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Introducing Loose Parts to Constuction Play

Introducing loose parts into construction play

Loose parts are materials that can be moved, manipulated, and combined in countless ways, empowering children's creativity and ingenuity. They can be natural or synthetic, and the beauty of loose parts is their open-ended nature – there's no single right way to use them. 

Why introduce loose parts to construction play?

Loose parts offer a wealth of benefits for children's development, including:

  • Enhanced creativity and imagination: Children are free to explore, invent, and create in ways they desire, transforming everyday objects into something extraordinary, whether it's building a fort, a bridge, or a spaceship.

  • Developed problem-solving and critical thinking skills: Manipulating and combining loose parts requires children to think analytically, test theories, and find innovative solutions to challenges.

  • Improved fine and gross motor skills: Handling small objects like beads and buttons refines fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Moving larger items like logs and planks builds strength and balance.

  • Encouraged social and emotional development: Loose parts play often involves collaboration, negotiation, and communication, fostering teamwork, empathy, and positive interactions among children.

  • Stimulated exploration and discovery: Loose parts invite children to investigate the properties and characteristics of various materials and explore scientific concepts like cause and effect, balance, and stability. 

Examples of loose parts for construction play

Loose parts can be found everywhere, often for free or at low cost. Here are some examples: 

  • Natural Materials: Sticks, leaves, pinecones, rocks, pebbles, shells, logs, sand, dirt

  • Recycled Materials: Cardboard boxes, egg cartons, plastic bottles, bottle caps, cardboard tubes, fabric scraps, aluminum foil, tin cans, jars, cups, ice cube trays

  • Household Items: Spoons, scarves, buckets, baskets, crates, buttons, beads, pipe cleaners, corks, pom poms, marbles, dice, dominoes, popsicle sticks

  • Commercial Building Materials: Wooden blocks, Lego, building toy pipes 

Setting up a construction play area with loose parts

  • Choose a Location: Select a safe and easily accessible area, preferably away from quiet play zones if possible.

  • Provide a Flat Building Surface: If you don't have one, consider adding a low table, a large board, or even using a rug or placemats to define the area and offer a sturdy base for building.

  • Organize and Display Materials: Use baskets, crates, or low shelves to store and organize the loose parts. Consider clear containers and labels to make them easily accessible.

  • Rotate and Refresh Materials: Regularly introduce new materials or swap out items to keep children engaged and spark new ideas.

  • Be Open to Mess: Loose parts play can get messy, and that's a part of the learning process. Provide trays or tarps to help contain the mess. 

Facilitating loose parts construction play

  • Be a Facilitator, Not a Director: Follow your childs curiousity and interest, as well as their  requests to experiment and try something new. children to take the lead in their play. Resist the urge to tell them what to build or how to use the materials.

  • Join in the Play (Optional): Play alongside children, ask open-ended questions to spark ideas, and show genuine interest in their creations.

  • Embrace Imperfection: There's no right or wrong way to play with loose parts. Encourage children to experiment and explore without fear of making mistakes.

  • Observe and Document: Observe how children interact with the materials and each other. This can inform future planning and activities. 

By thoughtfully selecting and arranging loose parts and embracing a child-led approach, you can create a construction play area that fosters creativity, problem-solving, and a deep sense of accomplishment in children.

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The Perfect Loose Parts Play Setup for Early Childhood

Discover how to set up the perfect early childhood loose parts play area with simple tips on choosing materials, designing spaces, and using provocations to spark creativity, problem-solving, and learning.

Setting up a dynamic, play-based learning environment can feel overwhelming for early childhood parents and caretakers, especially when you’re balancing student engagement with curriculum goals in the early years of schooling.

You might be wondering:

  • How do I choose the right loose parts?

  • or Where should I even start setting up a loose parts area?

It’s easy to get stuck trying to make your loose parts learning invitations both engaging and educational for your young learners.

But I’ve got some good news for you!
You can set up an inspiring, curriculum-aligned loose parts play area with just a few simple components.

In this blog post, I’ll guide you through what makes a perfect loose parts play setup, focusing on 3 key components every early childhood classroom needs. By the end, you’ll have a blueprint for implementing loose parts play that activates creativity, supports developmental growth, and keeps your students engaged and learning.

how to create the perfect setup for early childhood loose parts play

Whether you're just starting out in early childhood education or looking to expand your use of loose parts, this blog post will walk you through a starting point that’s both practical and inspiring.

What is the Perfect Loose Parts Play Setup?

Loose parts play involves providing young children with open-ended materials they can manipulate, move, and arrange in different ways.

It’s a flexible form of play that aligns with the Reggio Emilia philosophy, allowing students to build, create, and explore their learning environment in unique ways.

In other words: Loose parts play gives children a foundation for deep, creative thinking, encouraging problem-solving and higher-order thinking.

The added benefit is that loose parts play is highly adaptable, meaning you can keep it fresh and relevant to different learning goals year-round.

loose parts play skills

Step 1 – Thoughtful Selection of Materials

The key to effective loose parts play is offering a wide variety of materials - both natural materials and man-made materials - that children can use in different ways to express their own ideas.

The materials you choose are the heart of your loose parts setup.

These materials can include natural objects (like stones, sticks, and leaves) and small objects (such as buttons, bottle caps, or fabric scraps) that children can explore in open-ended play.

Items like pine cones, popsicle sticks, cardboard boxes, and even toilet paper rolls are just a few everyday materials that can be transformed in countless creative play scenarios.

loose parts resources for loose parts play

Sourcing from local hardware stores or thrift stores is a great way to build your loose parts collections on a budget.

Loose parts selection is crucial because materials that are diverse in size, colour, and texture will engage your students’ senses and support their curiosity and fine motor skills.

Many teachers starting with loose parts feel uncertain about which materials will yield the best learning outcomes. If materials are too limited, play might lack variety; if they’re overly specific, children may not use them in imaginative ways.

The key to building an engaging loose parts collection is starting small.

Gather everyday objects you already have and gradually add items from nature or other affordable sources. Choose open-ended materials that can be used in a variety of ways, encouraging children to problem-solve, build, sort, and engage in free play.

loose parts play ideas

Step 2 – Defined Play Spaces and Accessibility

In a play-based classroom, the layout of your loose parts area influences how children interact with the materials. Defined, accessible spaces encourage independence, allowing students to choose materials that interest them.

You might have already tried creating a play area, but if your students aren’t actively engaging, the setup may need some adjustments.

Consider labeling bins for different loose parts or setting up a display shelf that showcases materials in an inviting way.

If you are looking for some labels, I’ve got some that I think you’ll like. MyIllustrated Loose Parts Labels ($4.00 FEE) are perfect for labelling your growing loose parts collection and with 264 illustrated labels in this comprehensive set, they are also great for getting ideas for loose parts to add to your collection.

264 Illustrated Loose Parts Play Labels – EDITABLE

264 Illustrated Loose Parts Play Labels – EDITABLE $4 FEE

loose parts labels to organise your early childhood loose parts

Organising your loose parts into labelled baskets or a treasure basket makes it easier for younger children (and older children alike) to access them. This setup invites children of all ages to engage in open-ended play and explore materials independently or collaboratively.

loose parts shelf

Without accessibility, even the most exciting loose parts won’t fulfill their purpose.

One helpful technique is to create a ‘materials rotation’ where you periodically switch out items, keeping your students interested while introducing new themes or curriculum concepts.

loose parts play invitations

Step 3 – Incorporating Provocations and Teacher Observations

Provocations are prompts or questions that encourage deeper exploration.

Think of them as gentle nudges that inspire children to experiment and try new ideas. For example, you might set up a provocation with natural loose parts and ask, “Can you make a pattern with these leaves and stones?”

Asking open-ended questions during children’s play not only sparks curiosity but also develops communication skills, language development, and social development. All essential aspects of child development.

loose parts provocation prompts

Provocations bring purpose to loose parts play, giving children a reason to experiment with the use of materials.

To effectively scaffold learning, teachers can observe and note each student’s interactions with the materials, helping to guide your future learning invitations.

These observations also provide insights for planning targeted skill-building activities that support social skills, cognitive development, and emotional development.

The process you can use to implement and observe provocations is:

  • Start with open-ended questions as children explore.

  • Take notes or photos of interactions to identify patterns in play.

  • Use observations to inform future provocations and extend learning.

Whether children are exploring symbolic play, dramatic play, or experimenting with physical phenomena like balance and movement, your role as an observer is essential.

The teacher’s role includes watching how students interact with materials like wooden blocks, natural loose parts, or even old tires, and noting signs of gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and collaboration.

Want to learn more about your role in loose parts play? Check out this blog post:The Teacher’s Role in Loose Parts Play

Putting it All Together for Your Perfect Loose Parts Setup

There you have it - the 3 easy steps of a perfect loose parts play setup! 

By focusing on

  • thoughtful material selection

  • accessible spaces

  • and strategic provocations

you can transform loose parts play into a dynamic, student-centered learning experience.

The open-ended nature of loose parts offers endless opportunities for creative thinking, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking. There’s no wrong way to play - just different ways to explore, create, and learn.

It may sound like a lot, but small steps make a big impact.

Start by gathering a variety of loose parts and defining your play space, then gradually add in provocations. This approach will support child-led exploration and enhance learning in meaningful, developmentally appropriate ways.

loose parts play explorations in the early childhood classroom

Whether you're building a sensory bin for outdoor play, adding natural objects to an outdoor classroom, or simply rotating your loose parts collections, there are so many great ways to invite children to play.

Even just a small collection of loose parts can nurture a child’s imagination and build an engaging classroom learning environment.

Ready to set up your perfect loose parts area?

free guide to loose parts play

Get Your FREE Guide to Loose Parts Play

Download this Loose Parts Play Starter Guide for a full list of materials, play prompts, and setup tips to make your classroom an inspiring space for early learners.

This is such a great resource and it's totally FREE!!

Introducing loose parts play can seem overwhelming at first. There are so many

materials that can be used for loose parts play

, but which ones should you choose? For some children (and adults), beginning to explore with the open endedness of loose parts can feel unnatural. Then there is the issue of setup and storage to consider.  All of these concerns came to mind when I began to tinker with the idea of using loose parts with my own children at home. I decided to begin in a location that naturally inspires creativity while simultaneously providing a plethora of free materials: the great outdoors! In this second post of our loose parts play series, we’ll  explore how you can enhance outdoor play with loose parts.


















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Using Natural Loose Parts for Play

Posted in Back to School, Early Childhood Development, Fine Motor, Literacy, Preschool Play Ideas, Toddler Play Ideas on May 23, 2022

Have you ever been scrolling Instagram or Pinterest, admiring all of the beautifully styled playrooms filled with incredible loose parts? But suddenly, you get this sinking feeling in your tummy because you just know there’s no way you could afford all of the fancy loose parts.

You’re not alone! I’ve been sucked down that rabbit hole many times…so much so, that I once put myself on a new toy ban haha! But seriously, open-ended toys are incredible tools for supporting independent, creative play in your home…but there are many great options that are very affordable too.

My favourite place to find affordable loose parts? Outside! There’s something pretty magical about natural loose parts and the best part – they’re FREE and can be used for lots of fun invitations or for some open-ended play. Before we get stuck into some of my favourite loose parts, let’s explore why loose parts are so beneficial for play!

“In any environment, both the degree of inventiveness, creativity and the possibility of discovery, are directly proportional to the number and kind of variables in it.”

Nicholson, 1971

To put it simply, loose parts are found or collected objects or materials that can be removed, manipulated and adapted during play. They are materials that can be used in just about any way and there are no rules or expectations about they can or should be used. The only limit is your child’s imagination!

We talk a lot about our children being little scientists. They’re constantly exploring and investigating to make sense of the world around them…and they do this as they play! When we can provide our children with materials that are open-ended (meaning it’s up to them how they engage with the material!), we’ll be nurturing their curiosity and providing them with opportunities to connect prior knowledge as they explore and create new knowledge…and that is pretty magical!

In her article titled ‘To be successful – let them play!” Sally Hurwitz (2002) stated that “Play for children is creative, spontaneous, unpredictable, and absolutely fun…it’s an important medium for young children’s learning and significant contributor to the child’s cognitive, physical, emotional and social development.”

Loose parts are a wonderful way to allow our children to be totally in control of their play. When our children have access to loose parts, there are no rules, no expectations. They can simply explore!

Some of my favourite natural loose parts for open-ended play include:

  • Leaves

  • Flowers

  • Shells

  • Sticks

  • Grass

  • Pinecones

  • Gumnuts

  • Sand

  • Dirt

  • Feathers

  • Seeds and seed pods

  • Rocks and pebbles

  • Wood cookies and offcuts


Simple invitations to inspire your play!

One of my favourite ways to use natural loose parts in our play is to start with a nature walk! We grab a basket and head outside to collect natural treasures either in our own backyard or somewhere new like a playground or even the beach! We look for interesting textures and colours and add them to our basket.

