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Children can get overstimulated when there’s too much going on. You can help with overstimulation by reducing noise and activity or offering a quiet activity.

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Building Positive Learning Environments for Young Children Starts with You | HeadStart.gov

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Staff are the most important parts of early childhood education settings. Explore ways to create a positive learning environment for the children with whom you work.

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Heather White Tuesday, September 06, 2022

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The Montessori Approach to Identifying and Supporting Students with Learning Differences

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How the Montessori classroom encourages and promotes success for students, including those with learning differences.

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Page 1: Early Childhood Environments

Safe, responsive, and nurturing environments are an important part of supporting the learning and development of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Such environments also help to prevent challenging behaviors and serve as a core component of interventions for infants and young children with identified disabilities. According to the Division for Early Childhood Recommended Practices (DEC-RP):

"Environmental practices refer to aspects of the space, materials, equipment, routines, and activities that practitioners and families can intentionally alter to support each child's learning across developmental domains."

Unfortunately, many practitioners are unsure how to create environments that support their children's learning across different age groups (e.g., infants, toddlers, preschoolers) and developmental domains (e.g., social, communication, cognitive, motor). Well-designed classroom* environments:

Support responsive caregiving

Foster independence and feelings of competence in young children

Encourage staff efficiency

Promote children's engagement

Decrease challenging behavior

Facilitate appropriate social interactions among children

Provide structure and predictability

Research Shows

Changes in classroom environmental arrangement, such as rearranging furniture, implementing activity schedules, and altering ways of providing instructions around routines, have been found to increase the probability of appropriate behaviors and effectively decrease the probability of challenging behaviors.

(Chandler et al., 1999; Dooley, Wilczenski, & Torem, 2001; Martens, Eckert, Bradley, & Ardoin, 1999)

The table below describes three interdependent components of early childhood environments.

Physical environment
The overall design and layout of a room, including its learning centers, materials, and furnishings

Social environment
The interactions that occur within the classroom between peers, teachers, and family members

Temporal environment
The timing, sequence, and length of routines and activities that take place throughout the day

In order to create an environment conducive to the learning and development of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, these three components must be carefully designed and implemented. Indeed, every aspect of a classroom environment's design should reflect its program's priorities and philosophy. For example, a program that concentrates on improving children's math skills is likely to emphasize the availability of materials related to numeracy, as well as to learning shapes and patterns. Additionally, if this program's philosophy was Montessori-inspired-that is, it helped students to learn concepts through hands-on work with materials, rather than by traditional direct instruction-you might expect to see bead chains to support the teaching of mathematical concepts.

The following pages address these physical, social, and temporal components in more detail.

Listen as Ilene Schwartz discusses how the three components of the environment are intertwined to help children succeed (time: 2:47).

Transcript: Ilene Schwartz, PhD

The environment both sets children up for success and supports that success when it occurs. Children learn by doing, and so they need environments that have the appropriate kinds of materials available for them to demonstrate the wonderful skills that they have, and to learn the skills that they need to learn to be successful in future environments. Environments consist of the things in the environments, the people in the environment, and the tone of the environment. So we can have an environment that is supportive because children feel safe to explore and to try things that they're not sure of because they know there's going to be a supportive adult there to help them if they need the help.

The three discrete components of a well-designed early childhood environment-the temporal, social, and physical environments-really do not stand alone. They're like ingredients in a well-designed recipe. You don't want too much of one, but the absence of another could potentially ruin the whole recipe. You want to make sure that children have access to a well-designed and challenging physical environment. Things are in the environment that the child with the most challenges in your classroom can do independently, and your highest-achieving child is still challenged by something in the environment. But at the same time, that environment without the warm support of a teacher is limited. You want a social environment in which children have positive regard from their teacher and high-quality interactions with their peers. But that in isolation is also not enough. The same goes for a well-designed temporal environment. You want to make sure that children have the opportunity every day to play outside, to be active, and at the same time to have opportunities to practice skills such as writing and coloring and cutting that will help them be successful in future environments.

These three kinds of environments are intertwined in a way that you really can't take apart. And you don't want to take apart. They complement each other and they help children learn to explore and to achieve and to succeed. And that's really all we can ask from any high-quality early learning environment.

Including Children with Disabilities

A well-designed, safe, and responsive environment is an essential first step in including young children with disabilities in early childhood settings such as inclusive preschool, Head Start, and childcare programs. If, however, the learning environment does not provide the support necessary to help children with disabilities to succeed, teachers must make changes to maximize their participation in planned activities, interactions, and routines. These intentional changes can be small and are often easy to implement, yet they can yield immediate improvement in the level of child participation and learning.

*In this module, the term "classroom" refers to any out-of-home setting in which group care is provided to infants, toddlers, or preschoolers.

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IRIS | Page 1: Early Childhood Environments

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Safe, responsive, and nurturing environments are an important part of supporting the learning and development of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Such environments also help to prevent challenging behaviors and serve as a core component of interventions for infants and young children with identified disabilities.

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Developmentally Appropriate Practice: A Guide for Caregivers of Infants and Toddlers

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At the earliest stages of your child's life, it may seem like they can't do too much. But that's not true! Infants and toddlers are always learning and developing. To learn how you can support the early development of your young child, read the facts and opportunities highlighted below.

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As a practitioner caring for children, it is your responsibility to seek out and intentionally plan the best opportunities for children that support their over-all well being and healthy development. The practices that you use when working with young children need to embrace the most current, effective approaches in learning and development. These can be described as best practices, thoughtful teaching, quality practices, or Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP). DAP comes from a deep history in early education, research, and what many describe as "good thinking."

NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) states, "Developmentally Appropriate Practice is informed by what we know from theory and literature about how children develop and learn." In its Developmentally Appropriate Practice Key Messages of the Position Statement, NAEYC shares the following in defining DAP:

Developmentally appropriate practice requires both meeting children where they are-which means that teachers must get to know them well- to reach goals that are both challenging and achievable.

All teaching practices should be appropriate to children's age and developmental status, attuned to them as unique individuals, and responsive to the social and cultural contexts in which they live.

Developmentally appropriate practice does not mean making things easier for children. Rather, it means ensuring that goals and experiences are suited to their learning and development and challenging enough to promote their progress and interest.

Best practice is based on knowledge-not on assumptions-of how children learn and develop. The research base yields major principles in human development and learning. Those principles, along with evidence about curriculum and teaching effectiveness, form a solid basis for decision making in early care and education. (This position statement articulates 12 principles - see below.)

Developmentally appropriate practice is a comprehensive educational perspective that supports optimal healthy development for every child. Developmentally appropriate practice embraces both continuity and change; continuity because it guides a tradition of quality early learning and change as it incorporates new research, knowledge, and science in regard to children's development and learning.

Child development principles that inform DAP

1. All the domains of development are important.

2. Many aspects of children's learning and development follow well documented sequences.

3. Development and learning proceed at varying rates from child to child.

4. Development and learning result from a dynamic and continuous interaction of biological maturation and experience.

5. Early experiences have profound effects on a child's development and learning, and there are optimal times for certain learning and development to occur.

