Indoor Loose Parts - Open-Ended Creating

The wonderful world of indoor loose parts is definitely worth exploring! It opens up a whole new world of creativity with endless possibilities. Because there is no expectation for a specific product to be made, the process is directed by the creator who decides what to use, how to use it and when it is done. 

So what do you need to get started? Collect! Collect! And collect more! Anything that can be moved and is not permanently fixed is a loose part so that means so many things can be used. You have to be happy with what you are providing for your child to use so if you feel unsure of something, then think about the reasons you should or should not use it. For example, loose parts can be small such as buttons. You know your child best so if it’s not suitable because your child puts things into the mouth then make the decision to not use buttons. Save those for later on when your child is older. You can select loose parts that are colourful, natural, big, small and even unusual. There are also loose parts that are found in toy collections such as building blocks. Add items to work on such as boards, frames and mats. There are no definite lists of what you must have. See what you can find and start collecting! 

Storage may seem to be an issue when you start collecting but if you have containers of different sizes and shapes, you will work out a storage system that is suitable. Explore your options for collecting and storing and once you find what works for you, then you are on your way. You will be adding possibilities to stimulate and develop your child’s learning in ways that you won’t believe! Take time to observe what happens and get in there and do some loose parts creations yourself.

Creativity that is open-ended is so free and joyful, and that’s what loose parts play provides. No expectations, just open-ended possibilities guided by the creator’s thinking. This means that your child should learn that there is no fear of “failing” to do it right because there is no right way or wrong way. Confidence will increase and so will risk-taking as new ideas are tried and tested. Focus and perseverance increase as the creation is made. Loose parts provide opportunities for children to explore a wide range of materials and items. Children can create in many different ways. There is never only one way to use loose parts which means new thoughts and ideas can be used for new creations. Because loose parts are loose, they can be reused and moved to make new creations. They can also be added to play that has toys. This often stimulates and extends the play.

Here is a list of some of the indoor loose parts that we have used in our recent videos:

• Bottle tops

• Counters

• Feathers

• Sticks 

• Pegs 

• Stones 

• Leaves

• Wood

• Pom poms

• Cotton reels

• Cake boards

• Puzzle pieces

If you would like a full list of all the loose parts we love to work with, click the download button below.

We hope you have many opportunities to enjoy watching your child playing with loose parts. If you give it a go, you never know what you might discover about your own creativity! If you are looking for inspiration, here are the links to videos of loose parts being used indoors. Click the image to play the video in Youtube.