When we get home, we can use them with a batch of natural play dough! Below is a picture of my toddler using some gumnuts to print into some natural coloured play dough. This was a great way to strengthen the muscles in his fingers and hands!

We also love using natural loose parts in our small world play. Below is an invitation we created using some fallen leaves from our front yard, a few branches and some big creepy crawly toys from our Insect Polybag!

We have a collection of natural loose parts available for our children to use for their own small world play in our playroom as well – below is an example of how our toddler used some insect toys with some natural wooden cookies. This is the beauty of natural loose parts – they can become anything and there’s no right or wrong way for your child to play!

Bird seed makes a wonderful sensory base for children to explore! Simply pour it into a tub and add some wooden bowls and scoops and you’ve created an exciting sensory experience that your little learner is sure to love! Not only will they be exploring simple mathematical concepts such as full and empty, they’ll also be developing their fine motor skills as they scoop and pour the seeds from bowl to bowl.

You might even like to use your natural loose parts to explore numbers and shapes! Below are some 2D Shape Cards from our Nature Play Pack which we used with some little pebbles.

We’ve also created some number discs using wooden cookies and some numeral balsa wood cut outs that I found at our local dollar shop. I just glued them down with a hot glue gun and used them with our Natural Number Posters.


Perhaps you could create an investigation table with some natural loose parts and a magnifying glass? This would be a great way to support your child’s oral language and vocabulary as they explore their loose parts up close!

There’s no denying that natural loose parts are a wonderful addition to any play space! I truly hope this blog post has given you some fun and easy ideas to bring more natural loose parts into your play with your little learners.

Loose Parts: Go Outside and Play!

Loose Parts Play with Kids-Head outdoors and play! #outdoorplay #kids #preschool

Inside classrooms and homes, there are often many toys to choose from. Most have a specific function. Outside, there may be more space but fewer toys. Children are naturally resourceful in their play outdoors. One stick can draw in the dirt or become a magic wand or stir a mug of freshly brewed mud coffee. Many sticks can be used for building a road or a log cabin. Children naturally gravitate toward nature’s loose parts to build, gather, connect, take apart, design, create and play. Loose parts play outdoors can infuse a child’s experience of nature. You can read more about some of the many benefits in this article.

If you are new to loose parts play, starting outside is one of the most simple and cost effective ways to go. Your children can help you search for and collect materials! I especially love to use wicker baskets for gathering and storing loose parts. Thrift stores are an affordable resource for these. I keep a small basket in my car just for the interesting rock, stick, leaf or collection of seed pods and acorns my three year old finds at the park.

There is no “perfect” outdoor space and even small spaces are just right for small children at play. Setting up your outdoor area to include loose parts can be broken down into three simple steps:

Gathering the Goods:  Nature’s loose parts are all around us. If not in your own yard, chances are you’ll find them at a park or playground nearby. Water, dirt, sand, gravel and mud are also substances that can greatly enhance loose parts play outdoors.If access to water outside is a challenge, a plastic jug with a spigot is the perfect solution. Gathering loose parts from nature will become part of the experience itself. If you wish to add manufactured natural items, craft stores often carry a selection of tree circles, drift wood and tree blocks for purchase. You can even make these items yourself or enlist the work of someone in your family or community.

Gathering Materials for Loose Parts Play


Add-ons from Indoors: Recyclables and common household items can become great loose parts. A variety of containers are useful for filling, pouring, storing and transporting.  It is also helpful to note materials that can withstand the elements to be left outside or how you might store ones that are more sensitive to the climate. Consider items that will infuse your space with texture, color and even sound!

Play! You’ve gathered the troops. You’ve gathered the goods. Now you’re ready to play!

My baby loves stacking hand kites made from ribbon and shower curtain rings on an old paper towel holder. He stops briefly to rattle a tin salt shaker his older brother filled with gravel. He is exploring texture, color, sound and motor skills.

Loose Parts Play for Babies and Toddlers

As your children begin to use loose parts outside, you’ll gain ideas of what might be added. Sometimes it can take time and tweaking to best set up your space. Don’t be afraid to get down and dirty with them–a curious adult encourages curious children!

Need a bit more inspiration?

Building and Constructing: Consider setting up a woodworking station. Scrap wood, small hammers and larger nails are great loose parts for inspiring budding builders. Adding in colorful yarn, rubber bands or zip ties offers opportunities to design and connect materials.

Building and Constructing Loose Parts Play for Kids

Texture and Color: Scraps of fabric, yarn and ribbon can inspire a variety of ways to explore with nature’s loose parts. A dab of tacky glue can secure the ends of a yarn wrapped nature wand. Strands of ribbon and strips of fabric can be woven into a unique fallen branch or even a living tree or bush. Your scissor lover can cut yarn and ribbon to set out for birds who might be looking to build a nest nearby.

Exploring Texture and Color with Loose Parts Play

Light and Shadow: The outdoors is a great space to observe natural light and shadows. Old CDs make unique suncatchers, reflecting color and light in fascinating ways! They can be colored with permanent markers and hung or used to stack on a recycled CD storage case.

A Mud Kitchen: What child doesn’t love to make mud pies and fairy salads? A collection of bowls, spoons, cups and tins are all the loose parts you will need. You’ve got dirt, just add water and rest assured that children are washable!

Sound: Every child is a musician at heart! A collection of interesting metal bowls, baking pans and spoons might at one time be used in the mud kitchen for making the perfect cake and at another time used as an outdoor percussion band!

Working with the Weather: Loose parts play outdoors need not be reserved for the warmer months! One morning my preschooler observed ice that had formed in a pie tin the night before. After school, we bundled up and used some of nature’s loose parts along with a sliced lime and some yarn to create our own hanging ice sculpture.

Hanging Ice Sculpture and Loose Parts Play in Winter

Once you start the process of infusing outdoor play with loose parts, you’ll likely be inspired to take it inside with you. Perhaps you’ll try this fabulous Bird Nest Play Dough Invitation! And if you’ve made it this far, you likely also can see that while they are busy at play, children using loose parts are learning a lot, too. Join me next time when we will explore the use of loose parts for teaching math! Be sure you’re on our email list, so you don’t miss the next post in the Loose Parts Play series.

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Loose Parts From Nature : Gifts for Open-Ended Play (and learning!)

Open-ended toys are growing in popularity because they encourage a child’s creativity and problem-solving skills. Did you know that you can find free or inexpensive open-ended toys that your child will treasure? And, what’s more valuable is that many of these open-ended toys can be collected lovingly from nature? The kind of nature treasures that are available probably won’t surprise you (rocks, flowers, and shells, oh my!), but let’s take a whole new perspective on them today as I introduce you to Nature’s Loose Parts! Read on to know more about the value of loose parts, which one’s to find in nature, and some simple open-ended activities using Nature’s loose parts.
A Quick Peek into Play and Brain Development

Open-ended play with open-ended toys, a.k.a. awesome loose parts, supports the development of executive function skills. Executive functions are like the CEO skills and tasks of the brain. These skills include organizing and planning, starting tasks and keeping focus, paying attention, regulating emotions, and self-monitoring. Just as a great CEO can lead a company to great success, well practiced and refined executive functions developed in a variety of experiences and with a lot of repetition (lots of play!), can lead a child to great success. In fact, executive functioning is an important predictor of school readiness in young children. Open-ended play supports executive functioning by:

  • Letting the child choose what to play with and how to play with it

  • Engaging children in self-motivated, focused play (learning!)

  • A child sets a goal for a play outcome then plans and organizes to reach that goal

  • Involves problem solving, creativity, and emotional regulation (which are also valuable in social play where they can practice empathy, communication and collaboration)

Before we get to the examples, here’s one more bonus of playing with a variety of loose parts: multi-sensory experiences in everyday play! Rich sensory play with a wide variety of textures, smells, colors, and sounds (that means more than just plastic toys and just wood toys) help the brain build more complex and stronger networks of neural pathways. And nature has so many sensations to offer, right?

loose parts-nature play

Abundant Loose Parts from Nature

Loose parts from nature help children build a personal connection with nature that instills value and compassion for natural and living things.

If you remember anything from this post, remember this: when you go out with your child to collect these precious treasures from nature (or any other toy for that matter), I want you to think about the immense opportunity for open-ended, multi-sensory play that they offer. Some of us (yes, I am in this group too!), with the best intentions, may go straight for the educational opportunity, as in the science, math, and knowledge to be taught about each object. But at a young age, children benefit most from the experience WITH the object in play, the rest can be worked in gently through books, stories, and conversation after their curiosity has been piqued.

And now, here are our favorite loose parts from nature (but, of course there are so many more!):

Nature’s Loose Parts Materials List

  1. Rocks

  2. Sticks

  3. Leaves

  4. Flowers

  5. Seeds/cones (many plants have dry fruits that look like little capsules, these are great and in such huge variety!)

  6. Shells

  7. Tree cuttings (they can be sawed into shorter pieces or left as is for some large and interesting construction opportunities)

List of Nature's Loose Parts-1

Easy peasy, right? Just remember to collect with sustainability in mind. If there’s only one, don’t pick it, and never take more than what you need. We mostly try to pick leaves, flowers, seeds and cones from the ground. Exceptions may be if there’s a specific learning objective about those items or if they are from your own garden.

Using Nature’s Loose Parts

Everyday Pretend Play

Now that my children are used to playing with loose parts, as opposed to toys with predetermined uses, they’ll pick up loose parts from nature for use in any sort of pretend play they are involved in, from making a soup for the baby to building a garden or home for their fairies. We keep a few sticks, rocks, and seeds available at all times specifically for this purpose.

There are also many amazing play activities that we can set up with these loose parts. These activities are great if you want to introduce or expand a particular area of learning (like letters, shapes, colors, construction, etc.), and they give children who may be new to loose parts an opportunity to expand their creative ways of using them. Once they get started, believe me, they’ll be picking up any stray objects to use creatively in their everyday play!

pretend play with loose parts


Pretend play with loose parts

Activities with Nature’s Loose Parts

Here are few ways to set up open-ended activities that can be set up inside or outside (note: it’s best and more interesting to go outside and collect objects WITH your child).

Letters and shapes with rocks or sticks (add sand for extra excitement!)

Make or use simple letter or shape “flashcards”. Set out 1-3 flashcards for children 0-3 yrs. For 3-6 yrs, start with 1-3 and then slowly add more.

Letter and shape Activity


Letter and shape activity

Nature kitchen

Gather leaves, flowers, and seeds in separate containers. Provide bowls or buckets, sticks, and water or sand, if you’re brave, to create a Nature Kitchen. With the first experience, you can make a soup, magic potion, or your child’s favorite dish together, and then set them loose to create their own masterpiece. This is a favorite and repeatable activity!

nature kitchen-loose parts


Nature kitchen

  • Build a TeePee

You choose the size! You can use large sticks or small sticks with string or rope. Provide cloth, rocks, leaves, and animal or peg doll toys to decorate and inhabit the structure.

build a teepee-loose parts


Build a teepee

Nature fairies

Use peg dolls, paper cones, corks, or cardboard paper rolls as a base for the body, and then glue any variety of loose parts from nature, or from home (beads, yarn, etc.), to the doll bodies. Then be sure to PLAY with them afterwards!

Nature Fairies - Loose parts


Nature fairies

Leaf art

The possibilities are endless here, so I will leave you with several ideas!

  1. Leaf prints with paint

  2. Use a leaf as a painting canvas

  3. Leaf etchings with crayons or colored pencils

  4. Leaf men with leaves glued to paper

  5. Leaf face with other loose parts glued to the leaf to make a face

  6. Leaf necklace

  7. Sewing on the leaf (best with a large blunt darning needle, yarn and big fresh leaves), allow your child to poke holes and pull the yarn through in whatever design they like. This idea is similar to lacing activities, except instead of a lace, they can use a needle and thread.

Leaf art - loose parts


Leaf art

BIG TIP: Keep in mind that, while you may be introducing concepts or learning objectives in some activities, like with letters and shapes, the direction that the child takes the activity may not have much to do with your original intent, and that is OK! Open-ended means that they can choose how to play with the activity and if you observe their choice, you will learn a little something about what their interest is! Plus, simply seeing the letters around them in many ways and repetitively will develop an interest that they will eventually pursue. Enjoy!


Our Favourite Large Loose Parts

Loose Parts Obstacle Course

Loose Parts Pallet

Recycled Construction Kit

Loose Parts Shed

Cosy Complete Loose Parts Panacea


Natural Loose Parts- Reggio Style

The use of natural loose parts is popular in Reggio Inspired learning environments. Whether you follow the Reggio philosophy or not, using natural loose parts in your invitations to play has many benefits.

