Last week during the project portion of my Art in Motion class, I gave each child a shoe box full of "loose parts". These included toilet paper tubes, bread ties, pipe cleaners, pom poms, jar lids, straws, string, and an entire roll of tape. Believe me, I saw some little faces light up when I told them they EACH got an ENTIRE roll of tape, no sharing required, and they could use as much as they wanted. Sometimes abundance of materials is a beautiful thing! The little ones got to work right away; some of them quickly made three or four different objects or inventions, others worked on one piece the entire time, while others spent time exploring the parts in a more sensory manner. But the little brains were certainly abuzz!
Loose parts--that is, all those bits and pieces of everyday materials in the shoeboxes--are my favorite materials for many reasons.
Loose parts can become anything. Loose parts are raw materials, and they really present the child with a true challenge, thus actively engaging both the hands and mind.
Loose parts are open ended by nature. Unlike a toy that has one prescribed function, loose parts can be used to create the world that the child envisions.
Loose parts can be used over and over again. A bit of string tied to a pipe cleaner coiled into a spiral shape might one day be a snail on a leash, but then the next day the string and pipe cleaner can be used to make something entirely different. The process of making and creating far outweighs the final product for the young child, and no where is this more evident than when using loose parts.
Loose parts can be gathered as in these shoeboxes, but the same parts could be combined with playdough for further 3-D sculptural possibilites. This is another reason why I love loose parts--they inspire 3-D work, which is often a very different way of thinking for young children. The child that is accustomed to using paints and pens and crayons and markers on paper can be energized by the inherent possibilities and challenges when faced with creating something sculptural or even functional.
Loose parts encourage literacy as your child tells you stories about her creations. Loose parts support early math as your child sorts materials by shape, size, or color and makes guesses as to the length of string they will need. Loose parts promote fine motor skills as your child threads cut straws onto string or carefully pulls tape out of the dispenser.
The child that doesn't enjoy the feeling of paint or glue on their fingers might find tape their perfect medium, allowing children who normally are hesitant to join art activities the chance to participate.
Loose parts are inexpensive and readily available. I have a small basket in my kitchen, and I routinely throw in jar lids, bread ties, and any object that could potentially be a loose part for a project. You'll probably find that you can easily save up enough loose parts over the course of just a few days.
And yes, loose parts are kind of a jumbled mess. I almost felt a little guilty sending the children and their parents home with a shoebox chock full of teeny, tiny scraps of paper, bits of string, and lids from baby food jars. All those loose parts will become SOMETHING but inevitably they will be taken apart, leaving a trail of detritus throughout the living room and under the bed. At least this is what eventually happens in my house with my daughter's loose parts creations. But within this jumbled mess there is a creative spark. Within the jumbled mess there are new neural pathways being formed as young minds are engaged in the creative process. So I encourage you to embrace the mess of loose parts and be amazed at what your child can do with the simplest of raw materials.
Checking out the shoebox full of possibilities.
Even very little ones can enjoy exploring loose parts.
