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What are loose parts?
Loose parts are open-ended materials that children can manipulate, combine, and use creatively. Loris Malaguzzi, the founder of the Reggio Emilia Approach stated “The wider the range of possibilities we offer children, the more intense will be their motivations and the richer their experiences,” (Malaguzzi, 1993). This is useful to consider in the context of the use of loose parts as unlike traditional resources/toys with fixed purposes, loose parts—such as bottle caps, fabric scraps, and cardboard boxes—encourage imaginative play. These materials can be collected through recycling and sending a checklist home with students to gameify the experience, making them an accessible and sustainable resource for hands-on learning.
Loose parts supporting construction and creativity
A recent activity in our K3 classroom (children aged 3 years) demonstrated the power of loose parts in play. Children transformed cardboard boxes into boats, used fabric to represent water, and incorporated plastic sea animals to create an immersive oceanic adventure. This collaborative experience encouraged creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork.
Another activity recently conducted was through splitting students into groups and asking them to create a space rover with objects found from their home – this led students to confer about who should bring what and go home to find different materials with their parents which strengthened the sense of community and understanding between the class and the parents. Students then brought their loose parts and findings to school and created awesome space rovers with features which mattered to them, such as a TV dish made from old cups which they stated was to “watch TV whilst living so far away” and some cookies made from old plates and buttons as they stated “space doesn’t have any food so we need to pack our own”.
Benefits of reusing and constructing with recycled materials
- Fosters creativity and imagination – Children can bring their ideas to life using flexible, open-ended materials – they are not limited by single use materials or one-use materials and can freely manipulate materials. And once the materials are used children can take them off their creations and reuse them for something else.
- Encourages problem-solving and critical thinking – Making decisions about how to use materials challenges children to think critically – for example, some students didn’t have enough cardboard for wheels and instead used bottles and plastic poles to create wheels.
- Supports collaboration and social skills – Working together on projects enhances teamwork, negotiation, and communication – recently me and my students worked together to create a rocket for a space theme – the students stacked and attached boxes using ‘Makedo’ screws and screwdrivers, whilst I painted it like a Chinese rocket they recognized and they added some glow-in-the-dark stickers for the inside.
- Promotes environmental awareness – Repurposing materials instills a sense of sustainability and responsibility – students grasp an understanding of why it is detrimental for the planet to keep buying and using new materials when we want to make things and they also have a sense of pride when they are able to turn something old into something new.
- Develops fine and gross motor skills – Activities like cutting, stacking, and balancing help refine motor coordination – in order to cut, students are applying pressure and developing strength and power which is useful when it comes to self-care, such as dressing, as well as academic tasks such as writing and holding a pencil with the correct grip.
Loose parts, brain activity and joy - concluding thoughts
The use of loose parts and recycled materials, both in classrooms and at home, provide meaningful learning experiences for young students. Loose parts and open-ended materials nurture creativity, problem-solving, and social development while fostering environmental awareness. A recent recycling-truck building activity in my classroom showcased how repurposing materials like boxes and plastic can lead to rich, immersive learning beyond the classroom.
As the Play Matters document states – “Loose parts play is crucial for providing joy. The exploration of stimulating resources engages children’s imagination as they investigate possibilities, spontaneously creating something from disparate objects. This involves extremely advanced problem solving and significant brain activity. The act of spontaneously creating something new also increases dopamine production, meaning that there is a significant impact on wellbeing,” (Early Years Reviews, 2025, pg. 16).
Key takeaways
- Loose parts provide open-ended learning opportunities.
- Construction activities with recycled materials enhance creativity and problem-solving.
- Collaborative play with repurposed items supports teamwork and social skills.
- Teaching children to reuse and recycle old materials around them promotes environmental awareness from an early age.
- Using varied materials strengthens both fine and gross motor skills.
- The variety of loose parts provides students with access to many possibilities to build the things in their imagination.
Critical considerations
- Ensure materials used in construction are safe and free from sharp edges or harmful substances – whilst also allowing some acceptable risk to students such as scissors or child-friendly cutting materials.
- Encourage children to take ownership of the creative process rather than directing outcomes – do not give students a template of something you wish for them to create but instead give them a broad topic or theme to build from and ask them simple open-ended questions, such as “I wonder what astronauts eat in space”. Giving them the opportunity to wonder and explore, as well as research together with peers and adults.
- Balance structured activities with free play to maximise engagement. For example, an educator may split students into groups to create something topic related but then afterwards also provide them with access to these materials to create something of their choice and in their own time.
- Educators and parents should model sustainable habits by collecting and repurposing materials responsibly. Educators can have “Loose parts recycling bins” in the classroom where they place old paper or loose parts which can be removed and reused, with students observing this. This modelling allows students to gain a deeper understanding of how these materials can be reused and also shows positive modelling.
Explainer
- Loose parts – Open-ended materials that can be moved, combined, and used in various ways, encouraging creativity and exploration.
- Open-ended materials – Items that do not have a fixed purpose, allowing children to use them in multiple imaginative ways and manipulate them.
- Sustained shared thinking – A collaborative process where an adult and child (or peers) engage in extended discussions to explore ideas and solve problems together such as using clipboards and paper to first draw a plan of our future loose parts creations.
- Environmental awareness – Teaching children about sustainability, recycling, and reusing resources appropriately.
- Fine motor skills – Small muscle movements (e.g., cutting, grasping, putting string through holes) that support hand-eye co-ordination.
- Gross motor skills – Larger muscle movements (e.g., lifting and stacking boxes) that develop strength, coordination and foot-eye co-ordination.
- Active learning – Being engaged and motivated to keep trying and taking part in learning and experiences.
- Critical thinking – Developing ideas and making connections about different concepts, topics and creating plans.
- Inquiry-based learning – A teaching approach where children explore topics through questioning, experimenting, and exploring their surroundings through hands-on activities.
- Heuristic play – A type of play where young children explore everyday objects (often recycled materials) to discover how they work and can be manipulated.
References
Early Years Reviews, 2025. Play Matters: Why play matters in early childhood. Available at: https://www.early-years-reviews.com/play-matters
Malaguzzi, L. (1993). For an education based on relationships. Young Children, 49(1), 9–12. https://www.reggioalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/education-based-on-relationships.pdf
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