In this blog post you will discover what natural loose parts are and the benefits of using them in your classroom. Read on to find out how you can use easily sourced loose parts from nature and get started with natural loose parts play in your classroom.

Loose parts areany open-ended materials which can becreatively explored by children.  Natural loose parts are loose parts collected from nature.

Loose parts are essential forinvestigative play experiences. Your children will manipulate and creatively use the loose parts to explore and learn. Loose parts can be natural or man-made. This blog post will focus on natural loose parts.

You can read more about loose parts in generalHERE – Loose Parts Resources

When collecting and organising your natural loose parts, keep in mind their fundamental purpose. They should be open-ended as they will be used in a variety of ways and for numerous purposes. They should also be sourced from the natural world.

Your collections can be completely random, or you can curate collections around specific themes. For example, items could be all made from the same material (wood), the same colour (green), all come from a specific habitat (the sea) or have the same size or texture (smooth).

Natural loose parts can be added to any learning invitation and are not just used in loose parts nature play invitations. The loose parts can be used for children to practice and build on their developmental skills both inside the classroom and outdoors in the playground.

Ideas for Natural Loose Parts

You can purchase natural loose parts or you can ethically collect them out in the natural world. You must consider sustainability practices and environmental laws if you plan on collecting your own natural loose parts from the environment.

It is against the law to collect and take shells from the beach for example. It is also illegal to collect or take any materials or resources from National Parks.

Here are some ideas for natural loose parts you might like to purchase or legally collect:


Why use Natural Loose Parts?

Loose parts play has many developmental benefits. Whether the loose parts you offer are natural or man-made, your children should have opportunities for loose parts play in the classroom. If you would like to find out all the benefits loose parts play can bring to your children, check outthis blog post – Benefits of Loose Parts Play

Using loose parts sourced from the natural environment has added benefits though.

Giving your children the opportunity to connect with nature is just one of the advantages of using loose parts sourced from the natural world.

You might be surprised to find there are many natural loose parts to find locally and even in your school grounds. Take your class out for a nature walk to collect some of the natural loose parts in your playground or the local environment. Collecting your own natural loose parts is another wonderful opportunity to connect with nature.

When children collect their own natural loose parts, they will develop a sense of ownership over the resources and their learning. Collecting their own loose parts can also help children connect with the school environment and create a sense of belonging. This sense of belonging and ownership is important because it can help to build a stronger class community.

As you and your children collect playground twigs, leaves, stones and feathers, you will have the opportunity for a spontaneous and memorable science lesson too.

Natural loose parts are environmentally friendly resources. Unlike so many of our other classroom resources, they do not need to be manufactured or mass produced so there is minimal impact on the environment. When your natural loose parts break or you no longer need them, they can be disposed of easily and with no harm on the environment.

Including natural loose parts is very important for children to make connections to their family and local cultural heritage. Indigenous Australians have strong connection to country and the natural loose parts you will find there. It is extremely important for children to understand and experience these connections. Including locally sourced natural loose parts can help you do that.

Engagement with and collection of natural loose parts enable children to connect with and learn from nature. “Experiences in nature are positively associated with stronger pro-environmentalism, such as emotional affinity toward nature (Kals et al., 1999), willingness to conserve biodiversity (Soga et al., 2016), willingness to pay for the conservation of urban green spaces (Lo and Jim, 2010), and pro-environmental behaviours (Evans et al., 2018).Overall, researchers have found a positive link between environmental attitudes and environmental behaviours (Bamberg and Möser, 2007).” – Frontiers in Psychology 

Some Examples of Natural Loose Parts Play

Providing invitations to play with natural loose parts will give your children opportunities to express their creativity and develop higher order thinking skills.

As your children create and solve problems, they will in turn become intrinsically motivated to learn.

Through their problem-solving processes, they will experience success and failure. They will build their self-confidence and their self-concepts.

Fine motor and gross motor skills will be developed as they manipulate the natural resources.

Your children will naturally explore mathematical and scientific understandings and concepts as they interact with loose parts collections… do you need any more reasons to include natural loose parts play in your classroom?

I hope this blog post has given you some ideas to help you incorporate natural loose parts play into your  home or classroom. There really are so many benefits of using them and they are so easy and cheap to source.

For more outdoor inspiration read this article about setting up your own outdoor classroom.


Superscript

Block title

Loose Parts play can be used in Small World Play, sensory play, collage, sculpture, STEAM and more. It can also be called tinkering, making, construction play or just building. 

Loose parts play significantly benefits language and literacy development in children by fostering communication, storytelling, and imaginative play 

When children engage with loose parts, they naturally engage in conversations, negotiate roles, describe their creations, and even create narratives, all of which contribute to language acquisition and vocabulary expansion. 

At heart Loose Parts Play is messy! Chaos and creativity often go hand in hand. The easiest way to avoid hard-to-clean disasters in your home is to take Loose Parts Play outside, as much as possible. Generally speaking I save dirt, sand, mud, rocks, sticks and other related loose parts for outdoor play while pillows, silks, cardboard are used for indoor play.

Loose Parts Play Ideas for Toddlers by Backwoods Mama

A List of Loose Parts for Toddlers

Safety first! Loose Parts Play for toddlers needs to be age appropriate and safe. Avoid small loose parts that could be a choking hazard or toxic if mouthed or ingested. Below I’ve included a list of loose parts for toddlers with some safety tips when necessary. Please use you own discretion since you know your toddler best.

Natural Loose Parts for Toddlers

The great outdoors is filled with loose parts that can be easily used and sustainably gathered. Below is a list of some of my favourite loose parts for toddlers.

Water: Water is a loose part! Search for water in nature in its liquid form (puddles, streams, lakes, ocean) or solid form (ice and snow). Another option is to fill the bath for water play indoors. Water pairs well with buckets, containers, funnels and sieves. Always keep a close eye on toddlers near water.

Rocks: For young toddlers, look for rocks that are easy to handle but too big to fully fit into their mouths. That being said, I do let my toddler play with small rocks if I’m keeping a close eye on her. Encourage your toddler to notice different rock colours, textures and sizes. Rocks pair well with a shovel and pail.

Wood: I suggest collecting smooth sticks of various sizes that are splinter free and don’t have sharp ends. Some other toddler safe wood ideas include: driftwood, wood disks, and thick branches cut into small logs. Just be sure to remove bits of wood that easily break off.

Shells: Toddlers are still learning how to be gentle so choose larger and thicker shells that won’t easily break when handling and won’t easily fit into their mouths.

Leaves: Leaves are a great Loose Part for toddlers. Throw a bunch into a container or rake them into a pile. Just avoid any poisonous leaves like poison ivy.

Grass: My toddler recently discovered a pile of freshly moved grass left behind by our lawnmower. She scooped it, spread it and shoved it into a bucket and down her shirt (so itchy!). Other option for grass are hay, straw or long pieces of ornamental grass. Just be warned that grass can cause a mild allergic skin reaction with some toddlers.

Pine cones and large seeds: Large seeds like walnuts (unshelled) and pinecones of various sizes make for fun loose parts for toddlers.

Cork: Save the corks from wine bottles or grab a bag of them from your local winemaking shop or online. Cork is soft on the hands by can be easily chewed and broken pieces so this Loose Part might be best for older toddlers.

Hard vegetables: Grab some potatoes from your pantry for some easy and safe loose parts play. Pair potatoes with baskets or pots.

Dirt: Dirt comes in different forms (mud, sand, and clay) which toddlers enjoy playing with. If you’re worried about your toddler getting dirty with mud or clay play, dress them up in a waterproof rain suit. Letting toddlers play in the dirt has many benefits so try not to worry about the mess.

Man-made Loose Parts for Toddlers

Man made loose parts are those that are human made. These could items from the recycling bin, around your home or toys specifically made for Loose Parts. Trust me when I say that toddlers don’t need fancy Loose Part for engaging play so there is no need to go out and spend a fortune on these items. Here are some of my favourite easy to access man-made Loose Parts for toddlers:

Cardboard: Cardboard tubes, egg cartons and boxes of various sizes make for great loose parts for toddlers. Save items throughout your week like toilet paper rolls and cereal boxes and laid them out for some fun Loose Parts Play.

Textiles: Things like blankets, towels, pillows, scraps of fabric, wool, felt, and silk are wonderful and safe Loose Parts for toddlers to play with. Currently, my toddler’s favourite loose part textiles are pillows and play silks. You can easily make your own playsilks with silks and cool aid!

Containers: Containers of various sizes are a great must-have Loose Part that your toddler can have easy access to. My toddler loves her toddler sized sand pails and uses it for toting, storing, and sorting other Loose Parts she discovers inside and outside our home.

Large rings: From a young age my toddler was fascinated with putting rings onto her arms and legs as well as using them for other types of creative play. Some ideas for rings are canning rings and wood rings. Big scrunchies also make for a fun soft version of a ring.

Loose Parts Play Ideas for Toddlers by Backwoods Mama

Helpful Resources

If you are looking for more helpful resources for Loose Parts Play for toddlers or older children check out some of the resources below:

Loose Parts Play: A Toolkit by Theresa Casey and Juliet Robertson

Loose Parts Learning in K-3 Classrooms by Carla Gull, Suzanne Goldstein and Tricia Rosengarten

Loose Parts: Inspiring Play in Young Children by Lisa Daly and Miriam Beloglovsky 

Loose Parts 2: Inspiring Play with Infants and Toddlers by Lisa Daly and Miriam Beloglovsky

How Loose Parts Enhance Language and Literacy:

  • Communication and Collaboration:.Children often discuss their ideas, plans, and creations while playing with loose parts, which encourages verbal interaction and the development of communication skills. 

  • Storytelling and Narrative Development:.Loose parts can be used as props and characters in storytelling, allowing children to develop narratives, practice sequencing events, and express their creativity through language. 

  • Vocabulary Expansion:.As children describe their actions, creations, and ideas, they encounter and use new words, expanding their vocabulary and understanding of language. 

  • Pre-Writing Skills:.Children can use loose parts to trace letters, create shapes, and even write words, developing pre-writing skills and letter recognition. 

  • Symbolic Play and Representation:.Loose parts enable children to engage in symbolic play, where one object represents another, a crucial skill for literacy development. 

  • Reading Comprehension:.Loose parts can be used to act out stories, reinforcing comprehension and making reading more engaging. 

  • Self-Expression:.Children can use loose parts to express their thoughts, feelings, and ideas, fostering self-confidence and communication skills. 

Examples:

  • Children might use sticks, stones, and leaves to retell the story of the Three Little Pigs, creating different scenarios and dialogue for each character. 

  • Using buttons, beads, and small blocks, children could create a sequence of events to represent a story they have read. 

  • They could use loose parts to build letters, then use those letters to form words and sentences. 

  • Children can use loose parts to create a "shop" or "restaurant," using the parts to represent different items and engaging in pretend play with accompanying dialogue. 

Everything You Need to Know About Loose Parts Play for Kids

By providing opportunities for open-ended exploration and creative expression, loose parts play helps children develop essential language and literacy skills, setting a strong foundation for future learning.

