At Evergreen, using loose parts is an approach to play and learning that emphasizes the use of open-ended materials and objects that can be manipulated, moved, and combined in various ways by students. Loose parts are intended to encourage creativity, imagination, problem-solving, and collaboration among students.
Key principles of the loose parts at Evergreen:
- Open-Ended Materials: Loose parts are materials that can be used in multiple ways and have no fixed outcome. Examples include sticks, stones, fabric scraps, cardboard tubes, and natural materials like shells or pinecones.
- Freedom and Creativity: Children are encouraged to explore and experiment with loose parts in their own ways, without prescribed rules or instructions. This fosters creativity and allows children to develop their own ideas and solutions.
- Imagination and Innovation: Loose parts stimulate imagination as children can transform them into anything they imagine, from building structures to creating imaginary worlds or storytelling props.
- Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking: Manipulating loose parts involves decision-making, problem-solving, and planning, as children figure out how to use the materials effectively to achieve their goals.
- Social Interaction and Collaboration: When children engage with loose parts, they often collaborate, negotiate roles, share ideas, and communicate with peers, promoting social skills and teamwork.
- Sensory and Motor Development: Handling and manipulating loose parts involves sensory experiences such as touch, sight, and sometimes sound or smell, supporting sensory development. It also enhances fine motor skills as children manipulate and assemble the parts.
- Environmental Awareness: Using natural and recycled materials as loose parts encourages children to appreciate the environment, learn about sustainability, and develop a connection with nature.
In grade 2 students have been using loose parts to demonstrate their undersatnding of the different communities they have been studying as part of the Social Studies curriculum.
In Kindergarten, students have been using loose parts to retell stories that their teachers have been reading to them. They share their understanding of the beginning, middle and end story structure through use of parts and verbally sharing their understanding of story elements such as setting, character and what happened.
Sincerely,
Angela McPhee
Principal