Loose parts play for babies and toddlers

If you walk into a preschool or kindergarten classroom, you're likely to find children playing with what appears to be quite the assortment of random objects. Acorns, seashells, popsicle sticks, nuts and bolts, pom-poms... what are they doing?

This is loose parts play. Provide children with stuff and let them take the lead.

Loose parts play is beneficial in early learning for several reasons. It's creative, open-ended, child-led play. Children develop critical thinking skills as they come up with an idea, then make a plan to carry it out, often tweaking things along the way. When you join in, there are many opportunities for language development, both through conversations, and as they get older, by making up stories.

Storytelling can also help with children's emotional development since it allows them to work through situations in their own lives. Loose parts play is also mathematical; children have to solve real-life problems ("how many spoons do I need to make a fence for my farm?"), and they often intrinsically create patterns or symmetrical designs. When your child is old enough to help tidy up, there's a lot of sorting and classifying involved in the process. Manipulating small objects is great for fine motor development, and the nature of loose parts play allows children to become very focused on what they're doing. What's not to love?

I obviously wanted to provide this type of learning to my kiddo, but the problem is that he's still a pre-toddler. The types of small objects that preschool and kindergarten children play with would be a choking hazard for him. So how can we let babies do loose parts play without the risk?

I found that the same principle applies, but you just use larger objects. As long as what he is doing is safe, there's no wrong way to use a toy. It amazes me just how creative he is. I will admit that most of the time, I have no idea what he is doing, and he doesn't yet have the language to tell me. But he is so focused on creating something, and is so deliberate in what he is doing.

So, what kinds of objects can we use for loose parts play for kids under 3? Here's a list of ideas.

Other toys:

stacking/nesting boxes or cups
shapes from a shape sorter
pieces from wooden puzzles
baby-safe building blocks (wooden blocks, duplo, Megablox, etc)
parts of a stacking rainbow
animal figurines
stuffed animals
balls

Recycled objects:

paper towel rolls
wrapping paper rolls
yogurt containers and lids
egg cartons
cardboard boxes

Household objects:

safe kitchen items (plastic mixing bowls, wooden spoons, spatulas)
coasters
shoes
socks
bibs
board books
tins of cat food (the full cans, so the pieces aren't sharp)

The best part of loose parts play is how easy it is for the grown-up involved - just put the objects within reach and let your baby loose among them!

Here are some other tips:

Don't provide more items than you're willing to help tidy.
Play with your child at least some of the time. The loose parts will be far more interesting to your baby if they think it's interesting to you.
Be prepared to do the same things over and over again. Right now, my son is interested in putting his toys into a cardboard box, taking them out again, climbing into the cardboard box, and repeating the process.
Set boundaries if you need to, and take away any item that's being used in a way that isn't safe.

Have fun!