The Early Years group were exploring wood chips along with various real kitchen utensils. The loose parts in this play were kitchen utensils and wood chips. Through observation of the play, I noticed that the children were using the wood chips to represent food and drink. The children offered me their creations: Pancakes with chocolateContinue reading “Loose Parts foster Diversity”
Category Archives: Outdoor Play
Loose parts play
What are loose parts?Loose parts are open ended materials that children are able to move around, change and manipulate. They include recycled materials, found objects and nature materials. Outdoors, there are many loose parts available such as rocks, leaves, acorns, pinecones, seeds and sticks. How will children use loose parts?Children can create, design and tellContinue reading “Loose parts play”
How children can communicate through weapon play
Children are often asked not to play ‘weapons’ however they continue to use items they find as a gun or a sword. I have found that allowing ‘weapon’ play to continue while observing closely leads to trust and communication between adults and children. Here is an example of how a group of children in ourContinue reading “How children can communicate through weapon play”
Essential Outdoor Gear for All Seasons
“There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.” ― Alfred Wainwright, A Coast to Coast Walk Good quality outdoor clothing is an important part of playing and learning outdoors. Children can focus on exploring with less concern about being cold or wet. The wide variety of options and prices of outdoor gear availableContinue reading “Essential Outdoor Gear for All Seasons”
Learning Discoveries 