6. Development proceeds toward greater complexity, self-regulation, and representational abilities.

7. Children develop best when they have secure, consistent relationships with responsive caregivers and peers.

8. Development and learning occur within and are influenced by social and cultural contexts.

9. Children learn in a variety of ways and are actively engaged in learning.

10. Play is a main way that children learn and develop self-regulation.

11. Development and learning occur when children are slightly challenged and through practice.

12. Children's dispositions and behavior are shaped by experiences and affect children's learning and development.

DAP: A decision-making tool

As an early childhood professional working with young children, you are a decision-maker, and you will make many decisions about the children in your program on a daily basis. Understanding DAP - its meaning and intentional practices - is essential in guiding the decisions you will make for young children. Developing the skills to make good decisions for children relies on building knowledge about individual children and child development principles combined with knowledge of effective early learning practices. These are the core considerations in developmentally appropriate practice.

Knowledge of individual children and child development principles

DAP is informed by three areas of knowledge that are critical components in making good decisions for children.

1. Child development appropriateness

Child development follows general, sequential patterns and is interrelated across domains (cognitive, physical, social and emotional). Know and understand milestones and sequences of development in all domains and use child development information for planning and identifying activities, environments, experiences, and strategies (for large/small groups or individuals) to best promote growth and learning.

Each child is an individual and develops in her own, unique way. Know each child's strengths, abilities, needs, challenges, interests, temperament, and approaches to learning. Know their individual skills, ideas and joys. This can be done through time spent together (conversations, etc.), observation, assessment, work samples, documentation, and information from families and past teachers/programs.
3. Social and cultural appropriateness
All children are of culture. Know each child's cultural and family background - his unique family, values, language, lifestyles, and beliefs. Ensure that the experiences you provide respect these and are meaningful for each child/family. What makes sense to children is their own culture and teachers must consider this, along with overall child development and learning program.

Knowledge of effective early learning practices

DAP focuses on five key areas of early learning practices:

Creating a caring community of learners. Build positive and responsive relationships between children, staff, and families, both among groups and within the program, to create a community that supports all children as they develop and learn to their capacity in all domains.

Teaching to enhance development and learning. Provide a balance of teacher-directed and childinitiated activities and plan experiences that meet individual needs, interests, and learning goals.

Planning curriculum to achieve important goals. Develop a written curriculum that reflects developmental milestones and appropriate early learning goals for children and that supports individualized learning.

Assessing children's development and learning. Link assessment to curriculum and early learning standards and use authentic assessment methods to measure a child' s progress.

Establishing reciprocal relationships with families. Work in partnership with families to learn about each child, to develop two-way communication, and to establish supportive relationships with all families.

References:
Copple, Carol and Sue Bredekamp, editors. Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs: Serving Children from Birth through Age 8, 3rd Edition. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2009.

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Exploring developmentally appropriate practice (Better Kid Care)

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As a practitioner caring for children, it is your responsibility to seek out and intentionally plan the best opportunities for children that support their over-all well being and healthy development. The practices that you use when working with young children need to embrace the most current, effective approaches in learning and development.

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Developmentally Appropriate Practice Working with Young Children | HeadStart.gov

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Explore the meaning behind developmentally appropriate practice and working with infants and toddlers in this News You Can Use.

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Many questions about the importance of designing visually appealing early childhood ecosystems have emerged. These questions are an invitation to explore aesthetics' transformative impact on children's growth and development and every child's right to be immersed in beautifully designed ecosystems.

In the world-renowned Schools of Reggio Emilia in Italy, aesthetics are embraced as an integral part of the pedagogy, interactions, and ecosystem design. Here, children are recognized for their ability to express their thoughts, intentions, and ideas through a Hundred Languages, including their aesthetic capacities. The environment, often called the "third teacher," works hand-in-hand with dedicated educators and pedagogistas to fully support and enhance these expressive abilities.

What remains an intriguing question is the elusive nature of aesthetics and its application in early childhood ecosystems. While conversing with early childhood educators, a fascinating array of perspectives emerges, each offering a unique interpretation of aesthetics. These interpretations offer a unique lens through which aesthetics can be perceived, sparking further contemplation and inquiry and leaving us pondering and exploring the depths of the captivating concept of aesthetics.

It is often said that beauty resides in the eyes of the beholder. Before fully defining the value of aesthetics, we must reflect on its benefits and purpose. After all, children deserve more than just one approach to their interactions and play. I want to engage the reader to think deeply about multiple perspectives regarding introducing, designing, and provoking children's appreciation of beauty and aesthetic values. In this series of blogs, we will explore the purpose of aesthetics in detail. We will look at the theories and educational philosophies that support it and how it impacts children's capacities to create and innovate.

We begin with the premise that aesthetics offer children an alternative path to wonderment and expression. It invites them to seek beauty and investigate the complexities of different ways to communicate their ideas and thinking, thus inviting others to listen and appreciate their stories. To ignore aesthetics is to deny children an expressive voice and a generative context for learning.

Imagine that we defined aesthetics as a feeling of wonder. Aesthetics is a way to express our thinking, which embraces learning as a wondering, inquiry, curiosity, and the constant search for beauty and creativity-aesthetics encourages children to find complexity in simple objects.

We must also consider the meaning of aesthetics as a vehicle of equity and inclusion. Aesthetics give children a powerful, regenerative voice within a relational context of learning.

The Aesthetics of Play

Beautiful spaces must also provide an invitation to play. Create a beautiful play space that sparks joy and encourages exploration. By carefully designing a space that combines function and aesthetics, you can provide endless possibilities for discovery. Incorporate soft surfaces, accessible storage, nature-inspired colors, natural light, and different textures to create a visually appealing and interactive space. Don't forget about safety considerations, but find the freedom to be creative and involve the children in the design process. After all, children look at the space and discover different affordances than adults.

Children's aesthetic sensibilities are enhanced by allowing them to explore their environment in a manner that encourages divergent thinking (a thought process used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions). As children play with unscripted materials, they explore and wonder about the essential design and art elements, such as line, color, form, space, and design. Thus increasing their appreciation of beauty. We must also analyze the role of aesthetics in children's play. In her book The Original Learning Approach, Suzanne Axelson asks us to consider the aesthetics of the objects and materials we add to the early childhood ecosystem. How do the objects and materials add beauty, wonder, harmony, and creativity? How do the objects and materials inspire us? How do we appreciate them? (Axelssn, 2023) Answering these questions is only the start of further inquiry and exploration. Perhaps the concept of aesthetics also embraces the constant search for 'Good" questions we can continue to ask. Beauty is found in the search for new knowledge and unexpected discoveries.

A more formal definition of aesthetics concerns the nature and appreciation of art and taste. Focusing on aesthetics allows us to create and appreciate art and to design beautiful objects. According to humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow (1999), humans have an inherent need for aesthetics, which he considers an integral part of the human experience. An aesthetically pleasing environment can promote children's creativity and aesthetic expression. An aesthetically pleasing environment encourages children to care and actively participate in a community of learners. Every culture has a decisive aesthetic contribution, and children can embrace the aesthetic representations from different cultures.