Creative Projects for Using Loose Parts

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Free printable math activity to learn counting during summer beach theme and shell theme activities #preschool #kindergarten #playdough #math #freebie

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Free Printable June Activity Calendar for Kids. June Preschool Activities and Preschool Summer Themes #preschool #freeprintable #freebie #summerwithkids #summeractivities

June Preschool Activities and Fun Things to Do With Kids

Free Printable Summer ABC Play Dough Mats. Watermelon Theme Alphabet Activities for Summer. #preschool #kindergarten #alphabet #freeprintable #freebie

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Air Dry Clay Flower Craft for Kids. Creative play art project for preschool and kindergarten. #preschool #kindergarten #kidart #artforkids #springactivities #flowertheme

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Free Printable May Activity Calendar with Hands-on Play and Learning Activities for Kids #may #freeprintable #kidsactivities

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Painting with Carrots Open-Ended Art Activity. Art project for Easter, Spring, or Vegetable theme activities in preschool and kindergarten #preschool #kindergarten #spring #easter #kidart #processart

Painting with Carrots Open-Ended Art ActivityVin Giannetto

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Preschool Spring Theme Activities Planning Guide. Free printables, teaching videos, spring books, and more for planning a preschool theme #preschool #spring #preschoolthemes

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Free printable Flower ABC Mats. Spring them alphabet activity for preschool and kindergarten #freeprintable #preschool #spring

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Books About Rocks for Kids. Free printable rock book list with writing activity for kids #preschool #kindergarten #booklist #freebie

Books About Rocks for Young Kids

20+ Dr. Seuss Activities and Crafts for Kids. Ideas for your favorite Dr. Seuss books and Read Across America Day #preschool #kindergarten #drseuss

20+ Dr. Seuss Crafts and Art Projects

Free Printable February Activity Calendar with February Preschool Activities #preschool #february #kidsactivities

February Preschool Activities and Fun Things to Do With Kids

Free Printable Snowman Winter Math Counting Activity #preschool #kindergarten #snowman #counting

Counting Snowballs Winter Math Activity

Hot Cocoa ABCs Preschool Alphabet Printables-Free printable winter theme alphabet activity for preschool and kindergarten. Hot chocolate activities for kids. #preschool #alphabet #kindergarten #winter

Hot Cocoa ABCs Preschool Alphabet Printables

Free Printable January Calendar of Preschool Activities. Winter Activities and Fun Things to Do with Kids #freeprintable #kids #winter #january

January Preschool Activities and Fun Things to Do With Kids

Hands-on, quick prep one more one less number sense activities for math small groups in preschool and kindergarten #math #preschool #kindergarten

One More One Less Number Sense Activities

Preschool Christmas Theme Planning Guide-Preschool Christmas Theme Activities for Kids #preschool #christmas

Christmas Theme Preschool Activities

Free Printable Gingerbread Man Theme Counting Mats for Preschool and Kindergarten #preschool #gingerbread #math #freeprintable

Gingerbread Counting Numbers Printable Math Mats

ABC Printable Gingerbread Play Dough Mats Freebie #gingerbread #christmas #freeprintable #prek #alphabet

Gingerbread ABCs Preschool Alphabet Printables

Pumpkin Pie Preschool Alphabet Printables

Thanksgiving Theme Preschool Activities and Planning Guide. Preschool Lesson Plans. Thanksgiving activities, songs, videos and more #preschool #thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Theme Preschool Activities

Free Printable Thanksgiving Turkey Color Sorting Mats-Thanksgiving activities for toddlers and preschool #preschool #toddler #freeprintable #thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Color Sorting Turkey Mats

Preschool Monster Theme Activities-Planning guide for preschool monster theme. Lesson plans, songs, free printables and more #preschool #monsters #halloween

Monster Theme Preschool Activities

Christmas Sponge Painting Activity for Kids

Christmas Tree Sponge Painting

Preschool Winter Theme Lesson Planning Guide #preschool

Preschool Winter Theme Activities

Spider Crafts and Activities for Kids. Fun for Halloween or any time kids are interested in learning about spiders. Includes sensory play, fine motor, math, literacy and more

Spider Crafts and Activities for Kids

Fall Activities with Mini Apples-Fine motor activities, sensory play ideas, free printables and more to do with your apple manipulatives

Fall Activities with Mini Apples

Preschool Apple Theme Lesson Planning Guide #preschool #fall #apples #kidsactivities

Preschool Apple Theme Activities

free preschool and kindergarten math printables with activities for counting, measurement, addition and more

Preschool Printables

Hands-on ways to use alphabet mats...great ideas for reusing ABC mats for letter recognition activities.

Ways to Use Alphabet Mats for Letter Recognition

Play Dough Apple Tree Fall Activity for Kids

Apple Tree Play Dough Invitation

Easy Cardboard Tube Wreath Christmas Craft for Kids

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Bird Nest Play Dough Invitation

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Pumpkin Play Dough Invitation for Fall

Fall Play Dough Invitation to Play

Top 10 Ways to Remember the ABCs-Fun ways for kids to practice the alphabet

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Fun Fall Activities for Kids from Fantastic Fun and Learning~Over 25 creative play activities for fall!

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Flower Art Project Using Kitchen Utensil Prints

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Snowman Art Painting with Snowballs

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Pattern Presents Christmas Fine Motor Mats

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Use these creative Self-Portrait Art Project Ideas to inspire kids to create art and learn more about one another. Great keepsake gift idea!

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My YMCA Nature Curriculum Featured on How Stuff Works: 

200+ nature activity ideas

Each day in June we try to do a nature related activity each day, exploring, making, baking and learning as we go. We have had so many great adventures, amazing experiences and memorable encounters with wildlife taking part. You can find a list of over 200+ nature activity ideas for 30 Days Wild below for inspiration, read more about our 30 Days Wild experiences here, or browse through the activities in the following sections:  

A-Z of Animal activity ideas 
– 
A-Z  of Flora (Plant/tree/seaweed ect) activity ideasScience experiments and STEM Activities 
– 
Educational nature and wildlife activities 
Foraging ideas
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For me personally 30 days wild is very much about encouraging others to enjoy and care about nature, it’s about raising awareness and passing on knowledge, promoting conservation and supporting our local nature reserves and wildlife charities, not just for 30 days wild but as something we embrace as part of our daily lives all year round. I want my children to grow up to enjoy and appreciate nature, to be inquisitive, curious and care about the world around them.

There are so many things you can do to help nature, from making your garden more wildlife friendly, litter picking, getting involved in conservation and going plastic free, to volunteering at local nature reserves, supporting wildlife charities , donating money and petitioning on behalf of environmental causes. But the most important thing you can do is share your passion and enthusiasm for it, show pictures, share stories, educate and encourage others to join in with you. We protect the things we care about, and in order to get society to care about nature we first have to get them to engage with it.

30 Days Wild 2024 activities

  1. 12 Slow worm activity ideas

  2. 14 Ribwort plantain activity ideas

  3. 12 Mole activity ideas

  4. 9 Wild Marjoram activity ideas

  5. 20 Hazel tree activity ideas

  6. 16 Deer activity ideas

  7. 11 Ivy activity ideas

  8. 25 Strawberry activity ideas

  9. 21 Habitat activity ideas

  10. 10 Hawthorn activity ideas

  11. 18 Pollination and pollinator activity ideas

  12. 10 Elder tree activity ideas

  13. 15 Mouse, Vole and Shrew activity ideas

  14. 19 Fox activity ideas

  15. 23 Mushroom and fungi activity ideas

  16. 13 Ragwort activity ideas

  17. 19 Fly activity ideas

  18. 18 Ladybird activity ideas

  19. 17 Badger activity ideas

  20. 11 Fern activity ideas

  21. 16 Freshwater and aquatic wildlife activity ideas

  22. Exploring the shore 20+ activity ideas

  23. 100+ Insect and Minibeast activity ideas

  24. 20 Grass activity ideas

  25. 15 Dragonfly and Damselfly activity ideas

  26. Worm activity ideas

  27. 36 Bird activity ideas

  28. 10 Slug activity ideas

  29. 20 Garden activity ideas

  30. 16 Beetle activity ideas

30 Days Wild 2023 activities

  1. 30 Mammal activity ideas

  2. 14 Seed science activity ideas

  3. 15 Dragonfly and Damselfly activity ideas

  4. 14 Buttercup activity ideas

  5. 16 Mint activity ideas

  6. 20 Grass activity ideas

  7. 20 Sun science activity ideas

  8. 10 Invasive species activity ideas

  9. 36 Bird activity ideas

  10. 15 Shark activity ideas

  11. 12 Pollution activity ideas

  12. 16 Weather science activity ideas

  13. 12 Millipede activity ideas

  14. 18 Moss activity ideas

  15. 26 Butterfly and Caterpillar activity ideas

  16. 25 Moth activity ideas

  17. 20 Bat activity ideas

  18. 14 Jellyfish activity ideas

  19. 21 Rosemary activity ideas

  20. 17 Sunflower activity ideas

  21. 12 Willow activity ideas

  22. 10 Centipede activity ideas

  23. 24 Strawberry activity ideas

  24. 14 Lichen activity ideas

  25. 14 Hoverfly activity ideas

  26. 7 Earwig activity ideas

  27. 17 Spider activity ideas

  28. 12 Clover activity ideas

  29. 33 Rose activity ideas

  30. 25 Bee activity ideas

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30 Days Wild 2022 activities

  1. 20 ways to make a home for wildlife in your garden.

  2. 11 Daisy activity ideas and recipes + fun facts.

  3. 20 Gardening activity ideas +STEM.

  4. 14 Chive activity ideas and recipes + fun facts.

  5. 8 Nature hunt activity ideas.

  6. 10 Slug activity ideas + fun facts.

  7. 22 Moth activity ideas + fun facts.

  8. Nature numbers and math symbols.

  9. Exploring trees and woods 30+ activity ideas.

  10. 22 Butterfly and caterpillar activity ideas.

  11. 8 Elder tree activity ideas and recipes

  12. 21 Strawberry activity ideas and recipes

  13. 10 Woodlice activity ideas + fun facts

  14. 12 Ant activity ideas + fun facts

  15. Exploring the shore 20 activity ideas

  16. 30 Rose activity ideas and recipes

  17. 12 Fossil activity ideas

  18. 10 Crab activity ideas + fun facts

  19. 9. Mammal tracking activity ideas

  20. 100+ Insect and minibeast activity ideas

  21. 16 Beetle activity ideas + fun facts

  22. 14 Hoverfly activity ideas +fun facts

  23. 33 Bird activity ideas + fun facts

  24. 14 Spider activity ideas + fun facts

  25. 15 Nature therapy and mindfulness activity ideas

  26. 11 Bat activity ideas + fun facts

  27. 8 Rain science activity ideas

  28. 21 Lavender activity ideas and recipes

  29. 12 Seaweed activity ideas +fun facts

  30. 10 Pollution activity ideas and experiments 

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30 Days Wild 2021 activities

  1. Amazing ants – 3 science activities.

  2. Fossil facts and fun activities.

  3. The Great British Wildflower Hunt 2021.

  4. Community garden projects.

  5. 10 Dandelion activities, recipes and fun facts.

  6. Leaf boats and rafts.

  7. 10 Beetle activities and fun facts.

  8. 15 Rose activities and recipes.

  9. Elderflower recipes.

  10. 10 Land snail science and craft activities.

  11. 9 Nettle activities and recipes.

  12. Strawberries Rock! Citizen Science project.

  13. 14 bee activity ideas and fun facts.

  14. Nature painting + DIT nature paintbrushes and easels.

  15. Earwig activites and fun facts.

  16. 12 Strawberry activities and recipes.

  17. Nature alphabet.

  18. 5 Rainy day science activities and experiments.

  19. 20 Butterfly and caterpillar activity ideas.

  20. Exploring the shore – 15 activity ideas.

  21. Botanical dyes.

  22. 7 Mammal tracking activities.

  23. Exploring trees and woods – 25 activity ideas.

  24. 14 Freshwater and aquatic wildlife activities.

  25. 12 Nasturtium recipes and activities.

  26. 9 Spider activities and fun facts.

  27. Nature slime (Taste safe and non toxic)

  28. 12 ideas for finding insects and minibeasts.

  29. 14 Soil science and sensory activity ideas.

  30. 14 Lavender sensory activities and recipes.

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30 DAYS WILD 2020 ACTIVITIES

  1. Hoverfly lagoons

  2. Dandelion vegan honey and caffeine free dandelion root coffee

  3. Nature painting 

  4. Making birds nests, feather quill pens and an egg-citing experiment

  5. Strawberry picking + homemade strawberry ice cream and strawberry gin.

  6. Pond dipping

  7. Nature art frames

  8. Rose petal jam and rose tea

  9. Moth traps, wine ropes and citizen science

  10. Nature hunt word game

  11. Crabbing

  12. Rainy day STEM activities

  13. The Great British Wildflower hunt

  14. Exploring the shore – activities and ideas

  15. Nettle soup, honey cake and nettle tea

  16. Butterfly life cycle, fun facts and activities

  17. Nature collages

  18. Rosemary bread, biscuits, ice cream and gin

  19. Beeswax wraps and The Great Nurdle Hunt

  20. The Big Wild Weekend Summer solstice camp out and mini beast hunt

  21. Wildlife at night survey, fun facts and activities

  22. Plant life – STEM growing activities and experiments

  23. Insect houses and bug hotels

  24. Exploring trees and woods

  25. Tataki zome – Flower pounding and leaf bashing

  26. Making a home for wildlife

  27. Nasturtium and Lavender flower biscuits and Rosemary cupcakes

  28. Natural face masks, bath bombs and soaps

  29. Botanical dyes

  30. Nature therapy and mindfulness activities.

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30 DAYS WILD 2019 ACTIVITIES

  1. Strawberry picking and a mini beast hunt.

  2. Visited a hedgehog rescue and held baby hedgehogsidentified shells and balenced rocks on the shore.

  3. Planted an oak tree and started some seed growing experiments.

  4. Made candied rose petals.

  5. Made a wormery and took part in a Citizen science project on soil invertebrates.

  6. Made naturally scented and coloured playdough using herbs and flowers from the garden.

  7. Rainy day puddle splashing and saving snails.

  8. Helped with a bioblitz (an ecological survey) we found newts and insects. Then we held a snake and walked a lizard with the reptile academy.

