Our Toddlertime curriculum includes the use of seven learning experiences that are offered to all children on a consistent and regular basis. Those experiences are:
• Purposeful play that is facilitated by an adult
• The use of provocation as an intentional teaching strategy
• Project work that follows the emergent interests of children and includes field work
• Loose parts play
• Construction and block play
• Sensory play (sand, water, tactile substances, natural materials, hands-on learning)
• Learning through movement
• Group meetings
Today I am highlighting loose parts play because we would like your help gathering items for our collection. Loose parts are easily moved materials that may be used by children while playing. They may be “found” materials, such as sticks, leaves, or rocks, or they may be provided materials, like boxes, bottle caps, buttons or even hay! Loose parts are important to educational settings for several reasons.

Click here for an article about the value of loose parts in educational settings.
loose partFor our loose part collection, we are collecting:
Bottle caps and jar lids of all sizes and colors such as such Tropicana, Simply Juice, pasta lids
Seashells
Buttons
Canning lid inserts
Loose hardware such as nuts, bolts, clips, wing nuts, U clasps, wire: anything shiny
Locks and keys
Toys that move or make noise to be deconstructed
Tin coffee cans

Thank you for your help!