In her book Art and Intimacy: How the Arts Began, Professor Ellen Dissanayake (2000) discusses aesthetics as a sensibility that defines how people intentionally show what they value, appreciate, and care about. Aesthetics allows us to understand and communicate how we think and express our ideas. Aesthetics encompasses the relationships between people, children, objects, materials, environments, and places. In representing our aesthetic sensitivities, we begin to express the core of our humanity.

Join me as we explore the powerful link between aesthetics and inclusion. Together, we will unravel the intricate web of elements shaping our design choices to create beautiful, inclusive environments where children with special rights survive and thrive. Please take advantage of the thought-provoking blog series that delves into the significance of designing inclusive ecosystems and how they intersect with the design world. Come and discover the untapped potential of this dynamic connection.

References:

Axelsson, S. (2023). The original learning approach: Weaving together playing, learning, and teaching in early childhood. Redleaf Press.

Dissanayake, E. (2015). Art and intimacy: How the arts began. University of Washington Press.

Hoffman, E. (1999). The right to be human: A biography of Abraham Maslow. McGraw-Hill.

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Unlocking the Power of Aesthetics: Why Every Child Deserves an Aesthetically Designed and Inclusive Ecosystem - Miriam Beloglovsky

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Explores the link between aesthetics and inclusion * Unravels the intricate web of elements shaping design choices * Focuses on creating beautiful and inclusive environments for children with special needs * Offers a thought-provoking blog series on designing inclusive ecosystems * Highlights the importance of this dynamic connection in the design world

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Early Childhood Education

Children use pine cones, old toys, and more in loose parts play, but it's important that they also get a chance to play with bigger aspects of their learning environment and shape it according to their own vision.

Tatiana Romanova / iStock

In 1971, architect Simon Nicholson wrote an article for a magazine called Landscape Architecture entitled "How Not to Cheat Children: The Theory of Loose Parts Play." A key aspect of Nicholson's thinking was that "all children love to interact with variables, such as materials and shapes; smells and other physical phenomena, such as electricity, magnetism, and gravity; media such as gases and fluids; sounds, music, and motion; chemical interactions, cooking, and fire; and other people, and animals, plants, words, concepts, and ideas. With all these things all children love to play, experiment, discover, and invent and have fun."

In the nearly 50 years since this article was published, the idea has grown, and more and more early childhood educators have made Nicholson's theory a centerpiece of their play-based programs.

That the theory emerged from architecture is fascinating: It echoes, in a way, the work of Reggio Emilia founder Loris Malaguzzi, who postulated that children have three teachers: adults, other children, and the environment-the realm of architecture. As Nicholson wrote, "In any environment, both the degree of inventiveness and creativity, and the possibility of discovery, are directly proportional to the number and kind of variables in it."

He wasn't talking exclusively about early childhood, but about educational environments in general. He included playgrounds and classrooms, but also places for all ages, like museums and libraries. His big idea was that we are most inventive and creative when we're allowed to construct, manipulate, and otherwise play with our environments, arguing that when we leave the design of spaces to professionals, we are, in effect, excluding children (and adults) from the most important, and fun, part of the process. We are, to use his word, "stealing" it from the children.

Loose Parts Play Is About More Than the Parts

Even if we haven't consciously adopted the theory of loose parts play, every early childhood professional, even those working in highly structured environments, knows this point about inventiveness and creativity to be true. None of us would, for instance, build a block structure for the children and expect them to learn anything by merely looking at it and listening to us lecture. We know the children must take those blocks in hand, must both construct and deconstruct, must experiment, test, and manipulate. We also know that their play, and therefore their learning, is expanded as we add more and varied materials to their environment.

The theory of loose parts applies that principle of building blocks to the entire environment, encouraging us to let go of our ideas of how a learning environment is supposed to be and to instead fill it with variables-things that can be moved, manipulated, and transported.

It's important to remember that Nicholson's theory continues to be a radical one, even as aspects of it become more mainstream. This is about more than toilet paper tubes and clothespins. It's about more than old tires, shipping pallets, and wood planks. At its core, the theory of loose parts is a theory about democracy, about self-governance and the rights and responsibilities of individuals and groups to come together to shape their world according to their own vision.

The world is always ours to shape, and when we're not shaping it, it's shaping us. Nicholson's insight was that our environment is too often a kind of dictator, one that is restricting rather than expanding our possibilities. As educators work with the "third teacher," it's important that we keep this in mind and always ask ourselves, "Is this stealing the fun from the children?" As loose parts play has entered the mainstream of early childhood education, we do need to remember to ask this core question.

I'm happy the concept of loose parts play has taken the early childhood world by storm these past few years. It seems like not a day goes by that I don't discover a website dedicated to loose parts play, or a loose parts workshop for teachers, or a new book that will help us better understand it. Of course, it's an idea that predates Nicholson, having been around since the advent of children, one that was once just implied in our standard understanding of play: When left to their own devices, kids tend to pick up whatever is at hand and goof around with it. But in the modern era, we have mainly used toys manufactured specifically for children as the hub around which play revolved.

Children continued to play with loose parts-some of which were these toys, broken, modified, or otherwise-but we adults lost sight of that. And as toys became cheaper, our homes and classrooms have come to be overwhelmed with them. But even now, children continue their loose parts play, often ignoring the actual toys. Who among us hasn't joked that kids prefer the boxes the toys came in over the toys themselves?

Loose Parts Are Everywhere, and Free

So yes, I'm pleased that there is a renewed focus on the open-endedness of things like rocks and sticks and pine cones, of toilet paper tubes and mint tins and yoghurt containers, of old tires and planks of wood and house gutters. But I worry that in our embrace of loose parts play, we're concentrating too much on the loose parts and not enough on the play. I worry when I hear teachers fussing about their loose parts collection, hovering over the children lest they damage or misuse or lose the precious loose parts.

The children I've taught have always been engaged in loose parts play, but I rarely use the term-I usually just call it junk or maybe debris. Whatever it's called, the key element is that we don't pay for it and have no concerns that it will be damaged, misused, or lost. Most of what you'll find on our playground came either from the earth or from the garages, attics, and recycling bins of the families who have enrolled their children. I often say that one of the functions of preschools isn't to use stuff, but to finish using it. We still have toys around, but most of them are broken in some way-the cars have lost wheels, the dolls have lost their heads, and the balls have lost their shape. These items lend themselves to "inventiveness and creativity," as Nicholson noted.

We don't need to go shopping for these things, and we don't need to "teach" children how to play with them. Our world is already abundant with loose parts. Recycling bins are full of them, families' cellars are chockablock. A broken toy is often much better than a new one. We can simply make junk available and step out of the way. This is how we ensure we're not stealing the fun, and therefore the opportunity to learn, from the kids.

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Integrating Loose Parts Play in a Preschool Program

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Early Childhood Education Children use pine cones, old toys, and more in loose parts play, but it's important that they also get a chance to play with bigger aspects of their learning environment and shape it according to their own vision.