  9. Looked for sea life on the shore with friends, we found a giant jellyfish, lots of little crabs and two Gobi fish.

  10. Made a rain measure and finished our seed experiments.

  11. Picked broad beans and looked for ladybirds amongst the wild daisy’s.

  12. Made welly boot plant pots and sowed wildflower seeds in the garden.

  13. Rainy day baking using herbs and flowers from the garden to make shortbread biscuits and nature themed baby sensory.

  14. A wildflower walk at a Peartree nature reserve.

  15. Pond dipping and woodland adventures 

  16. Released and held some painted lady butterflies that we had raised from caterpillars.

  17. Made and played with some nature art frames.

  18. Created a wildlife pond for the garden.

  19. Made wildflower seeded paper to plant and grow.

  20. Snail racing, observation and tracking.

  21. Explored the shore, spotted butterflies in a wildflower meadow and made a stick rattle.

  22. Crabbing with friends and picking home grown peas to eat.

  23. Woodland adventures and setting tumble traps.

  24. Spore printing from mushrooms and looking at the insects we caught in our tumble traps.

  25. Made and buried a time capsule.

  26. Mud cakes, magic potions and leaf boats.

  27. Tree spirits, wildflower seed bombs and nature imprints from clay.

  28. Played nature games and had fun on the farm walking a goat.

  29. Painted rocks to hide, explored a woodland stream and entered a gardening competition.

  30. Nature watch fun at Sholing Valley nature reserve, finding insects and wildflowers whilst on a colour hunt.

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30 Days Wild 2018 activities

1. Made a slowworm shelter in the garden.
2. Explored the shore and found jellyfish, crabs and winkles. We also visited a local pond and saw some baby swans.
3. Catching crabs and tree climbing.
4. Making cress seed caterpillars.
5. Homemade natural perfume.
6. Sunprint nature shapes on photographic paper
7. Baked rosemary biscuits and went on a wild walk
8. Set up an antarium to observe ants and made banana milkshakes
9. Went to the National Oceanography centre open day and picked strawberries and peas
10. Painted rocks to hide for others to find.
11. Grew a mushroom and made bird feeder bunting and a footprint tracker
12. Strawberry ice lollies and a hedgehog house.
13. Learning about decomposition and making an insect house we also encountered a Stag beetle.
14. Exploring a woodland park and feeding the ducks.
15. Making ice decorations and went strawberry picking
16 Helped with a Bioblitz at Peartree nature reserve
17. Celebrated Swanwick Lakes 25th birthday and enjoyed the family day activities
18. Sowed some wildflower seeds and supported our local nature reserves
19. Strawberry jam making, took habitat reference photos and spotted a dragonfly
20. Making wildflower seed bombs
21. Picked Rhubarb and ran wild in the fields, meadow and on the shore.
22. Fowers and helping out bees
23. Raising caterpillars and looking for minibeasts
24. Litterpicking, nature watch and making tree spirits
25. Sun catchers and checked on our caterpillars
26. Raising Triops
27. We went on a rainbow nature hunt and made cloud binoculars
28. Den building and a teddy bears tea party
29. Nature games
30. Picked blackberries and spotted butterflies

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30 Days Wild 2017 We really enjoyed taking part in The Wildlife Trusts 30 Days Wild Challenge and I thought it would be nice if we shared some of the ideas and activities for others to try.
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I’ve split them into three sections to make it easier to find the right activities for you. (This is a work in progress so keep checking back to see the new sections/info)

Giving nature a home

Ideas to make your garden wildlife friendly or if you don’t have a garden make mini wildlife friendly plant pots, shelters or feeders to hang outside your home.

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 Outdoor activities and adventures

Ideas for outdoor games, activities and adventures with places to visit and things to do.

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Nature things to make and do

Ideas for nature arts, crafts, projects and indoor activities.

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You can read about our 30 days wild adventures here as well as also see a list all the things we did and found.

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2019 Exploring the shore
20+ activity ideas

Continue reading →

2021 Exploring the shore (20 activity ideas)

Continue reading →

Shore adventures, stick rattles and a wildflower meadow 

Continue reading →

Sealife on the shore –

 Continue reading →

Identifying shells and rock balancing on the shore

Continue reading →

Exploring the shore

Continue reading →

Sunflower activity ideas

Continue reading →

Free printable emotions bingo class game to help kids learn about feelings and social emotional development

Emotions Bingo Game

Preschool Summer Theme Activities Planning Guide-Favorite preschool summer themes and lesson plans

Preschool Summer Theme Activities

8 great Passover Activities for Preschool

8 Great Passover Activities for Young Children

Coffee filter snowflake art projects. Winter art activity for kids

Coffee Filter Snowflake Art

Valentine Shape Mat Freebie for Preschool Valentine's Day Theme. Valentine's Day Play Dough

Valentine Play Dough Shape Mats

Fish Play Dough Invitation

Fish Play Dough

Exploring measurement with Spielgaben

Learning Through Play with Spielgaben

Spider Play Dough

Fun Ways to Play and Create with Fall Doughs

Button Apple Tree Invitation to Play

Incredible Links For Using Loose Parts

Loose Parts Stick Christmas Tree Art Project

Loose Parts Stick Christmas Tree Art Project

Recycled Rabbit Art Project Loose Parts Rabbit Craft for Kids

Loose Parts Recycled Rabbit Art Project

Christmas Tree Loose Parts Play Sensory Art Project for Kids with natural materials Christmas Craft for Kids-Loose Parts Play Christmas Tree Art Project

Christmas Tree Craft Loose Parts Play

Decorate a Tree Loose Parts Play for Kids-Toddler and Preschool Collaborative Pretend Play and Art Project for Tree Theme and Spring Activities #kidart #preschool #toddler #loosepartsplay

Decorate a Tree Loose Parts Play

Art and Loose Parts Play Trays

Art and Loose Parts Play

Loose Parts Sensory Play-sensory play activity ideas with loose parts for toddlers and preschoolers #preschool #sensoryplay #looseparts #toddlers #sensory

Loose Parts Sensory Play

Literacy and Loose Parts Play-How to promote early learning, story retelling, letter recognition, name recognition and more through loose parts play #loosepartsplay #preschool #kindergarten #literacy

Loose Parts Play and Literacy

Math and Loose Parts Play-hands-on learning and math skills with loose parts play for preschool and kindergarten #preschool #kindergarten #loosepartsplay

Math and Loose Parts Play

Loose Parts Play with Kids-Head outdoors and play! #outdoorplay #kids #preschool

Outdoor Play with Loose Parts

Everything You Need to Know About Loose Parts Play-Learn the how and why behind loose parts play for kids. Tips for getting started. Where to find materials and more!

Everything You Need to Know About Loose Parts Play for Kids

Invitation to Play~Loose Parts Christmas Activity

Loose Parts Play Christmas Activity

Free Printable Robot Fine Motor Play Dough and Tracing Patterning Mats Center for PreK and K-2

Robot Fine Motor Mats

Free Printable Notebook Fine Motor Play Dough and Tracing Patterning Mats Center for PreK and K-3

Notebook Fine Motor Mats

Free Printable Birthday Cake Fine Motor Play Dough and Tracing Patterning Mats Center for PreK and K-1

Birthday Fine Motor Mats

Loose parts-Sensory Play

Free Printable Ice Cream Fine Motor Play Dough and Tracing Patterning Mats Center for PreK and K -1

Ice Cream Fine Motor Mats

Collage Self-Portrait Art Project for Kids-Loose Parts Craft for Pre-K and Kindergarten Mother_s Day Gift

Collage Self-Portrait Art Project

Free Printable Fish Summer Fine Motor Play Dough and Tracing Patterning Mats Center for PreK and K -1

Fish Fine Motor Pattern Mats

Free Printable Heart Fine Motor Play Dough and Tracing Patterning Mats Center for PreK and K-1

Pattern Heart Fine Motor Mats

Free Printable Mitten Fine Motor Play Dough and Tracing Patterning Mats Center for PreK and K

Winter Mitten Fine Motor Mats

Whimsical Winter Newspaper Penguin Art Project for Kids

Whimsical Winter Newspaper Penguin Craft

Kusama Inspired Pumpkin Collage Art Project for Kids

Kusama Inspired Pumpkin Collage Art Project

Free Printable Pumpkin Fine Motor Play Dough and Tracing Patterning Mats Center for PreK and K

Pumpkin Fine Motor Mats

Recycled Stegosaurus Dinosaur Craft and Loose Parts Collage Art Project for Kids

Recycled Stegosaurus Dinosaur Craft

Free Printable Emotions Easy Reader

Emotions Emergent Reader

Spring Flower Collage-Art Project and Spring Flower Craft for Kids

Spring Flower Collage Art Project

Books About Feelings-Teaching Young Children About Emotions and Social Emotional Development

Emotions Book List

Cardinals in Winter-Art Project and Winter Craft for Kids

Cardinal Winter Art Project

Bumble Bee Valentines Art Project for Kids

Bumble Bee Valentines Art Project

Cardboard Tube Crafts for Winter and Christmas

Cardboard Tube Crafts for Winter and Christmas

Preschool Pumpkin Theme Activities-Planning guide for preschool pumpkin theme lesson plans #preschool #fall #pumpkins

Pumpkin Theme Preschool Activities

Today I Feel Emotions Mats Free Printable for Preschool and Kindergarten Feelings Activities #freebie #preschool #kindergarten

Teaching Feelings Today I Feel Play Dough Mats

Build the Alphabet Apple ABC Letter Mats Free Printable Pre-Writing Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten Apple Theme Literacy Center Activities #preschool #kindergarten #alphabet

Apple ABCs Preschool Alphabet Printables

Preschool Dinosaur Theme Lesson Planning Guide #preschool

Dinosaur Theme Preschool Activities

Counting Seeds Gardening Sensory Bin-Pretend play and math activity for toddlers and preschoolers #spring #preschool #math #kidsactivities

Counting Seeds Gardening Sensory Bin

Amazing Sensory Bags-mess-free sensory play for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers

Sensory Squish Bags

Preschool Flower Theme Lesson Planning Guide #preschool #prek #kidsactivities

Flower Theme Preschool Activities

Thanksgiving Activities for Kids

Invitation to Create Monster Faces~Creative open-ended play for Halloween

Monster Art and Fine Motor Play

Fish Play Dough Invitation

Fish Play Dough

Exploring measurement with Spielgaben

Learning Through Play with Spielgaben

Spider Play Dough

Fun Ways to Play and Create with Fall Doughs

Button Apple Tree Invitation to Play

Pumpkin Play Dough Invitation for Fall

Fall Play Dough Invitation to Play

Top 10 Ways to Remember the ABCs-Fun ways for kids to practice the alphabet

Top 10 Ways to Teach the ABCs

Fork-Painted Spring Chick Art Project Spring Craft for Kids

Fork-Painted Spring Chick Art Project

Torn paper penguin craft. Winter art project for kids

Torn Paper Penguin Craft

Playful Hands-on Hanukkah Activities for Preschoolers

8 Great Hanukkah Activities for Preschool

Free Printable December Activity Calendar with December Activities to Do with Kids

December Preschool Activities and Fun Things to Do With Kids

Kids will love exploring a new painting technique as they create tinfoil process art Christmas ornaments in this fun Christmas art project for kids.

Tinfoil Process Art Christmas Ornaments

Free printable dinosaur math mats for dinosaur theme counting in preschool and kindergarten #playdough #math #freebie

Dinosaur Counting Play Dough Mats

Preschool Tree Theme Lesson Planning Guide #preschool

Tree Theme Preschool Activities

Box of Chocolates Play Dough Valentine's Day Activity for Kids #valentinesday #pretendplay

Valentine’s Day Chocolates Play Dough Invitation

free printable snowman shape mats for winter preschool learning

Snowman Shape Play Dough Mats

snowman play dough winter activity #kidsactivities #finemotor #snowmen

Snowman Play Dough

Preschool Valentine's Day Theme Lesson Planning Guide #preschool

Valentine’s Day Activities for Kids

Snowman Sensory Squish Bag-Snowman theme toddler and preschool sensory play idea for winter #winteractivities #sensoryplay #preschool

Snowman Sensory Squish Bag

Gingerbread Play Dough Invitation-Make gingerbread alphabet cookies

Gingerbread Play Dough ABC Activity

Pumpkin Theme Books for Kids

Pumpkin Books

Learn how to make oobleck with a simple oobleck recipe and helpful tips for extending playtime with this fun sensory activity for kids.

Oobleck Recipe and Playtime Tips

Found Object Butterfly Craft for Kids-Creative mess-free loose parts play and art projects for kids

Found Object Butterfly Craft

Play Dough Sensory Self-Portrait All About Me Activity for Preschool

All About Me Sensory Self-Portrait

Books About Horses-Includes fiction and nonfiction books for kids

Horse Books

Books About Fun at School~14 great books about riding the bus, picture day, teachers, art class, and so much more

School Books About Teachers, Recess, the Bus and More

Loose Parts-Sensory Play

Thanksgiving Activities for Kids

Invitation to Create Monster Faces~Creative open-ended play for Halloween

Monster Art and Fine Motor Play

Superscript

Block title

Loose Parts play can be used in Small World Play, sensory play, collage, sculpture, STEAM and more. It can also be called tinkering, making, construction play or just building. 

