in all shapes and sizes, and that\u2019s what makes them so great! However, it\u2019s important to always keep your child\u2019s safety in mind. Small objects can be a choking hazard for young children and sharp objects are better suited for older children or may require some adult supervision. If in doubt, keep it out of your child\u2019s hands.<\/p>\nWhat Are the Benefits?<\/h3>\n
<\/figure><\/div><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div>\nBecause loose parts play is open-ended, it fosters the development of lots of different skills, including:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Creativity<\/li>\n
- Communications<\/li>\n
- Cooperation<\/li>\n
- Critical thinking<\/li>\n
- Exploration<\/li>\n
- Independence<\/li>\n
- Self-confidence<\/li>\n
- Physical activity<\/li>\n
- Emotional well-being<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Ready to Get Started?<\/h3>\n
Check out some wonderful examples of loose parts creations below and share your own creations with us on social media using @CWF_FCF<\/a> #WILDFamilyCWF<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Family Day is coming up and there\u2019s no better time to get outside and play! As part of our series of at-home WILD Family Nature Club activities, we invite you…<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":10702,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[631,642],"tags":[6123,219,9148,666],"class_list":["post-10674","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-connect-with-nature","category-education","tag-family-day","tag-get-outside","tag-outdoor-play","tag-wild-family-nature-club"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10674","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10674"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10674\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10711,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10674\/revisions\/10711"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10702"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10674"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}