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As an early years educator, I know how passionate you are about creating engaging and stimulating learning environments for your children. And if you're like many educators, you're also eager to explore the benefits of Loose Parts Play.

Loose Parts play can foster creativity, problem-solving skills, and imagination in young children. However, getting started may seem daunting if you're not familiar with the concept. I'm here to tell you that you're not alone! Many educators have successfully incorporated loose parts into their classrooms and have seen amazing results.

With this in-depth guide on how to get started with Loose Parts play, you'll learn all about what loose parts are, and why they are so crucial to learning and building a strong foundation for children, particularly in today's world.

Let's explore the possibilities of Loose Parts play together and get ready to see your children's creativity and imagination soar!

In this guide we'll cover:

Loose Parts: Where did it all start?

Loose Parts is a concept that was first introduced in the 1970s by architect Simon Nicholson.

When Nicholson was researching how environments shape people's creativity and imagination, he noticed something intriguing. Interactive art installations captivated museum visitors far more than static ones. From this observation, Nicholson drew a significant conclusion: the more variables or elements an environment contains, the more engaging, inventive, and creative it becomes. To refer to these variables, he coined the term "loose parts". Essentially, the more loose parts you have to play with, the more you can unleash your creative potential.

Nicholson's research led him to become involved in early childhood education as he saw loose parts, as a way to inspire future generations of builders, designers, and innovators. He believed that loose parts were crucial for fostering creativity, imagination, and problem-solving skills in children, as they provided an abundance of open-ended materials that could be moved, manipulated, and transformed in countless ways.

Today, loose parts play continues to be an important part of early childhood education, with many educators recognizing the value and benefits of loose parts in supporting children's learning and development.

You can download his article in the Landscape Architecture magazine entitled "How Not to Cheat Children: The Theory of Loose Parts" here.

What Are Loose Parts and Why Are They Important for Play?

Loose parts are any collection of open-ended natural or manmade objects that children can move, combine, transform, take apart, redesign, and line up, in ways that support, extend, and further, their ideas while playing.

They can be anything from natural objects like stones and sticks to recycled materials like cardboard boxes and bottle caps, to household items like spoons and scarves. The key defining factor is that there is no predetermined use or function. Loose parts are open to a child's interpretation and creative thinking. A loose part can become anything!

Recently, a friend of mine asked why there was so much fuss over loose parts. I love it when people ask me this because the answer is so easy to illustrate.

Imagine a child playing with either a train set or a collection of loose parts placed in a provocation.

The train set, while wonderful, has a predetermined use. How many different ways can a child manipulate these materials? There isn't much creative flexibility here. It has one purpose: to be a train set.

Now consider how many different ways the materials in the second photo can be manipulated. The possibilities are endless. Any of the parts can be anything the child imagines and provide the opportunity for the child to invent, inquire and test new ideas and theories.

The train set offers a noun: Train set.

The open materials offer verbs: Racing. Rolling. Speeding.

Download our Loose Parts Start Up Guide here.
What is Loose Parts Play and Why Does it Matter for Children

Since loose parts can be used and combined in multiple ways, children can manipulate and adapt them to their curiosities and abilities. This allows us to tailor the play experiences to meet the needs and interests of each individual child.

If you want to know how loose parts help us educators discover what is really capturing children's engagement and what is the true play urge/schema that is driving the children's activity read this other article.

The beauty of loose parts? No matter the age, children can explore the same materials and use them in different ways suitable for their age development.

"The wider the range of possibilities we offer children, the more intense will be their motivations and the richer their experiences."
Loris Malaguzzi

Loose parts also promote a wide variety of play behaviors, including social play, dramatic play, constructive play, symbolic play, and even games with rules, when children make up their own games with the materials.

In addition, math and science are learned as children experiment with sand, water, buckets, and stacking materials along with any other open-ended material. You can read this blog post with 23 Ways to use loose parts play for academic learning.

Perhaps most importantly - loose parts allow children to do the thinking instead of being passive users of manufactured toys that have set directions. This is beneficial because it reaches such a deep cognitive level of thinking, problem-solving, and persisting.

In short, loose parts invite enormous possibilities for children to truly become the critical thinkers they're destined to be.

The Benefits of Loose Parts Play for Children's Development

Loose parts play has been gaining popularity among early childhood educators and parents for its numerous benefits to children's development. Here are some of the ways that loose parts play can positively impact children:

1. Encourages creativity and imagination

Loose parts play offers children an open-ended play experience that stimulates their imagination and creativity.

By manipulating the materials, children are allowed to develop their OWN ideas and, through self-expression, gain confidence and enjoy the learning process because they chose it.

Children can use loose parts in whatever way they choose, creating their own unique play experiences and allowing for endless possibilities.

Think about how electronics have taken away a child's ability to use their imagination. The device does everything for them, and there is a "right" way to use it.

This makes open-ended play even more important. With loose parts, there are no set outcomes, there is no "right" or "wrong." It gives children the opportunity to use their imagination.

2. Develops problem-solving and critical-thinking skills

Loose parts play requires children to problem-solve and use critical thinking skills to figure out how to manipulate the materials to create their desired outcome.

And you know children are using these skills when you observe them:

Comparing and contrasting

Explaining why things happen

Understanding the perspectives of others

Predicting what will happen

Evaluating ideas

Thinking of creative solutions

Critical thinking is the process of using focus and self-control to solve problems and to set and follow through on goals. And children need to learn through trial and error, in order to discover for themselves new ways to use materials and solve problems as they arise. Children will start to look critically at what they know about the material, what the end product should look like, which building technique worked, and which did not.

So, not only this type of play encourages children to think creatively, but it fosters curiosity, risk-taking, independence, concentration, experimentation, decision-making skills, confidence, and perseverance.

3. Supports social and emotional development

Loose parts play allows children to work collaboratively, negotiate, take turns, communicate with their peers, and work out different ideas and theories while they play.

Children are excited to exchange ideas, test theories, and discuss the magic unfolding with their peers.

They take an interest in each other's work, practice listening skills, and explain their own processes and methods.

They can also express their emotions and feelings through their play, developing empathy and understanding for others, and building on their emotional intelligence.

4. Enhances fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination

Manipulating small loose parts, such as beads or buttons, requires children to use their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, dexterity, and grip strength, which are essential for everyday tasks such as writing, drawing, self-feed, and dressing.

Fine motor skills involve the small muscles in the fingers, hands, and wrists, while hand-eye coordination requires the ability to synchronize the movement of the hands with visual information from the eyes.

5. Fosters language and literacy development

Loose parts play provides endless opportunities for children to develop their language, vocabulary, and storytelling skills in a hands-on and engaging way.

Instead of filling out worksheets, children can use loose parts to create their own stories, characters, and settings. They can describe their creations using descriptive language, building their vocabulary and language skills as they play.

Loose parts are an amazing tool to promote literacy in a more playful and enjoyable way.

6. Encourages exploration and discovery

Loose parts play provides children with the opportunity to explore and discover the properties and characteristics of the materials they are using, promoting scientific thinking skills and experimentation. Children can observe cause-and-effect relationships as they manipulate materials, learning about concepts such as texture, smell, sound, gravity, balance, and motion.

