Loose parts play, is actually offering loose (natural) materials to your child, with which your child is challenged to explore and use his creativity. In Dutch we are talking about playing with separate parts and the term open-ended game. In this article we explain which materials are suitable for loose parts play.
Materials for loose parts play
When offering material for playing with loose parts, you can think of materials from nature, but also of heuristic or wooden play materials. And extra useful is to also add sorting bins to offer the items in.
Natural materials
These may include:
- Sticks
- Stones
- autumn leaves
- moss
- flowers
- Pearls
- wooden numerals
- Shells
- sand
- rice, macaroni
- screw
- feathers
Wooden materials
Of course, there are more and more beautiful game sets that spark the imagination of your child. Well-known brands that we offer include TickiT and Lubulona.
Heuristic basic playset (TickiT)
The heuristic basic playset is a set of loose parts play material and challenges children in their development, they learn to discover & think creatively. The word Heuristics is derived from the Greek word “eurisko” and describes an intuitive way to respond to challenges and solve problems. With our range of heuristic toys, small children’s curiosity about the objects that make up the world around them can be aroused and it offers valuable opportunities to expand children’s learning experience. The open nature and the loose parts play materials motivate children to discover and explore in their own way, while they contribute their own creative ideas and build on their experiences.
Wooden game material set (TickiT)
The wooden game material set is a basic set of beautiful smooth shapes inspired by nature and discovery. These beautiful attributes in different colors stimulate the imagination in children. But also the creative ability and the fine motor skills. With these game attributes, children can explore sensory play. These game materials can be part of playing with loose parts (open end game), a sensory bin. For example, combine with a container with colored rice or play sand. In addition, these wooden attributes can also be used as educational material to learn to sort, learn colors and promote counting.
Wood egg shells
A nice set are the colored egg shells from TickiT, but you will also find blank wooden egg shells from Tickit. These are very nice to use in sensory play, with the colored caps you can choose to sort by color, with nice motor skills materials you can also stimulate fine motor skills by scooping. Or have your child use the eggshells in an Easter-themed sensory bin.
Sensory blocks square
Stimulate inquiry-based learning in young children with these sensory color and mirror blocks from Tickit! This set of square blocks consists of 7 beautiful wooden square blocks with a special inlay. The inlay of the blocks is a magnifying glass or a mirror (flat mirror and a concave / convex mirror) or a color inlay. These colorful and mirror blocks invite young children to inquisitive learning with color and mirrors.
Various separate attributes
Colored rice for sensory play
Use materials as a base, think of rice, macaroni, split peas and the like. A must is our colored sensory rice. The rice grains are great for sensory bins and themed tables. The colorful rice is a nice base to encourage discovery play in young children. Playing with rice grains, as a sensory game, stimulates the different senses. An ideal way to help calm or stimulate stimulus-sensitive children or children with disabilities.
Felt pompom balls
The colorful felt pompom balls can be used for interlocking game purposes. How about using in combination with a sensory bin or in combination with our wooden sorting bin and number stones, to put the numbers in balls. And if you want to challenge motor skills, add large tweezers or wooden pliers ! The felt balls are also great for creative material to use, so you can thread or glue them.
Handy Scoopers (scoop scissors)
What a great discovery these scoops that work like scissors. They are fun materials to playfully strengthen the muscles your child needs to learn to cut! The handy scoopers are equipped with translucent scoops and easy to handle with the scissor handles. With this set you practice developing fine motor skills. The holes in the shovels provide fun when catching and releasing during, for example, a water game or playing with water beads.
Counting and sorting materials
The various counting and sorting sets are a must to use with loose parts play. There is a set of vehicles, farm animals, dinosaurs, aquatic animals or fruit. The sets usually consist of 6 different figures in 6 colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple). Sorting and classifying are the building blocks for logic and reasoning. Use this fun development material with preschoolers and also useful to order are the sorting trays and, for example, tweezers to practice fine motor skills.
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