It all began
in the forest, where the School Age 2 children discovered an abundance of sticks—big, small, and even some sturdy logs. With excitement and purpose, they gathered the materials and began constructing a tent. The children communicated constantly, sharing ideas and problem-solving together.
Almalinda naturally stepped forward as a leader, offering directions such as where sticks should be placed and how to make the structure stronger. The children worked as a team, lifting, arranging, and adjusting until finally their tent stood tall. When they stepped back to admire their creation, they proudly discussed how well they worked together and how happy they were with the result.
Wanting to continue this spark of curiosity and creativity, educators brought materials from the Loose Parts Depot, including items generously donated by families. The children dove in eagerly.
“Look! I made a spaceship!” Finley announced proudly as he worked away.
“I am making cat toys for my cat,” Elora explained, carefully selecting her pieces.
“I don’t know what I’m making yet, but we will find out!” said Kyrielle, embracing the joy of discovery.
Although each child worked independently, they moved around the table asking questions, sharing ideas, and gathering inspiration from one another.
Across the room, Brielle, Layla, and Paisley spotted some cardboard pieces.
“These look like Barbie couches!” they exclaimed. The trio carried the materials to the dollhouse and began arranging furniture, transforming the space and building a shared story through play.
To extend the children’s interest even further, educators introduced popsicle sticks. Once again, creativity blossomed. The children created a bus stop, a house, a bridge, a bed with a monster underneath, a lighthouse, and even a playground.
When their masterpieces were complete, each child had the opportunity to type a few sentences describing what they had created. This added an exciting literacy component and gave children ownership of their work. They were excited, engaged, and proud to display their creations for families to see.
This experience highlighted how naturally children gravitate toward collaborative projects and open-ended materials when given time and space. Their ideas flowed from one environment to another—from the forest, to the classroom, to the dollhouse and more—showing their ability to innovate, adapt, and extend play.
What Learning Was Happening?
- Creativity & Imagination: Children transformed simple materials into complex structures and stories.
- Collaboration & Communication: Through teamwork outdoors and shared conversations indoors, children practiced leadership, cooperation, and problem-solving.
- STEM Thinking: Building with loose parts encouraged engineering concepts such as stability, balance, and design planning.
- Fine-Motor Skills: Manipulating sticks, cardboard, and popsicle sticks strengthened hand coordination.
- Literacy Connections: Describing and typing their creations supported vocabulary development and expressive language.
- Social-Emotional Growth: Children experienced pride, confidence, and joy in their accomplishments.
As we continue, loose parts has become a staple within our classroom environment, we will continue to offer STEM challenges to encourage deep thinking into various concepts such as stability, balance and design planning.