This type of play also encourages children to ask questions and seek answers, which is an important aspect of scientific inquiry, while they build on their ideas and those of their friends and begin to ponder What if...

What if I added a block?

What if I used this as a car?

What would happen if I...?

It's important that we have the ability to explain to parents, colleagues and administrators the powerhouse capacity of loose parts.

Download this poster with a visual summary of the Benefits of Loose Parts. Have it on hand, or print it and attach it to a wall inside or outside your classroom.

Loose Parts Play and Its Role in Play-Based Learning

Loose parts are the raw materials that facilitate open-ended learning systems. This is essential to understand.

Open-ended play refers to a play that allows for multiple possibilities and outcomes and loose parts offer just that - endless possibilities for learning through play - versus a closed learning system, where the learning is very black and white with a specific end goal or predetermined outcome to the play.

In a play-based classroom that incorporates loose parts, the focus is on child-led exploration and creativity. With a variety of open-ended materials available, children are free to create, explore and discover at their own pace, making their own choices and decisions. The teacher's role is to facilitate, observe, and support the children's learning, rather than dictate it.

Open-ended materials by definition do not have a predetermined use. A simple block can become a car, a cell phone, a doll's bed, a cookie, or any number of other things.

Let's quickly identify the markers of open-ended versus closed learning systems.

We need both learning systems to be whole learners. Unfortunately, the current educational landscape offers almost exclusively closed systems that are based on the outdated Assembly Line Model of education.

It's our imperative as play-based educators to offer more open-ended learning and bring that wholeness to children.

How to Choose the Best Loose Parts for Your Classroom

When it comes to selecting loose parts for open-ended play, it's important to provide a diverse range of materials that can be used in a variety of ways.

Here are some tips to help you select loose parts that are safe, engaging, and appropriate for your child or classroom:

1. Consider the age of the children

Younger children may need larger, simpler loose parts, while older children may be able to handle smaller, more intricate items.

2. Think about the purpose of the play

Do you want to encourage construction and building, or would you prefer to focus on sensory exploration? Choose loose parts that align with your goals.

3. Look for variety

Offer loose parts in a range of sizes, shapes, colors, and textures to keep things interesting and stimulate creativity.

4. Consider the sensory experiences that different materials can provide

For example, some materials might be rough or smooth, heavy or light, or have a distinctive scent or sound. By offering a range of materials that stimulate different senses, children are more likely to engage in exploratory play and discover new possibilities for creative expression.

5. Consider the materials

Loose parts can be made from a variety of materials, including wood, metal, plastic, fabric, and natural materials like stones, shells, and pine cones. Make sure the materials you choose are safe and age-appropriate.

6. Consider durability

Choose items that can withstand rough play and won't break easily.

7. Consider the storage

Make sure you have a system in place for storing loose parts when they're not in use. Consider using clear containers or labeling items to make it easier for children to find what they need.

8. Get creative

Don't be afraid to think outside the box when it comes to loose parts. You can repurpose household items like cardboard tubes and plastic lids, or create your own loose parts from materials like felt and yarn.

By keeping these tips in mind, you can choose loose parts that will inspire creativity, encourage learning, and provide hours of fun for children of all ages.

Where to Find Loose Parts and How to Make Your Own

We've covered a lot of ground about loose parts here. After understanding what loose parts are, why they are so crucial to learning, and the enormous benefits loose parts play offer children of all ages - many people ask, "Where do I begin?"

Loose parts play is all about using everyday objects and materials, so you begin by looking around at your current collection of materials and sorting them by textures, size, color, or type. All these types of materials provide rich opportunities for children as all of them can be infused within every area of the classroom. So, it's not about spending money on more things but having eyes for recyclable materials.

"Nature is imperfectly perfect, filled with loose parts and possibilities, with mud and dust, nettles and sky, transcendent hands-on moments and skinned knees."
Richard Louv

Below are my tips to help you gather, collect, and organize your Loose Parts collection. You will choose your materials based on what works best in your learning environment, based on play phases, and any other criteria that are important to you (such as space or budget considerations).

1. Nature-Based Loose Parts

Nature provides an abundance of loose parts, such as rocks, sticks, leaves, tree cookies, glass stones, wine corks, and animal vestiges like shells, snakeskin, or shark teeth.

I love sending children home with bags to collect nature's loose parts in their own yards and neighborhoods. Every geographical area is going to have its own special treasures of nature's loose parts! For more inspiration on Nature Loose Parts read this blog post.

2. Metal Loose Parts

There are so many different kinds of metal loose parts. Thrift stores and your household may have something to add to your collection like bowls, utensils, keys, and muffin tins. Thrift stores can be a treasure trove of loose parts. I love my local ReStore by Habitat for Humanity. Metals also are great to investigate reflection and sound, consider this when looking for them. For more inspiration on Metal Loose Parts read this blog post.

3. Plastic Loose Parts

Many households already have a variety of these types of loose parts: buttons, colored bowls, cups, lids, and ice cube trays. You can even skip the recycling bin and bring many of these items straight to the classroom! Scrap stores are also a great resource. These stores collect industrial and manufacturing waste that can be used for play. Look for plastics with different affordances like transparency, opacity, and translucency. Many colored translucent shampoo bottles will be amazing additions for light exploration. For more inspiration on Plastic Loose Parts read this blog post.

4. Glass & Ceramic Loose Parts

There are not as many choices out there in this category, but those that are - are amazing. Ceramic tiles are one of my favorites, along with glass pebbles and beach glass! Ask for discontinued samples of tiles and mosaics at your local hardware store. For more inspiration on Glass & Ceramic Loose Parts read this blog post.

5. Fabric, Fiber & Paper Loose Parts

A particular favorite of mine is dabbing old photo slides, magazines, photos, old fabric catalogs, and books for creative projects. You'll also want to save up toilet paper or paper towel rolls as they will have a million uses. Go to the grocery store and ask if they can keep the cardboard tube (sometimes plastic) that holds the cash register paper roll. Board games like Scrabble and puzzles with missing pieces are always circulating through my classroom, one day they are soup, and on the other, they are part of a construction. For more inspiration on Fabric Loose Parts read this blog post.

6. Wood Reuse Loose Parts

A staple on any classroom - wood reuse loose parts like wood scraps (that you can sand down). Children value these types of loose parts because they are versatile and can be used in a variety of ways. Wood scraps can be different shapes, sizes, and textures, which makes them interesting to explore and manipulate. They can be stacked, balanced, and arranged to create structures, patterns, and designs. Children can use wood scraps to build structures, make ramps and bridges, create art, and engage in imaginary play. Just be sure to check wood reuse loose parts for splinters and other hazards. For more inspiration on Wood Reuse Loose Parts read this blog post.

7. Packaging Loose Parts

Finally, this one is in a class all of its own. Packaging materials! Collect boxes, envelopes, egg cartons, bubble wrap, packaging filler paper or cardboard, tissue paper, ribbons and bows, and mesh bags. What a wonderful way to reuse materials that are in such wide circulation in our "order it online" world. For more inspiration on Packaging Loose Parts read this blog post.

