Loose Parts Play
Loose parts play is a term I only came across recently but
is something I am a big believer in. Put simply it is where children are given
a selection of things to play with that don’t have a specific play function e.g.
Not a wind-up car or a Barbie Doll, but items that can engage each child in
their own unique way. The loose parts don’t have to be ‘toys’ as such but can
easily become them. |
| Cupboards a little bare at the moment, roll on the arrival of our container! |
One of my first thoughts when I read this was my kitchen
cupboard and the number of times it has been emptied (I’d love to add always
with permission …. But I am not sure that would be strictly true!). My boys
love a saucepan, a ladle, a colander but do not be fooled in to thinking that
is all that these objects are. They have certainly been used as different cooking pots,
and I have been given a wide variety of imaginary food to eat from them –
chocolate cake, rainbow pie and troll feet to name but a few! However, they
have also become houses for cars, stepping stones, space helmets and the stores
for hidden treasure when the sushi roll-mat gets utilised as the treasure map.
And of course, musical instruments – you can’t beat a bit of DIY music making
and it always reminds me of the song ‘Trashin’ the Camp’ by Phil Collins from
Disney’s Tarzan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rxOVpetZTY
 |
| Space helmet colander, the pipe cleaners added some fine motor skill play too! |
This evening, Little One didn’t want his tea (again – I
think one of my future posts will be about attitudes to eating and the contrary
and fickle eating habits of my boys) and so we opted for an early bath. Since
relocating, we don’t have a huge number of bath toys and so this evening I
grabbed some Tupperware and cup measures thinking it would be a bit of a change
and envisioning a bit of pouring fun. I think my Brother in Law was a little
bemused by my taking them up to the bath but I did reassure him they would be
cleaned later! What I hadn’t prepared myself for was the breadth of play that
ensued and it was only when I realised that the water was stone cold that I got
the boys out – with not one argument and a relatively dry bathroom!
The tubs got floated on the surface of the water as boats,
they were filled and emptied and marvelled at the way some were full but still
‘floated’ beneath the surface of the water (unbeknown to my sons they were
independently investigating key stage 1 science themes on buoyancy!). Little
One filled one pot and sang Happy Birthday while presenting it to me telling me
it was strawberry flavour, so I obligingly blew out a candle and ate it all up.
The flavours of the following cakes ranged from chocolate and ‘all of them’
flavour to wee wee flavour - #sigh #mother of boys!
The water was poured from pot to pot from low down, high up
and a moment of fascination with the different splash that was made. Little One
(who is the biggest water lover) lay down and spent the longest time with just
one pourer filling it up and pouring it over his tummy. I really wish I could
have known what he was thinking but there was the most contented look on his
face – I do not know if it was the repetition of the action, the sensory feel
of the water flowing over his tummy or the muted sounds of the splash heard
through submerged ears. As he was enjoying it so much I joined him in the
pouring and he just smiled at me, allowing me to join in and continued to lie
there.
Big One took advantage of his brother’s distraction to take
possession of all the remaining containers and created a ‘cake making factory’
utilising all available side space on the edge of the bath and creating
different towers of the boxes as he filled and refilled them. His attention was
wholly on his process and there was so much silent decision making and thought
going into his actions it did seem a shame when I had to break the peace to offer
tooth brushes and give the 2 minutes to getting out warning. If we had been
back in England I would probably have just topped up with some more warm water
but since moving to a country that is just recovering from a 5 year drought I
do think twice now about our water usage.
 |
| Carla is the green one on the left. |
So who needs bath toys? Well, I am rather fond of our Lightning McQueen Cars set which brings a lot of
imaginative play to our baths times – though I am trying to break down the
stereotype that I always have to be Carla because I’m the girl! For now, I would like to leave you with the
thoughts of Loose parts play. It is something that we shall be incorporating
into sessions at The Honeycomb Hub. Once these are running, I shall share some
further thoughts here. However, for now let me leave you with a couple of links
to people I have found inspiring about play.
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