Loose Parts!

Occasionally telling parents about play is a little bit like telling granny how to boil and egg, but here can be some interesting points around play you might already be aware of and some you might not. We all know play is essential for children it’s part of their DNA.

Here is some information about playing with loose parts – junk to you and me and the benefits (studied by academics) and a chance think about how you cannot get playing with a cardboard box wrong – it’s always right whatever you decide to do with it!

Studies undertaken in the 1970’s concluded that playing with loose parts/ scrap is important to children’s play because it encourages imagination and creativity in ways that traditional toys do not. Synthetic loose parts include but are not limited to; tyres, ropes, fabric, buckets, pallets, crates, baskets, plastic tubing, cardboard boxes, tarpaulins, flower pots, ice cube trays, kitchen items and utensils, spools and plastic bottles in fact anything you can think of that might be otherwise thrown away.

The studies also concluded that apart from firing up the imagination and creativity of children that they also observed the following outcomes:

• Loose parts can be used anyway children choose
• Loose parts can be adapted and manipulated in many ways
• They promote a wide variety of play behaviours, including social play, dramatic play, constructive play and symbolic play
• Loose parts develop more skill and competence than most modern plastic toys
• Loose parts help in promoting Mathematics and Science concepts and benefit problem-solving skills
• Children of all ages can play with the same materials and use them in different ways, appropriate for their age development
• Loose parts can be used in combination with other materials to support imagination
• Loose parts encourage open ended learning
• Children choose loose parts over fancy toys
• Children become calm and confident over time
• Loose parts are inclusive, children with disabilities can also participate

So, the next time you buy your child a toy and they play with the box in came in more than the gift you can now understand why. It’s certain to make Christmas cheaper this year!

Tracey Jobber

Senior Play Development Officer – SMBC Go Play Sandwell