Lisa Daly - Loose Parts: Inspiring Play in Young Children

Published by Redleaf Press

10 Yorkton Court

St. Paul, MN 55117

www.redleafpress.org

2015 by Lisa Daly and Miriam Beloglovsky

All rights reserved. Unless otherwise noted on a specific page, no portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or capturing on any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a critical article or review to be printed in a magazine or newspaper, or electronically transmitted on radio, television, or the Internet.

First edition 2015

Cover design by Jim Handrigan

Cover and interior photographs by Jenna Daly

Interior design by Erin Kirk New

Typeset in Berkeley Oldstyle and Trade Gothic

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Daly, Lisa.

Loose parts : inspiring play in young children / Lisa Daly and Miriam Beloglovsky ; with photography by Jenna Daly.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-1-60554-275-1 (ebook)

1. Play. 2. Early childhood education--Activity programs. 3. Creative activities and seat work. I. Beloglovsky, Miriam. II. Title.

LB1139.35.P55D35 2015

371.21dc23

2014017198

To all who value play

To all who tinkered as children

To all who cherish creativity

To all who advocate for preserving childhood

Contents

We want to extend our deepest appreciation to all of our college students, family members, and friends who share our excitement for loose parts and who continually contribute new ideas and wonderful loose part treasures, many of which are seen in this book. Thank you to Bev Bos and Michael Leeman for their mentoring, friendship, and invaluable inspiration, wisdom, and insight, which sustain our love and passion for providing rich environments for children. This book was enriched by the graphic design expertise of Alexis Baran; the photography, time, and energy of Jenna Daly; the patience, unselfish support, technical skills, and assistance of Dan Daly; and the editing talent of Kyra Ostendorf to make sure the manuscript was just right. And finally, we are grateful to the educators at Folsom Lake College and Solano Community College Childrens Program who graciously allowed us to photograph loose parts in their inspirational learning environments.

When children interact with loose parts, they enter a world of what if that promotes the type of thinking that leads to problem solving and theoretical reasoning. Loose parts enhance childrens ability to think imaginatively and see solutions, and they bring a sense of adventure and excitement to childrens play.

We hope that Loose Parts will awaken your creativity and enhance your ability to develop exciting play opportunities for children. Why so many photographs? Theyre meant to stimulate your imagination and increase your joy in finding loose parts for use in play-based learning.

The before and after photos throughout the book demonstrate loose parts in use throughout early childhood education settings (for example, dramatic play, block/construction, art, language and literacy, math, science, outdoors, sensory, music, and movement). Besides providing challenges, pleasures, and learning opportunities for children, loose parts can also awaken your own creativity. Youll be delighted by finding the perfect loose parts to introduce to children.

As educators, weve certainly taken enormous pleasure in unearthing loose parts for our programs. Over the years, weve stumbled upon an almost limitless variety of treasures. In the aisles of a hardware store, weve found perforated pipes and vinyl gutters perfect for enhancing outdoor play. At a garage sale, we came across a box of old wooden spools that later found a place in our art and block areas. One of our favorite unexpected finds was the set of cow bones we found along a back road. Back at the center, we buried them in the sand of the play yard, where children screamed with excitement while they discovered what they called dinosaur bones.

Whats the source of the joy we experience as we search for these items, think about incorporating our finds into childrens play areas, and imagine what the children will do with them? Perhaps were taken back to our own childhood. Were certain of this: our excitement is contagious, and its transmitted to the children. Provisioning your setting with loose parts, even though they are humble, can be momentous.

Safety Notes

PVC PIPE

PVC pipe is a useful, inexpensive material to add to your inventory of loose parts. Make sure that the children in your care do not inhale the dust produced by cutting the pipe or lick/mouth the pipe itself.

CHOKING HAZARDS FOR SMALL CHILDREN

Children under the age of three years are likely to explore your collection of loose parts by putting them in their mouths. Please supervise young children closely to prevent choking.

We have often marveled at the long hours children can spend playing with simple materials like boxes, rocks, shells, sand, or water. Our observations have led us to question the conventional wisdom of providing children with sophisticated toys. As youve probably noted yourself, children are often more interested in the packaging than in the toys themselves.