Loose parts play significantly benefits language and literacy development in children by fostering communication, storytelling, and imaginative play 

When children engage with loose parts, they naturally engage in conversations, negotiate roles, describe their creations, and even create narratives, all of which contribute to language acquisition and vocabulary expansion. 

At heart Loose Parts Play is messy! Chaos and creativity often go hand in hand. The easiest way to avoid hard-to-clean disasters in your home is to take Loose Parts Play outside, as much as possible. Generally speaking I save dirt, sand, mud, rocks, sticks and other related loose parts for outdoor play while pillows, silks, cardboard are used for indoor play.

Loose Parts Play Ideas for Toddlers by Backwoods Mama

A List of Loose Parts for Toddlers

Safety first! Loose Parts Play for toddlers needs to be age appropriate and safe. Avoid small loose parts that could be a choking hazard or toxic if mouthed or ingested. Below I’ve included a list of loose parts for toddlers with some safety tips when necessary. Please use you own discretion since you know your toddler best.

Natural Loose Parts for Toddlers

The great outdoors is filled with loose parts that can be easily used and sustainably gathered. Below is a list of some of my favourite loose parts for toddlers.

Water: Water is a loose part! Search for water in nature in its liquid form (puddles, streams, lakes, ocean) or solid form (ice and snow). Another option is to fill the bath for water play indoors. Water pairs well with buckets, containers, funnels and sieves. Always keep a close eye on toddlers near water.

Rocks: For young toddlers, look for rocks that are easy to handle but too big to fully fit into their mouths. That being said, I do let my toddler play with small rocks if I’m keeping a close eye on her. Encourage your toddler to notice different rock colours, textures and sizes. Rocks pair well with a shovel and pail.

Wood: I suggest collecting smooth sticks of various sizes that are splinter free and don’t have sharp ends. Some other toddler safe wood ideas include: driftwood, wood disks, and thick branches cut into small logs. Just be sure to remove bits of wood that easily break off.

Shells: Toddlers are still learning how to be gentle so choose larger and thicker shells that won’t easily break when handling and won’t easily fit into their mouths.

Leaves: Leaves are a great Loose Part for toddlers. Throw a bunch into a container or rake them into a pile. Just avoid any poisonous leaves like poison ivy.

Grass: My toddler recently discovered a pile of freshly moved grass left behind by our lawnmower. She scooped it, spread it and shoved it into a bucket and down her shirt (so itchy!). Other option for grass are hay, straw or long pieces of ornamental grass. Just be warned that grass can cause a mild allergic skin reaction with some toddlers.

Pine cones and large seeds: Large seeds like walnuts (unshelled) and pinecones of various sizes make for fun loose parts for toddlers.

Cork: Save the corks from wine bottles or grab a bag of them from your local winemaking shop or online. Cork is soft on the hands by can be easily chewed and broken pieces so this Loose Part might be best for older toddlers.

Hard vegetables: Grab some potatoes from your pantry for some easy and safe loose parts play. Pair potatoes with baskets or pots.

Dirt: Dirt comes in different forms (mud, sand, and clay) which toddlers enjoy playing with. If you’re worried about your toddler getting dirty with mud or clay play, dress them up in a waterproof rain suit. Letting toddlers play in the dirt has many benefits so try not to worry about the mess.

Man-made Loose Parts for Toddlers

Man made loose parts are those that are human made. These could items from the recycling bin, around your home or toys specifically made for Loose Parts. Trust me when I say that toddlers don’t need fancy Loose Part for engaging play so there is no need to go out and spend a fortune on these items. Here are some of my favourite easy to access man-made Loose Parts for toddlers:

Cardboard: Cardboard tubes, egg cartons and boxes of various sizes make for great loose parts for toddlers. Save items throughout your week like toilet paper rolls and cereal boxes and laid them out for some fun Loose Parts Play.

Textiles: Things like blankets, towels, pillows, scraps of fabric, wool, felt, and silk are wonderful and safe Loose Parts for toddlers to play with. Currently, my toddler’s favourite loose part textiles are pillows and play silks. You can easily make your own playsilks with silks and cool aid!

Containers: Containers of various sizes are a great must-have Loose Part that your toddler can have easy access to. My toddler loves her toddler sized sand pails and uses it for toting, storing, and sorting other Loose Parts she discovers inside and outside our home.

Large rings: From a young age my toddler was fascinated with putting rings onto her arms and legs as well as using them for other types of creative play. Some ideas for rings are canning rings and wood rings. Big scrunchies also make for a fun soft version of a ring.

Loose Parts Play Ideas for Toddlers by Backwoods Mama

Helpful Resources

If you are looking for more helpful resources for Loose Parts Play for toddlers or older children check out some of the resources below:

Loose Parts Play: A Toolkit by Theresa Casey and Juliet Robertson

Loose Parts Learning in K-3 Classrooms by Carla Gull, Suzanne Goldstein and Tricia Rosengarten

Loose Parts: Inspiring Play in Young Children by Lisa Daly and Miriam Beloglovsky 

Loose Parts 2: Inspiring Play with Infants and Toddlers by Lisa Daly and Miriam Beloglovsky

How Loose Parts Enhance Language and Literacy:

  • Communication and Collaboration:.Children often discuss their ideas, plans, and creations while playing with loose parts, which encourages verbal interaction and the development of communication skills. 

  • Storytelling and Narrative Development:.Loose parts can be used as props and characters in storytelling, allowing children to develop narratives, practice sequencing events, and express their creativity through language. 

  • Vocabulary Expansion:.As children describe their actions, creations, and ideas, they encounter and use new words, expanding their vocabulary and understanding of language. 

  • Pre-Writing Skills:.Children can use loose parts to trace letters, create shapes, and even write words, developing pre-writing skills and letter recognition. 

  • Symbolic Play and Representation:.Loose parts enable children to engage in symbolic play, where one object represents another, a crucial skill for literacy development. 

  • Reading Comprehension:.Loose parts can be used to act out stories, reinforcing comprehension and making reading more engaging. 

  • Self-Expression:.Children can use loose parts to express their thoughts, feelings, and ideas, fostering self-confidence and communication skills. 

Examples:

  • Children might use sticks, stones, and leaves to retell the story of the Three Little Pigs, creating different scenarios and dialogue for each character. 

  • Using buttons, beads, and small blocks, children could create a sequence of events to represent a story they have read. 

  • They could use loose parts to build letters, then use those letters to form words and sentences. 

  • Children can use loose parts to create a "shop" or "restaurant," using the parts to represent different items and engaging in pretend play with accompanying dialogue. 

Everything You Need to Know About Loose Parts Play for Kids

By providing opportunities for open-ended exploration and creative expression, loose parts play helps children develop essential language and literacy skills, setting a strong foundation for future learning.

Creative Projects for Using Loose Parts

BIG List of Christmas Tree Crafts for Kids. 44 creative Christmas tree arts and crafts projects.

BIG List of Christmas Tree Crafts for Kids

Free Printable November Activity Calendar with Fun Things to Do with Kids. Playful learning activities for preschoolers #preschool #kidsactivities #thanksgiving #freeprintable

November Preschool Activities and Fun Things to Do With Kids

Free Printable October Kids Activity Calendar-Halloween activities for preschool

October Preschool Activities and Fun Things to Do With Kids

Free printable September Activity Calendar with September preschool activities and fun things to do with kids in Fall #preschool #fallactivities #september

September Preschool Activities and Fun Things to Do With Kids

Free printable August Activity Calendar. Preschool Activities for August #preschool #freeprintable #kidsactivities

August Preschool Activities and Fun Things to Do With Kids

Seashell Self-Portrait Art Project for Kids. Summer process art activity for preschool and kindergarten. #preschool #processart #kindergarten #selfportrait

Seashell Self-Portrait Art Project

Free Printable July Activity Calendar with Fun Kids Activities for Summer #preschool #freeprintable #summerwithkids #summeractivities

July Preschool Activities and Fun Things to Do With Kids

Setting up your Outdoor Classroom. Tips for creating an outdoor learning space for preschoolers #preschool #outdoorclassroom #natureinspiredlearning

Creating Your Own Outdoor Classroom

Free printable math activity to learn counting during summer beach theme and shell theme activities #preschool #kindergarten #playdough #math #freebie

Seashell Counting Numbers Math Mats

Free Printable June Activity Calendar for Kids. June Preschool Activities and Preschool Summer Themes #preschool #freeprintable #freebie #summerwithkids #summeractivities

June Preschool Activities and Fun Things to Do With Kids

Free Printable Summer ABC Play Dough Mats. Watermelon Theme Alphabet Activities for Summer. #preschool #kindergarten #alphabet #freeprintable #freebie

Watermelon ABC Preschool Letter Printable

Air Dry Clay Flower Craft for Kids. Creative play art project for preschool and kindergarten. #preschool #kindergarten #kidart #artforkids #springactivities #flowertheme

Air Dry Clay Flower Craft

Free Printable May Activity Calendar with Hands-on Play and Learning Activities for Kids #may #freeprintable #kidsactivities

May Preschool Activities and Fun Things to Do With Kids

Painting with Carrots Open-Ended Art Activity. Art project for Easter, Spring, or Vegetable theme activities in preschool and kindergarten #preschool #kindergarten #spring #easter #kidart #processart

Painting with Carrots Open-Ended Art ActivityVin Giannetto

Free Printable April Activity Calendar. Fun Things to Do with Kids in April #homeschoolpreschool #preschoolathome #kidsactivities #april

April Preschool Activities and Fun Things to Do With Kids

Preschool Spring Theme Activities Planning Guide. Free printables, teaching videos, spring books, and more for planning a preschool theme #preschool #spring #preschoolthemes

Spring Theme Preschool Activities

Free printable Flower ABC Mats. Spring them alphabet activity for preschool and kindergarten #freeprintable #preschool #spring

Flower ABC Mat Preschool Alphabet Printables

Books About Rocks for Kids. Free printable rock book list with writing activity for kids #preschool #kindergarten #booklist #freebie

Books About Rocks for Young Kids

20+ Dr. Seuss Activities and Crafts for Kids. Ideas for your favorite Dr. Seuss books and Read Across America Day #preschool #kindergarten #drseuss

20+ Dr. Seuss Crafts and Art Projects

Free Printable February Activity Calendar with February Preschool Activities #preschool #february #kidsactivities

February Preschool Activities and Fun Things to Do With Kids

Free Printable Snowman Winter Math Counting Activity #preschool #kindergarten #snowman #counting

Counting Snowballs Winter Math Activity

Hot Cocoa ABCs Preschool Alphabet Printables-Free printable winter theme alphabet activity for preschool and kindergarten. Hot chocolate activities for kids. #preschool #alphabet #kindergarten #winter

Hot Cocoa ABCs Preschool Alphabet Printables

Free Printable January Calendar of Preschool Activities. Winter Activities and Fun Things to Do with Kids #freeprintable #kids #winter #january

January Preschool Activities and Fun Things to Do With Kids

Hands-on, quick prep one more one less number sense activities for math small groups in preschool and kindergarten #math #preschool #kindergarten

One More One Less Number Sense Activities

Preschool Christmas Theme Planning Guide-Preschool Christmas Theme Activities for Kids #preschool #christmas

Christmas Theme Preschool Activities

Free Printable Gingerbread Man Theme Counting Mats for Preschool and Kindergarten #preschool #gingerbread #math #freeprintable

Gingerbread Counting Numbers Printable Math Mats

ABC Printable Gingerbread Play Dough Mats Freebie #gingerbread #christmas #freeprintable #prek #alphabet

Gingerbread ABCs Preschool Alphabet Printables

Pumpkin Pie Preschool Alphabet Printables

Thanksgiving Theme Preschool Activities and Planning Guide. Preschool Lesson Plans. Thanksgiving activities, songs, videos and more #preschool #thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Theme Preschool Activities

Free Printable Thanksgiving Turkey Color Sorting Mats-Thanksgiving activities for toddlers and preschool #preschool #toddler #freeprintable #thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Color Sorting Turkey Mats

Preschool Monster Theme Activities-Planning guide for preschool monster theme. Lesson plans, songs, free printables and more #preschool #monsters #halloween

Monster Theme Preschool Activities

Christmas Sponge Painting Activity for Kids

Christmas Tree Sponge Painting

Preschool Winter Theme Lesson Planning Guide #preschool

Preschool Winter Theme Activities

Spider Crafts and Activities for Kids. Fun for Halloween or any time kids are interested in learning about spiders. Includes sensory play, fine motor, math, literacy and more

Spider Crafts and Activities for Kids

Fall Activities with Mini Apples-Fine motor activities, sensory play ideas, free printables and more to do with your apple manipulatives

Fall Activities with Mini Apples

Preschool Apple Theme Lesson Planning Guide #preschool #fall #apples #kidsactivities

Preschool Apple Theme Activities

free preschool and kindergarten math printables with activities for counting, measurement, addition and more

Preschool Printables

Hands-on ways to use alphabet mats...great ideas for reusing ABC mats for letter recognition activities.

