By Nancy Verdtzabella, Head Teacher
“The materials have their own inner life and their own story to tell. Yet they can be transformed only through their encounters with people.”
—Elena Giacopini, Reggio Children
In West PM, we select “loose parts” for their open-ended and unlimited potential for use by the children. They can be recycled materials, objects found in nature, or manufactured items. These parts can be moved from place to place, used alone, or combined with other materials. Importantly, there are no prescribed instructions on how to use these parts.
The teachers of West PM are grateful to have access to generous amounts of nature-provided loose parts found in our lush and expansive outdoor setting. The range of natural objects—from sticks, rocks, and pinecones to pieces of wood, tree stumps, branches, and leaves—are freely available and ready to captivate each child’s mind. Some loose parts are available throughout the year, while others come and go with the seasons.
This past school year, the teachers were intentional about highlighting loose parts as an everyday part of our curriculum. In all areas of the learning environment, we designed spaces that allowed for loose parts exploration. In the sand, large fallen branches from a winter storm were transformed by children into a hiding place for safari animals or food for a hungry dinosaur. In the section of the yard known as the Back 40, wooden blocks, branch stumps, and discarded pieces of wood from a construction project were used by children to create a pinball machine. On the patio, rocks, woodworking pieces, and fallen leaves were assembled to create housing for animals. The two- to three-inch wood pieces we use at Bing for woodworking projects also became loose parts for studying geometry and arithmetic. Indoors, children selected materials from the design area filled with open-ended art and recycled materials to craft robots, remote controls, and bug traps. During a face-making project, loose parts such as wooden blocks, felt, rocks, and buttons became essential components for children to use in recreating facial features.
The materials we use for these types of learning experiences serve as a foundation for a curriculum that fosters engagement in the West PM children. With repeated encounters, children begin to build a relationship with the many loose parts, revealing their ability to construct their own learning, driven by their curiosity about and enjoyment in the materials. They use the parts to manipulate, create, and problem-solve. This allows children to decide what they’d like to create or what needs to be solved, granting them a sense of satisfaction and mastery in achieving their personal learning goals.
When teachers intentionally highlight loose parts from nature, the children start to view such materials differently. For instance, rather than running past fallen pinecones, the children noticed, collected, and used them as ingredients for mud pies and soup, as pillars for bridges, bumpers for a pinball machine, and as helpful objects with which to count, explore, and balance.
As the children continued to interact with the natural materials, we observed how their play was sustained by working with loose parts. They maintained focus and did not rush to complete open-ended projects. The children, learning intentionally, were particular about how and where to place the materials. They were careful to problem-solve with the materials to their satisfaction before moving on to another activity. This was evidence of self-efficacy in planning and completing a project from start to finish.
Through repeated experiences with loose parts, the children demonstrated to their teachers and peers the multiple ways loose parts contribute to their creative and cognitive growth. It is awe-inspiring how something as simple as a stick can turn into a valuable resource for creating meaningful early childhood curriculum experiences driven by the children themselves. We wholeheartedly agree with Loris Malaguzzi, the creative mind and visionary behind the Reggio Emilia approach in Italy, when he said, “The wider the range of possibilities we offer children, the more intense will be their motivation, and the richer their experiences.”