"Loose parts" is a term used in Early Childhood Education to describe any and all materials that do not have prescribed direction in use or outcome. These are materials provided for children to guide their own learning, and as a result, demonstrate what they already know, as well as their interests and methods of discovering new things.
One day in December, we brought out a pair of extendable plastic tubes and some wooden half-pipe ramps. The toddler room has been working on a project called "Things That Go" about cars, trains, planes, and other various vehicles, so of course, while the loose parts were provided without any instructions, we educators had our guesses as to how they would be used: to send down toy cars. For the most part, that's how the children chose to engage with the wooden ramps. However, there were a number of unexpected creative and collaborative uses that they found in playing with the tubes. Their play became an exploration of concepts such as big and small; spatial awareness; object permanence; how sound travels.
Two children in particular surprised us with their curiosity and teamwork. Previously, these two had rarely, if ever, been seen playing together in any way, but with one end of the tube in the boy's hands and the other end in the girl's, they travelled around the classroom again and again, stopping every few feet to pick up a toy and try to fit it in the tube. We observed as they manipulated the objects like puzzle pieces, trying to find how to fit each one inside. And when something simply didn't fit, there were no tears or expressions of frustration — only interest to find the next thing that did.
Several other children enjoyed the process of putting one toy person, car, or ball through the tube over and over. The sounds of the objects rattling through the tube before rolling back out onto the floor added a different layer of sensorial engagement to a peek-a-boo style of play. Finally, some children's favourite discovery was in the sound of their own voices as they laughed and called for each other through the tubes. They were delighted to hear how the tube transformed the sound of their own voices.
Each time children are given an opportunity to freely explore loose parts, they demonstrate their natural wonder, curiosity, and ability to guide themselves into making new discoveries.