Ways to Use Alphabet Mats for Letter Recognition

Play Dough Apple Tree Fall Activity for Kids

Apple Tree Play Dough Invitation

Easy Cardboard Tube Wreath Christmas Craft for Kids

Easy Cardboard Tube Wreath Christmas Craft

Bird Nest Play Dough Invitation

Bird Nest Play Dough Invitation

Popsicle Stick Snowflake Art and Math

Popsicle Stick Snowflake Art and Math

Pumpkin Play Dough Invitation for Fall

Fall Play Dough Invitation to Play

Top 10 Ways to Remember the ABCs-Fun ways for kids to practice the alphabet

Top 10 Ways to Teach the ABCs

Fork-Painted Spring Chick Art Project Spring Craft for Kids

Fork-Painted Spring Chick Art Project

Fun Fall Activities for Kids from Fantastic Fun and Learning~Over 25 creative play activities for fall!

Fall Play Dough
& Fall/Autumn Activities

Top 10 Ways to Remember the ABCs-Fun ways for kids to practice the alphabet

Top 10 Ways to Teach the ABCs

Fork-Painted Spring Chick Art Project Spring Craft for Kids

Fork-Painted Spring Chick Art Project

Potato Masher Snowman Art Project Winter Craft for Kids

Potato Masher Snowman Art Project

36 Super Fun Snowflake Art Projects and Winter Crafts for Kids

Snowflake Art Projects

Cardboard Tube Literacy Activities for Pre-K and Kindergarten Phonics

Cardboard Tube Literacy Activities

Color Wheel Christmas Ornament Art Project

Color Wheel Christmas Ornament Art Project

Pumpkin Art Projects for Kids-Fall and Halloween Crafts and Art Projects

Pumpkin Art Projects

Crumpled Paper Caterpillar Art Project and Craft Idea for Kids

Crumpled Paper Caterpillar Craft

Painted Rock Bee Art Project and Easy Bee Craft Idea for Kids

Painted Rock Bee Art Project

Summer Ice Cream Cone Art Project for Kids

Ice Cream Summer Art Project

Use kitchen utensils to make unique prints in this spring flower art project for kids.

Flower Art Project Using Kitchen Utensil Prints

Preschool Easter Theme Planning Guide with Lesson Plans and Easter Preschool Activities

Easter Theme Preschool Activities

Free Printable Pattern Egg Fine Motor Mats for Easter or Spring Theme Preschool Activities

Pattern Eggs Fine Motor Mats

Ice Painting Process Art Winter Art Project for Kids

Ice Painting Process Art Project for Kids

Polar Bear Art Project Winter Art for Kids

Polar Bear Art Project for Kids

Paint with Snowballs Winter Art Project and Snowman Craft for Kids in Preschool and Kindergarten

Snowman Art Painting with Snowballs

Free printable pattern presents Christmas fine motor play dough mats for preschool and kindergarten

Pattern Presents Christmas Fine Motor Mats

Preschool Halloween Theme Activities Planning Guide

Halloween Theme Preschool Activities

Use these creative Self-Portrait Art Project Ideas to inspire kids to create art and learn more about one another. Great keepsake gift idea!

Creative Self-Portrait Art Project Ideas for Kids

My YMCA Nature Curriculum Featured on How Stuff Works: 

200+ nature activity ideas

Each day in June we try to do a nature related activity each day, exploring, making, baking and learning as we go. We have had so many great adventures, amazing experiences and memorable encounters with wildlife taking part. You can find a list of over 200+ nature activity ideas for 30 Days Wild below for inspiration, read more about our 30 Days Wild experiences here, or browse through the activities in the following sections:  

A-Z of Animal activity ideas 
– 
A-Z  of Flora (Plant/tree/seaweed ect) activity ideasScience experiments and STEM Activities 
– 
Educational nature and wildlife activities 
Foraging ideas
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For me personally 30 days wild is very much about encouraging others to enjoy and care about nature, it’s about raising awareness and passing on knowledge, promoting conservation and supporting our local nature reserves and wildlife charities, not just for 30 days wild but as something we embrace as part of our daily lives all year round. I want my children to grow up to enjoy and appreciate nature, to be inquisitive, curious and care about the world around them.

There are so many things you can do to help nature, from making your garden more wildlife friendly, litter picking, getting involved in conservation and going plastic free, to volunteering at local nature reserves, supporting wildlife charities , donating money and petitioning on behalf of environmental causes. But the most important thing you can do is share your passion and enthusiasm for it, show pictures, share stories, educate and encourage others to join in with you. We protect the things we care about, and in order to get society to care about nature we first have to get them to engage with it.

30 Days Wild 2024 activities

  1. 12 Slow worm activity ideas

  2. 14 Ribwort plantain activity ideas

  3. 12 Mole activity ideas

  4. 9 Wild Marjoram activity ideas

  5. 20 Hazel tree activity ideas

  6. 16 Deer activity ideas

  7. 11 Ivy activity ideas

  8. 25 Strawberry activity ideas

  9. 21 Habitat activity ideas

  10. 10 Hawthorn activity ideas

  11. 18 Pollination and pollinator activity ideas

  12. 10 Elder tree activity ideas

  13. 15 Mouse, Vole and Shrew activity ideas

  14. 19 Fox activity ideas

  15. 23 Mushroom and fungi activity ideas

  16. 13 Ragwort activity ideas

  17. 19 Fly activity ideas

  18. 18 Ladybird activity ideas

  19. 17 Badger activity ideas

  20. 11 Fern activity ideas

  21. 16 Freshwater and aquatic wildlife activity ideas

  22. Exploring the shore 20+ activity ideas

  23. 100+ Insect and Minibeast activity ideas

  24. 20 Grass activity ideas

  25. 15 Dragonfly and Damselfly activity ideas

  26. Worm activity ideas

  27. 36 Bird activity ideas

  28. 10 Slug activity ideas

  29. 20 Garden activity ideas

  30. 16 Beetle activity ideas

30 Days Wild 2023 activities

  1. 30 Mammal activity ideas

  2. 14 Seed science activity ideas

  3. 15 Dragonfly and Damselfly activity ideas

  4. 14 Buttercup activity ideas

  5. 16 Mint activity ideas

  6. 20 Grass activity ideas

  7. 20 Sun science activity ideas

  8. 10 Invasive species activity ideas

  9. 36 Bird activity ideas

  10. 15 Shark activity ideas

  11. 12 Pollution activity ideas

  12. 16 Weather science activity ideas

  13. 12 Millipede activity ideas

  14. 18 Moss activity ideas

  15. 26 Butterfly and Caterpillar activity ideas

  16. 25 Moth activity ideas

  17. 20 Bat activity ideas

  18. 14 Jellyfish activity ideas

  19. 21 Rosemary activity ideas

  20. 17 Sunflower activity ideas

  21. 12 Willow activity ideas

  22. 10 Centipede activity ideas

  23. 24 Strawberry activity ideas

  24. 14 Lichen activity ideas

  25. 14 Hoverfly activity ideas

  26. 7 Earwig activity ideas

  27. 17 Spider activity ideas

  28. 12 Clover activity ideas

  29. 33 Rose activity ideas

  30. 25 Bee activity ideas

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30 Days Wild 2022 activities

  1. 20 ways to make a home for wildlife in your garden.

  2. 11 Daisy activity ideas and recipes + fun facts.

  3. 20 Gardening activity ideas +STEM.

  4. 14 Chive activity ideas and recipes + fun facts.

  5. 8 Nature hunt activity ideas.

  6. 10 Slug activity ideas + fun facts.

  7. 22 Moth activity ideas + fun facts.

  8. Nature numbers and math symbols.

  9. Exploring trees and woods 30+ activity ideas.

  10. 22 Butterfly and caterpillar activity ideas.

  11. 8 Elder tree activity ideas and recipes

  12. 21 Strawberry activity ideas and recipes

  13. 10 Woodlice activity ideas + fun facts

  14. 12 Ant activity ideas + fun facts

  15. Exploring the shore 20 activity ideas

  16. 30 Rose activity ideas and recipes

  17. 12 Fossil activity ideas

  18. 10 Crab activity ideas + fun facts

  19. 9. Mammal tracking activity ideas

  20. 100+ Insect and minibeast activity ideas

  21. 16 Beetle activity ideas + fun facts

  22. 14 Hoverfly activity ideas +fun facts

  23. 33 Bird activity ideas + fun facts

  24. 14 Spider activity ideas + fun facts

  25. 15 Nature therapy and mindfulness activity ideas

  26. 11 Bat activity ideas + fun facts

  27. 8 Rain science activity ideas

  28. 21 Lavender activity ideas and recipes

  29. 12 Seaweed activity ideas +fun facts

  30. 10 Pollution activity ideas and experiments 

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30 Days Wild 2021 activities

  1. Amazing ants – 3 science activities.

  2. Fossil facts and fun activities.

  3. The Great British Wildflower Hunt 2021.

  4. Community garden projects.

  5. 10 Dandelion activities, recipes and fun facts.

  6. Leaf boats and rafts.

  7. 10 Beetle activities and fun facts.

  8. 15 Rose activities and recipes.

  9. Elderflower recipes.

  10. 10 Land snail science and craft activities.

  11. 9 Nettle activities and recipes.

  12. Strawberries Rock! Citizen Science project.

  13. 14 bee activity ideas and fun facts.

  14. Nature painting + DIT nature paintbrushes and easels.

  15. Earwig activites and fun facts.

  16. 12 Strawberry activities and recipes.

  17. Nature alphabet.

  18. 5 Rainy day science activities and experiments.

  19. 20 Butterfly and caterpillar activity ideas.

  20. Exploring the shore – 15 activity ideas.

  21. Botanical dyes.

  22. 7 Mammal tracking activities.

  23. Exploring trees and woods – 25 activity ideas.

  24. 14 Freshwater and aquatic wildlife activities.

  25. 12 Nasturtium recipes and activities.

  26. 9 Spider activities and fun facts.

  27. Nature slime (Taste safe and non toxic)

  28. 12 ideas for finding insects and minibeasts.

  29. 14 Soil science and sensory activity ideas.

  30. 14 Lavender sensory activities and recipes.

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30 DAYS WILD 2020 ACTIVITIES

  1. Hoverfly lagoons

  2. Dandelion vegan honey and caffeine free dandelion root coffee

  3. Nature painting 

  4. Making birds nests, feather quill pens and an egg-citing experiment

  5. Strawberry picking + homemade strawberry ice cream and strawberry gin.

  6. Pond dipping

  7. Nature art frames

  8. Rose petal jam and rose tea

  9. Moth traps, wine ropes and citizen science

  10. Nature hunt word game

  11. Crabbing

  12. Rainy day STEM activities

  13. The Great British Wildflower hunt

  14. Exploring the shore – activities and ideas

  15. Nettle soup, honey cake and nettle tea

  16. Butterfly life cycle, fun facts and activities

  17. Nature collages

  18. Rosemary bread, biscuits, ice cream and gin

  19. Beeswax wraps and The Great Nurdle Hunt

  20. The Big Wild Weekend Summer solstice camp out and mini beast hunt

  21. Wildlife at night survey, fun facts and activities

  22. Plant life – STEM growing activities and experiments

  23. Insect houses and bug hotels

  24. Exploring trees and woods

  25. Tataki zome – Flower pounding and leaf bashing

  26. Making a home for wildlife

  27. Nasturtium and Lavender flower biscuits and Rosemary cupcakes

  28. Natural face masks, bath bombs and soaps

  29. Botanical dyes

  30. Nature therapy and mindfulness activities.

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30 DAYS WILD 2019 ACTIVITIES

  1. Strawberry picking and a mini beast hunt.

  2. Visited a hedgehog rescue and held baby hedgehogsidentified shells and balenced rocks on the shore.

  3. Planted an oak tree and started some seed growing experiments.

  4. Made candied rose petals.

  5. Made a wormery and took part in a Citizen science project on soil invertebrates.

  6. Made naturally scented and coloured playdough using herbs and flowers from the garden.

  7. Rainy day puddle splashing and saving snails.

  8. Helped with a bioblitz (an ecological survey) we found newts and insects. Then we held a snake and walked a lizard with the reptile academy.