Making your own loose parts

If you can't find the exact loose parts you're looking for, consider making your own. Here are some ideas for making your own loose parts:

Fabric scraps: Cut up old clothes or fabric scraps into various shapes and sizes.

Tubes: Electricity companies, interior design, and hardware stores usually have long cardboard tubes that you can cut into varied sizes.

Plastic bottles: you can cut plastic bottles into rounded shapes, avoiding sharp edges, if you need inexpensive color pieces to create patterns, to use with your light table, as a construction detail, or for pretend play. Children for sure will give them a use!

Cardboard: Cut up cardboard boxes into various shapes and sizes. You can also turn cereal boxes inside out and use hot glue to put them back together. They make wonderful bricks!

Natural materials: Collect and dry out natural materials such as flowers, and leaves. You can laminate them so they last longer. Gather some twigs and cut them into different lengths.

Remember to always consider safety when selecting or making loose parts. Avoid using objects with sharp edges or small parts that could be a choking hazard. It's also important to regularly inspect loose parts for wear and tear and to replace them when necessary.

Avoid overwhelm when starting with loose parts

This is often an underestimated tip, but when you are starting your loose parts collection you have to implement a strategy to avoid overwhelm and be confident with what you are bringing to your children.

Loose Parts Safety Considerations

While loose parts play can offer numerous benefits, it's important to ensure that children are safe at all times. Here are some safety considerations to keep in mind:

Age-appropriate: Ensure that the loose parts have a size and shape suitable for the age and developmental stage of the children. Small objects are not safe for children under three as they can be a choking hazard or cause injury to the eyes or skin

Condition: All loose parts must be intact and have no sharp edges that could cut. And they all should be clean after collection

Cleaning: As with any other toy, you can have regular cleaning and sanitization of your loose parts. The ones that are hard to clean without breaking apart, as some natural elements, you can either spray with your cleaning product and let it dry, or replace them from time to time

Conclusion

Incorporating loose parts play into your classroom can be a game-changer for both you and your students. It allows for a child-led, creative, and exploratory learning experience that supports all areas of development. Remember to start small, source materials from a variety of places, and always prioritize safety. Most importantly, have fun with it and allow yourself to learn and grow alongside your children. With patience, perseverance, and a commitment to the benefits of loose parts play you can create a truly magical learning environment that will inspire and engage your children for years to come.

Have you started your loose parts collection yet?
What is holding you back?

References

Athey, Chris (2007) Extending Thought in Young Children: A Parent-Teacher Partnership. PCP: London.

Beaty, Janice (2014) Preschool Appropriate Practices: Environment, Curriculum, and Development, Fifth Edition, Cengage.

Beloglovsky, Miriam (2022) Loose Parts for Children with Diverse Abilities, Redleaf Press.

Rubin, Dr. Kenneth, Fein, Greta and Vandenberg, Brian (2018) Play in Human Development. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Lifespan Human Development (pp.1671-1672)Chapter: PlayPublisher: Sage

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Loose Parts Play: A Guide for Early Childhood Educators - Wunderled

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Do you want to foster creativity, problem-solving, and imagination in young children? Learn how and why to get started with Loose Parts Play.

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Let's talk about sensory play, primarily the sense of touch through tactile hands-on play. Our favorite sensory activities for toddlers to preschoolers include sensory bins, slime (especially taste safe slime for younger kids), water play, messy play, and more. We have tons of examples of sensory play for you to use at home or in the classroom. Sensory activities don't have to be difficult to set up and you will find our sensory recipes use common kitchen pantry ingredients. Let's get your kids set up for some fun sensory play time today!

FUN SENSORY ACTIVITIES FOR TODDLERS AND PRESCHOOLERS

WHAT IS SENSORY PLAY?

Sensory play is any type of play that involves the senses! This page is mainly about the tactile sensory play which includes the sense of touch. Whether you dig into a sensory bin, shake a sensory bottle, or squish a sensory recipe, we have you covered.

Find unique sensory activities for the entire year that are both easy to set up and budget-friendly. We cover the holidays, seasons, and any time with fun ways to explore textures.

Of course, you will see that some of these recipes smell great and are visually appealing. Additionally, you will find quite a few taste-safe sensory recipes that appeal to the sense of taste.

Sensory play is suited for all ages with plenty of supervision for the younger kiddos. Toddlers especially love sensory play but please make sure to provide only appropriate materials and watch for putting items in the mouth. Choose sensory fillers or recipes that will not be a choking hazard and supervise play at all times!

WHY IS SENSORY PLAY IMPORTANT?

Sensory play makes for awesome hands-on fun and learning for young children, as they explore and discover more about the world through their senses! Sensory activities can also calm a child, help a child to focus, and engage a child. I would love for you to read our story, Connecting Through Sensory Play.

THE BENEFITS OF SENSORY ACTIVITIES:

Motor Development Skills ~ Sensory play helps a child explore, discover, and create using motor skills, like dumping, filling, scooping.

Play Skills {emotional development} ~ Great for both social play and independent play, sensory activities allow children to play cooperatively or side by side. My son has had many positive experiences over a bin of rice with other children!

~ Sensory bins increase language development from experiencing with their hands all there is to see and do which leads to great conversations and opportunities to model language.

Using 5 Senses ~ Many sensory activities include a few of the senses! Touch, sight, sounds, taste and smell are our 5 senses. Children can experience several at a time with a sensory bin. For example; imagine a bin of brightly colored rainbow rice: touch the loose grains against the skin, see the vivid colors as they mix together, hear the sound of sprinkling over a plastic container or shaken in a plastic egg!

Calming tools ~ Sensory play recipes are calming for many kiddos who are anxious or worried. You might find that one works better than another for your kiddo. Some sensory play materials can settle and soothe and some can help keep kids' attention and connection with you. Download the free calming activities poster here.

CHECK OUT: 10 Things To Include In A Calm Down Kit
SENSORY BINS

What is a sensory bin? A sensory bin is a simple container filled with a preferred sensory filler in quantity. There are only a few basic things you really need to make a sensory bin; a container, filler and fun play tools. Sensory bin play doesn't have to be too messy either, we tell you how here.

Sensory bins have been a huge staple in our house for a number of years. They are an easy play option for toddlers to preschoolers that you can change up frequently, create new themes for and vary with the seasons or holidays!

Some of our favorite sensory bin fillers are...
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: 10 Best Sensory Bin Fillers
EARLY LEARNING SENSORY BINS

Want to include a fun sensory bin as part of a Math or Literacy activity? Check out these ideas...

MORE SENSORY BIN IDEAS

SENSORY BINS BY HOLIDAY

SENSORY BOTTLES

An awesome calm down and anxiety relief tool, glitter bottles are easy to make, reusable, and low cost too! Glitter bottles take very little time to make but offer numerous, lasting benefits for your kids. The gold and silver bottles are AMAZING!
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: 15 Sensory Bottles For Kids
Kids love these cool sensory bottles and they are easy to whip up with materials you already have on hand or easy to grab at the store. Whether you make an I SPY style bottle to take along with you or a science-filled discovery bottle, you won't be disappointed!

