” In any environment, both the degree of inventiveness and creativity, and the possibility of discovery, are directly proportional to the number and kind of variables in it”  -Simon Nochoidon, Architect

It is easy to notice the abundance of “loose parts’ in our classroom.  From plastic animals to pennies to seashells, these tiny treasures are essential to our daily learning, inquiry and investigation.  As suggested in the quote above, an environment that supports creativity must include an ever-changing array or loose parts. Here are some of the ways we use loose parts in our classroom:

The children work with loose parts in the math center, sorting, classifying, counting and graphing.

Loose parts at the light table encourage language, storytelling, conversation and design work.

The fact that loose parts can be configured in many different ways allows children to experiment with different designs and modes of expression.  The impermanence of the work lends to it’s flexibility, helping the children better understand the fluidity of their ideas.

Loose parts invite children to tinker, manipulate, play and design.

Loose parts encourage children to think creatively and flexibly and provide endless opportunities for work and play in the classroom and beyond.