The Journey of Loose Parts across Educational Landscapes and History - The Role of Materials, Relationships, Space, and Time in Children’s Loose Parts Play

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mabel

Loose parts play examines how children manipulate versatile materials such as pipe cleaners, acorns, fabric, stones, and cartons that were not originally designed as toys. The article traces historical roots and influential theories, compares prominent materials across approaches, and synthesizes a framework of four key factors shaping children’s participation. Findings connect materials, space, relationships, and time with developmental benefits, arguing that loose parts play was present throughout the nineteenth century and requires further research.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages36

Reading Time1 h 31 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

The History of Loose Parts and Theoretical Framework

The Journey of Loose Parts across Educational Landscapes and History The Role of Materials, Relationships, Space, and Time in Children’s Loose Parts Play • Ozlem Cankaya, Jamie Leach, and Kadriye Akdemir The authors discuss loose parts—pipe cleaners, acorns, fabric, stones, and so forth—as versatile materials not originally intended for children’s play that they can manipulate, modify, and use in their play activities. The authors review the historical foundations of loose parts play, focusing on influential individuals and theories, and compare the prominent materials used in each approach to the current application of loose parts in early learning environments. They elaborate four key factors in play that influence children’s participation, and they highlight some developmental benefits involving materials, space, relationships, and time. They conclude that loose parts play had a significant presence in children’s lives throughout the nineteenth century and that a need exists for further research on the benefits to children of loose parts play. Key words: children; early childhood development; loose parts; loose parts play; play materials Introduction Fearne Cotton was talking on the radio recently about the uproar and excitement in the house one morning when garden furniture was delivered, and the children attacked the packing to free the boxes to make a train. We often see children opening presents and instantly starting to play with the wrapping of the box and packaging rather than the contents. This is what we mean by loose parts; bits and pieces, scrap and empty cartons, pots and pans. —Play Scotland 2022 There are a growing number of calls to enrich young children’s play, exploration, and learning by offering loose parts as play materials (Beaudin 2019; Beloglovsky and Daly 2016; Caldwell 2016; Casey and Robertson 2019; Daly and 210 American Journal of Play, volume 16, numbers 2 and 3 © 2024 The Strong Contact Ozlem Cankaya at cankayao@macewan.ca Beloglovsky 2014; Rawstrone 2020). Loose parts play (LPP) is often defined as children’s unstructured play indoors or outdoors with versatile natural or manufactured materials (e.g., cardboard, sticks, sand, pipes, beads, stones) . LPP is unique; it can involve a single item or many objects that can be moved, arranged, and combined in various ways, allowing individuals to use their innovation to explore and experiment (Nicholson 1971). Indeed, North American (Makovichuk et al. 2014; Province of Nova Scotia 2018; Government of Manitoba 2015) and global (Play Scotland 2022; Casey and Robertson 2019; Eren Öcal 2021; Gençer and Avci 2017; Sear 2016) policy makers and professionals explicitly endorse LPP as a means to facilitate child development and learning. Children’s play involves a wide range of behaviors and activities, resulting in varied developmental and learning outcomes depending on children’s ages, social interactions, and materials (Lin and Li 2018; Howe, Leach, and DeHart 2022; Rubin 2001; Wood and Attfiel 2005). A substantial investigation has been undertaken on the developmental benefits of play with individual play materials such as play with blocks, LEGO sets, and sand in isolation that can be considered loose parts (e.g., Kiewra and Veselack 2016; Segatti, Brown-DuPaul, and Keyes 2003; Shabazian and Soga 2014; Schulz and Bonawitz 2007; Zippert et al. 2019). However, LPP can also uniquely combine various materials (Casey and Robertson 2019; Daly and Beloglovsky 2014) . Engaging children in LPP as a means to enrich play experiences has grown in recent decades (Beaudin 2019; Beloglovsky and Daly 2016; Caldwell 2016; Casey and Robertson 2019; Daly and Beloglovsky 2014; Rawstrone 2020) . There has been a noticeable absence of a detailed historical account of loose parts, indicating a gap in our current understanding and documentation of this concept. In addition, a prevailing misconception in circulation positions loose parts as a recent innova

FAQs

What does loose parts play (LPP) mean for children’s learning?

LPP is defined as children’s unstructured play indoors or outdoors using versatile natural or manufactured materials. It emphasizes that children move, arrange, and combine objects to explore and experiment.

Which four factors influence children’s participation in loose parts play?

The article highlights materials, space, relationships, and time as four key factors that shape how children engage in loose parts play.

Why does the article claim there is a need for further research on loose parts play?

It notes a gap in detailed historical accounts and that a misconception frames loose parts as a recent innovation. Addressing these gaps requires additional academic and professional investigation.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mabel