What are “loose parts”?

This is educator jargon referring to any object used for play that is not specifically a toy. Toys tell children how to play; loose parts are open-ended and can be serve any purpose in the child’s imagination.

The Playground at REP

Our outdoor space is 2 acres of field and forest set aside for natural play. We provide many interesting objects (called “loose parts”), but few toys.

Here are some of the elements in our space:

* a pile of sand * a digging area (shovels and trowels) * swings * climbing ropes * ladders * climbing structures * a seesaw * slack lines * pulleys and buckets * water * canvas tarps * piles of sticks * scrap lumber * rocks * pots, pans and kitchen utensils (“mud kitchen”)* buckets * tires * baskets * stumps * tree cookies * balance beams * saws * garden tools
* chalk * paint * water *

Our indoor space is a 20-foot yurt. It too, is full of wonderful objects, including:

* scarves and shawls * hats * skulls and bones * feathers * watercolor paint and paper * games * puzzles * building blocks * books * puppets * wooden animals *