  9. Looked for sea life on the shore with friends, we found a giant jellyfish, lots of little crabs and two Gobi fish.

  10. Made a rain measure and finished our seed experiments.

  11. Picked broad beans and looked for ladybirds amongst the wild daisy’s.

  12. Made welly boot plant pots and sowed wildflower seeds in the garden.

  13. Rainy day baking using herbs and flowers from the garden to make shortbread biscuits and nature themed baby sensory.

  14. A wildflower walk at a Peartree nature reserve.

  15. Pond dipping and woodland adventures 

  16. Released and held some painted lady butterflies that we had raised from caterpillars.

  17. Made and played with some nature art frames.

  18. Created a wildlife pond for the garden.

  19. Made wildflower seeded paper to plant and grow.

  20. Snail racing, observation and tracking.

  21. Explored the shore, spotted butterflies in a wildflower meadow and made a stick rattle.

  22. Crabbing with friends and picking home grown peas to eat.

  23. Woodland adventures and setting tumble traps.

  24. Spore printing from mushrooms and looking at the insects we caught in our tumble traps.

  25. Made and buried a time capsule.

  26. Mud cakes, magic potions and leaf boats.

  27. Tree spirits, wildflower seed bombs and nature imprints from clay.

  28. Played nature games and had fun on the farm walking a goat.

  29. Painted rocks to hide, explored a woodland stream and entered a gardening competition.

  30. Nature watch fun at Sholing Valley nature reserve, finding insects and wildflowers whilst on a colour hunt.

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30 Days Wild 2018 activities

1. Made a slowworm shelter in the garden.
2. Explored the shore and found jellyfish, crabs and winkles. We also visited a local pond and saw some baby swans.
3. Catching crabs and tree climbing.
4. Making cress seed caterpillars.
5. Homemade natural perfume.
6. Sunprint nature shapes on photographic paper
7. Baked rosemary biscuits and went on a wild walk
8. Set up an antarium to observe ants and made banana milkshakes
9. Went to the National Oceanography centre open day and picked strawberries and peas
10. Painted rocks to hide for others to find.
11. Grew a mushroom and made bird feeder bunting and a footprint tracker
12. Strawberry ice lollies and a hedgehog house.
13. Learning about decomposition and making an insect house we also encountered a Stag beetle.
14. Exploring a woodland park and feeding the ducks.
15. Making ice decorations and went strawberry picking
16 Helped with a Bioblitz at Peartree nature reserve
17. Celebrated Swanwick Lakes 25th birthday and enjoyed the family day activities
18. Sowed some wildflower seeds and supported our local nature reserves
19. Strawberry jam making, took habitat reference photos and spotted a dragonfly
20. Making wildflower seed bombs
21. Picked Rhubarb and ran wild in the fields, meadow and on the shore.
22. Fowers and helping out bees
23. Raising caterpillars and looking for minibeasts
24. Litterpicking, nature watch and making tree spirits
25. Sun catchers and checked on our caterpillars
26. Raising Triops
27. We went on a rainbow nature hunt and made cloud binoculars
28. Den building and a teddy bears tea party
29. Nature games
30. Picked blackberries and spotted butterflies

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30 Days Wild 2017 We really enjoyed taking part in The Wildlife Trusts 30 Days Wild Challenge and I thought it would be nice if we shared some of the ideas and activities for others to try.
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I’ve split them into three sections to make it easier to find the right activities for you. (This is a work in progress so keep checking back to see the new sections/info)

Giving nature a home

Ideas to make your garden wildlife friendly or if you don’t have a garden make mini wildlife friendly plant pots, shelters or feeders to hang outside your home.

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 Outdoor activities and adventures

Ideas for outdoor games, activities and adventures with places to visit and things to do.

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Nature things to make and do

Ideas for nature arts, crafts, projects and indoor activities.

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You can read about our 30 days wild adventures here as well as also see a list all the things we did and found.

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2019 Exploring the shore
20+ activity ideas

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2021 Exploring the shore (20 activity ideas)

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Shore adventures, stick rattles and a wildflower meadow 

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Sealife on the shore –

 Continue reading →

Identifying shells and rock balancing on the shore

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Exploring the shore

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Sunflower activity ideas

Continue reading →

Free printable emotions bingo class game to help kids learn about feelings and social emotional development

Emotions Bingo Game

Preschool Summer Theme Activities Planning Guide-Favorite preschool summer themes and lesson plans

Preschool Summer Theme Activities

8 great Passover Activities for Preschool

8 Great Passover Activities for Young Children

Coffee filter snowflake art projects. Winter art activity for kids

Coffee Filter Snowflake Art

Valentine Shape Mat Freebie for Preschool Valentine's Day Theme. Valentine's Day Play Dough

Valentine Play Dough Shape Mats

Fish Play Dough Invitation

Fish Play Dough

Exploring measurement with Spielgaben

Learning Through Play with Spielgaben

Spider Play Dough

Fun Ways to Play and Create with Fall Doughs

Button Apple Tree Invitation to Play

Incredible Links For Using Loose Parts

Loose Parts Stick Christmas Tree Art Project

Loose Parts Stick Christmas Tree Art Project

Recycled Rabbit Art Project Loose Parts Rabbit Craft for Kids

Loose Parts Recycled Rabbit Art Project

Christmas Tree Loose Parts Play Sensory Art Project for Kids with natural materials Christmas Craft for Kids-Loose Parts Play Christmas Tree Art Project

Christmas Tree Craft Loose Parts Play

Decorate a Tree Loose Parts Play for Kids-Toddler and Preschool Collaborative Pretend Play and Art Project for Tree Theme and Spring Activities #kidart #preschool #toddler #loosepartsplay

Decorate a Tree Loose Parts Play

Art and Loose Parts Play Trays

Art and Loose Parts Play

Loose Parts Sensory Play-sensory play activity ideas with loose parts for toddlers and preschoolers #preschool #sensoryplay #looseparts #toddlers #sensory

Loose Parts Sensory Play

Literacy and Loose Parts Play-How to promote early learning, story retelling, letter recognition, name recognition and more through loose parts play #loosepartsplay #preschool #kindergarten #literacy

Loose Parts Play and Literacy

Math and Loose Parts Play-hands-on learning and math skills with loose parts play for preschool and kindergarten #preschool #kindergarten #loosepartsplay

Math and Loose Parts Play

Loose Parts Play with Kids-Head outdoors and play! #outdoorplay #kids #preschool

Outdoor Play with Loose Parts

Everything You Need to Know About Loose Parts Play-Learn the how and why behind loose parts play for kids. Tips for getting started. Where to find materials and more!

Everything You Need to Know About Loose Parts Play for Kids

Invitation to Play~Loose Parts Christmas Activity

Loose Parts Play Christmas Activity

Free Printable Robot Fine Motor Play Dough and Tracing Patterning Mats Center for PreK and K-2

Robot Fine Motor Mats

Free Printable Notebook Fine Motor Play Dough and Tracing Patterning Mats Center for PreK and K-3

Notebook Fine Motor Mats

Free Printable Birthday Cake Fine Motor Play Dough and Tracing Patterning Mats Center for PreK and K-1

Birthday Fine Motor Mats

Loose parts-Sensory Play

Free Printable Ice Cream Fine Motor Play Dough and Tracing Patterning Mats Center for PreK and K -1

Ice Cream Fine Motor Mats

Collage Self-Portrait Art Project for Kids-Loose Parts Craft for Pre-K and Kindergarten Mother_s Day Gift

Collage Self-Portrait Art Project

Free Printable Fish Summer Fine Motor Play Dough and Tracing Patterning Mats Center for PreK and K -1

Fish Fine Motor Pattern Mats

Free Printable Heart Fine Motor Play Dough and Tracing Patterning Mats Center for PreK and K-1

Pattern Heart Fine Motor Mats

Free Printable Mitten Fine Motor Play Dough and Tracing Patterning Mats Center for PreK and K

Winter Mitten Fine Motor Mats

Whimsical Winter Newspaper Penguin Art Project for Kids

Whimsical Winter Newspaper Penguin Craft

Kusama Inspired Pumpkin Collage Art Project for Kids

Kusama Inspired Pumpkin Collage Art Project

Free Printable Pumpkin Fine Motor Play Dough and Tracing Patterning Mats Center for PreK and K

Pumpkin Fine Motor Mats

Recycled Stegosaurus Dinosaur Craft and Loose Parts Collage Art Project for Kids

Recycled Stegosaurus Dinosaur Craft

Free Printable Emotions Easy Reader

Emotions Emergent Reader

Spring Flower Collage-Art Project and Spring Flower Craft for Kids

Spring Flower Collage Art Project

Books About Feelings-Teaching Young Children About Emotions and Social Emotional Development

Emotions Book List

Cardinals in Winter-Art Project and Winter Craft for Kids

Cardinal Winter Art Project

Bumble Bee Valentines Art Project for Kids

Bumble Bee Valentines Art Project

Cardboard Tube Crafts for Winter and Christmas

Cardboard Tube Crafts for Winter and Christmas

Preschool Pumpkin Theme Activities-Planning guide for preschool pumpkin theme lesson plans #preschool #fall #pumpkins

Pumpkin Theme Preschool Activities

Today I Feel Emotions Mats Free Printable for Preschool and Kindergarten Feelings Activities #freebie #preschool #kindergarten

Teaching Feelings Today I Feel Play Dough Mats

Build the Alphabet Apple ABC Letter Mats Free Printable Pre-Writing Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten Apple Theme Literacy Center Activities #preschool #kindergarten #alphabet

Apple ABCs Preschool Alphabet Printables

Preschool Dinosaur Theme Lesson Planning Guide #preschool

Dinosaur Theme Preschool Activities

Counting Seeds Gardening Sensory Bin-Pretend play and math activity for toddlers and preschoolers #spring #preschool #math #kidsactivities

Counting Seeds Gardening Sensory Bin

Amazing Sensory Bags-mess-free sensory play for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers

Sensory Squish Bags

Preschool Flower Theme Lesson Planning Guide #preschool #prek #kidsactivities

Flower Theme Preschool Activities

Thanksgiving Activities for Kids

Invitation to Create Monster Faces~Creative open-ended play for Halloween

Monster Art and Fine Motor Play

Fish Play Dough Invitation

Fish Play Dough

Exploring measurement with Spielgaben

Learning Through Play with Spielgaben

Spider Play Dough

Fun Ways to Play and Create with Fall Doughs

Button Apple Tree Invitation to Play

Pumpkin Play Dough Invitation for Fall

Fall Play Dough Invitation to Play

Top 10 Ways to Remember the ABCs-Fun ways for kids to practice the alphabet

Top 10 Ways to Teach the ABCs

Fork-Painted Spring Chick Art Project Spring Craft for Kids

Fork-Painted Spring Chick Art Project

Torn paper penguin craft. Winter art project for kids

Torn Paper Penguin Craft

Playful Hands-on Hanukkah Activities for Preschoolers

8 Great Hanukkah Activities for Preschool

Free Printable December Activity Calendar with December Activities to Do with Kids

December Preschool Activities and Fun Things to Do With Kids

Kids will love exploring a new painting technique as they create tinfoil process art Christmas ornaments in this fun Christmas art project for kids.

Tinfoil Process Art Christmas Ornaments

Free printable dinosaur math mats for dinosaur theme counting in preschool and kindergarten #playdough #math #freebie

Dinosaur Counting Play Dough Mats

Preschool Tree Theme Lesson Planning Guide #preschool

Tree Theme Preschool Activities

Box of Chocolates Play Dough Valentine's Day Activity for Kids #valentinesday #pretendplay

Valentine’s Day Chocolates Play Dough Invitation

free printable snowman shape mats for winter preschool learning

Snowman Shape Play Dough Mats

snowman play dough winter activity #kidsactivities #finemotor #snowmen

Snowman Play Dough

Preschool Valentine's Day Theme Lesson Planning Guide #preschool

Valentine’s Day Activities for Kids

Snowman Sensory Squish Bag-Snowman theme toddler and preschool sensory play idea for winter #winteractivities #sensoryplay #preschool

Snowman Sensory Squish Bag

Gingerbread Play Dough Invitation-Make gingerbread alphabet cookies

Gingerbread Play Dough ABC Activity

Pumpkin Theme Books for Kids

Pumpkin Books

Learn how to make oobleck with a simple oobleck recipe and helpful tips for extending playtime with this fun sensory activity for kids.

Oobleck Recipe and Playtime Tips

Found Object Butterfly Craft for Kids-Creative mess-free loose parts play and art projects for kids

Found Object Butterfly Craft

Play Dough Sensory Self-Portrait All About Me Activity for Preschool

All About Me Sensory Self-Portrait

Books About Horses-Includes fiction and nonfiction books for kids

Horse Books

Books About Fun at School~14 great books about riding the bus, picture day, teachers, art class, and so much more

School Books About Teachers, Recess, the Bus and More

Loose Parts-Sensory Play

Thanksgiving Activities for Kids

Invitation to Create Monster Faces~Creative open-ended play for Halloween

Monster Art and Fine Motor Play