TRY THESE FUN SENSORY BOTTLES:

OR WHY NOT MAKE A GLITTER JAR

MORE SENSORY ACTIVITIES

Below you will find a variety of sensory play ideas, which include homemade sensory recipes.

If you've never whipped up a batch of homemade playdough before, you are missing out on a great experience with the kiddos. See how easy it is and watch a short video of the process.

Playdough is excellent for many reasons! It is a great sensory tool for hands-on early learning activities like letters, numbers, and colors.

Playdough is also a great muscle strengthener for little hands getting ready to write. It is relaxing to knead, roll, stretch, flatten, pound, and whatever else is fun!

Plus, playdough adapts to themes like a charm. Playdough loves to pretend, create, build, imagine, and discover.
Check out>>> 17+ Fun Playdough Activities
CLOUD DOUGH

Cloud dough is soft and moldable. Sometimes called moon sand or moon dough as well. You can make it completely taste-safe too depending o the oil you choose to use. Additionally, it can be made with a gluten-free flour mix!

You don't need to buy it, you can make it! This fun sensory activity is perfect for any day of the week. Add fun items for exploring the cool texture and kids will have a blast digging into it.
ALSO CHECK OUT: Colored Kinetic Sand
This fun dough-like slime is made with common kitchen ingredients. It has a nice movement to it and is a cross between slime and a play-dough.

Looking for easy to print activities? We have you covered...
OOBLECK

Oobleck is the coolest sensory play around because it's part science too! Easy to make with simple kitchen ingredients for less that $1, oobleck will amaze the kiddos.

Is it a liquid or a solid? Learn about Non-newtonian fluids as you dig your hands into our easy homemade oobleck recipe.

Kids love this messy sensory play activity that combines shaving cream and sand. Perfect for the outdoor days!

HOMEMADE SLIME

Slime makes an amazing sensory play activity, and we have so many easy slime recipes and cool slime ideas for you to try.

For younger kids, you will want to use a taste safe and borax free slime recipe. Older kids will love hands-on sensory play with one of our simple slime recipes.

TASTE SAFE SLIME

If you are looking for a slime that is borax-free, taste-safe, and non-toxic, we have an awesome collection of slimy, taste-safe, sensory play ideas that fit the bill.

SOAP SLIME AND SOAP FOAM

AWESOME SENSORY ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS!

If you are looking for more ways to engage your youngest kids, check out our neat preschool learning ideas.
No more having to print out a WHOLE blog post for just one recipe! Get our basic slime recipes in an easy to print format so you can knock out the activities!

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50+ Sensory Activities For Kids - Little Bins for Little Hands

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Let's talk about sensory play, primarily the sense of touch through tactile hands-on play. Our favorite sensory activities for toddlers to preschoolers include sensory bins, slime (especially taste safe slime for younger kids), water play, messy play, and more. We have tons of examples of sensory play for you to use at home or in the classroom.

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140 Best light table ideas | light table, light, light and shadow

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Aug 14, 2016 - Explore Francine Corry’s board “light table” on Pinterest. See more ideas about light table, light, light and shadow.

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Immersive Play: A New Powerful Frontier in Learning and Engagement - Miriam Beloglovsky

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Immersive Play provides a landscape where play participants curiosity and creativity can flourish freely.​ The value of immersive play is not just in the

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Jaci I.Director of Early Childhood Education Congregation Beth Elohim

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Loose Parts - STEM Education Tools - Kodo Kids

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Shop Loose Parts at Kodo Kids. Our STEM education tools and resources encourage fun, interactive and hands-on learning that parents and teachers love.

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Step inside the world of schema play, the repetitive behaviours young children use to understand the world around them. On the journey of discovery that is childhood, toddlers and babies are continually predicting, testing and re-testing theories about how the world works.

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A Guide to Play Schemas in Early Childhood Education - My Teaching Cupboard

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Find out how play schemas will help you create an engaging and effective learning environment and confidently plan learning experiences that perfectly match the cognitive development of each child in your class. Understanding play schemas and being able to pinpoint the ones your students are develop

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In early childhood education, there is often talk about creating aesthetically pleasing spaces for children. However, developing an aesthetic lens and digging deeper into what aesthetics truly means and why it's crucial for developing young minds is essential.

With an emerging interest in Reggio Emilia-inspired spaces, there is an increase in conversations about what is considered aesthetically pleasing. The Reggio Emilia approach, originating from the town of Reggio Emilia in Italy, emphasizes the importance of the environment as the 'third teacher '. This means that the physical space, along with the educators and the children themselves, plays a crucial role in the learning process.

People design what they believe to be beautiful spaces, often at the expense of understanding the context and culture of the people inhabiting them. As educators, we are responsible for ensuring that the aesthetic spaces we create are visually appealing and representative of the children's culture and community context, as this is essential to creating a sense of belonging and increasing engagement. Educators must redefine their aesthetics lens and develop a clear vision of beauty and function.

What is Aesthetics?

Aesthetics is the philosophical study of beauty and taste. It's not just about making things look "pretty"; it's about creating environments that engage the senses and foster an emotional connection with the space. According to Immanuel Kant, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, shaped by individual perception rather than universal standards.

This means that each child, with their unique sensory and perceptual experiences, interacts differently with their surroundings, shaping their own idea of what is beautiful. As educators, we are responsible for creating species where children can see and develop their own understanding and perception of what is beautiful and not impose our individual interpretations of beauty. In order to design beautiful spaces, we must develop and aesthetic lens.

Our aesthetic world is vast and rich in sensory and cultural messages. The experience children bring into the ecosystem influences the aesthetic values of the space: the shapes and lines, the rhythms and wave patterns of sound, light and shadow, pattern and texture, temperature, motion, force, volume, and depth. In other words, the aesthetics of the environment are rich in sensory values. They exist in the moment and time. They are robust in cultural and natural patterns and meanings, profoundly connecting us to our surroundings. These elements give the perception of the ecosystem a thick texture that engages and supports children with diverse abilities (Arnold, B. 1992.)

In his book Art as Experience, John Dewey argues that each aesthetic experience builds into the next. They are an intense accumulation of emotions and perceptions of the moment. An aesthetic experience has a sense of rhythm and internal momentum. In John Dewey's theory, the aesthetic experience is present in every part of human life. Following Dewey's theory, I see the relevance of aesthetics as an integral part of what children must experience in the ecosystem. The aesthetic experience is found in an intentionally designed space where children can connect their experiences as they explore the sensory textures of the space. Using our personal perceptions and experiences, we can develop and aesthetic lens.

An Educator's Aesthetics Lens

As a professor in teacher preparation programs, I have stressed the importance of using and aesthetics in early childhood ecosystems. Yet, I failed to define it and increase my students' aesthetic lense. People have different views of what aesthetics means. Most of my students argued that the meaning of beauty is personal. I have since spent time reflecting on how there needs to be more understanding of aesthetic sensibility and a clear aesthetic lens when designing spaces for children and how I can engage educators in developing an aesthetic lens.

Before defining aesthetics for young children, we must define what it means. We must also develop an aesthetic lens. In the book Your Brain on Art: How the Art Transforms Us, authors Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross introduce the concept of an aesthetic mindset. You need a deep awareness of the arts and aesthetics around you and how you bring them into your life with purpose. Those who have an aesthetic mindset share four key attributes: (1) a high level of curiosity, (2) a love of playful, open-ended exploration, (3) keen sensory awareness, and (4) a drive to engage in creative activities as a maker and/or beholder (Magsamen and Ross, 2023. p. 6.)

Why is an Aesthetic Lens Important When Designing Early Childhood Ecosystems?

Unifies Function and Beauty

Aesthetics isn't just an add-on; it integrates seamlessly with functionality. A well-designed space can unify function, beauty, application, theory, and practice. For instance, a classroom with natural light, soft colors, and varied textures can make everyday activities like reading or playing more engaging and enjoyable.

Promotes Inclusion

Aesthetic environments engage children in action and interaction, promoting inclusion. Children enter a beautifully designed space and are encouraged to explore, interact, and participate fully, regardless of their abilities. This sensory engagement can be particularly beneficial for children with diverse abilities.

Enhances Sensory and Perceptual Involvement

Children experience the world through their senses. Aesthetic environments stimulate these senses and encourage full sensory and perceptual involvement. Light, sound, color, texture, space, volume, and natural elements contribute to a rich sensory experience. This sensory engagement helps children develop a deeper awareness and appreciation of their surroundings.

Represents the Cultural values of the Community

Each Community has a way of expressing its cultural values. Artistic authentic and contextual representations add a cultural dimension to the space's aesthetics. Engaging in conversations that deepen one's understanding of the Community's artistic values is not just important, but also a sign of respect and appreciation for diversity.

Ten Ways to Develop an Aesthetic Lens

Developing an aesthetic lens is not a passive process but one in which we, as educators, play a crucial role. To truly value the importance of aesthetics, we must actively engage with the visual and performing arts, visit museums, attend music and theatre performances, and explore different art media. This active engagement fosters authentic curiosity about cultural values and representations and develops a profound appreciation for the beauty of nature while developing an aesthetic lens.

Visit a museum and spend time strolling the space.

What do you feel?

What do you see?

What do you notice (smells, sounds, visuals, textures, lighting.)

What specific works of art capture your interest? Why?

2. Take an art appreciation class.

What did you learn?

What engaged your curiosity? Why?

3. Spend time exploring different art media (clay, watercolor, collage, ink, pastels). This is a journey of discovery and creativity, where each medium offers a unique experience and a chance to express your artistic sensibility.

What media captures your interest?

What do you notice about each media's textures, colors, fluidity, and applicability?

4. Go on a photographic excursion

Photograph different items in nature both afar and up close

Photograph buildings and different structures

Photograph items that capture your attention

Analyze the photograph and notice:

Notice how your aesthetic lens guides the process.

5. Explore the elements of art and design

Photograph and think with a line designed by Cathy Weisman Topal.

Paint with only dots. Study Pointillism A painting technique developed by French artists Georges-Pierre Seurat and Paul Signac

Explore color theory with Josef Albers.

Walk around a monumental sculpture and notice the form.

Take a walk in nature and notice the colors and textures.

Explore the architectural features of a building.

Interview an artist. Learn about their process and inspirations.

Create a texture collage.

6. Take an art class

Allow yourself to relax and engage in the creative process.

Go to a ceramic studio and paint a bowl or cup.

7. Create a Loose Parts ephemeral art

Mandala

Mural

Danmala (nature mandala)

Focus on the process and relish the moment when you deconstruct the artwork.

8. Interview artists or artisans to learn about their inspiration and creative process. Research their Work and learn about their history and life journey. Feel the sense of wonder and inspiration as you delve into their creative process and the stories behind their masterpieces.

9. Start an Artist Journal and Witness Personal Growth Start an Artist Journal.

Express your ideas and thoughts through collage, paint media, and writing.

Notice how your artistic skills and creative thinking evolve over time, fostering a sense of accomplishment and personal growth.

10. Attend a play, symphony, or performing arts presentation.

Now that you have developed an aesthetic lens, you can incorporate aesthetic elements into the early childhood ecosystem. This can be done by incorporating natural elements, using color thoughtfully, playing with light and shadow, varying textures, creating zones, displaying artwork, incorporating soundscapes, including moveable elements, fostering a connection with the outdoors, and encouraging personalization.

10 Ways to Incorporate an Aesthetic Lens in Early Childhood Spaces

1. Foster Connection with the Outdoors

Whenever possible, design spaces that are directly connected to the outdoors. This can include windows with views of nature, doors that open to outdoor play areas, or even indoor gardens.

Natural materials like wood, plants, and stones create a calming and grounding environment. Natural elements can help children connect to the earth and enhance their sensory experiences.

2. Use Color Thoughtfully

Colors can influence mood and behavior. Use a balanced palette with vibrant and calming colors to create a dynamic yet soothing environment.

3. Play with Light and Shadow

Natural light can make a space feel more open and welcoming. To maximize natural light, use windows, skylights, and reflective surfaces. Incorporate elements that create exciting shadows, adding depth and visual interest.

4, Vary Textures

Incorporate a variety of textures through furniture, fabrics, and wall coverings. Different textures can stimulate touch and add a tactile dimension to the space.

5. Create Zones

Designate different areas for different exploration, such as reading, playing, and resting. Clear zones can help children understand and follow routines, enhancing the space's functionality.

6. Display Artworks

Showcase children's artwork and other visual stimuli at their eye level. This makes the space more visually appealing and gives children a sense of pride and ownership.

7. Incorporate Soundscapes

Use gentle, ambient sounds like nature recordings to create a soothing auditory environment. Avoid harsh or jarring noises, which can be unsettling for young children.

8. Include Moveable Elements

Flexible, moveable elements like cushions, rugs, and lightweight furniture allow children to modify their environment to suit their needs, fostering a sense of autonomy and creativity.

9. Encourage Personalization

Allow children to personalize their spaces. Personalization makes the space feel more welcoming and engaging, Whether through their artwork, favorite books, or small personal items.

10. Incorporate Authentic Representation of Cultural Values

Display art, photographs, music and books that authentically represent the children in the ecosystem.

Developing an aesthetic lens in early childhood education is not just about making spaces look good; it's about creating environments that welcome children into a world of beauty, function, and inclusivity. By focusing on children's sensory and perceptual experiences, we can design spaces that meet their needs and inspire them to explore, learn, and grow.

Ready to transform your classroom into an inspiring, aesthetically pleasing space? Contact us for a free conversation and design and training possibilities.

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10 Ways to Develop an Aesthetic Lens to Design Beautiful and Functional Early Childhood Ecosystems. - Miriam Beloglovsky

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In early childhood education, there is often talk about creating aesthetically pleasing spaces for children. However, developing an aesthetic lens and digging

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The child

is made of one hundred.

The child has

a hundred languages

a hundred hands

a hundred thoughts

a hundred ways of thinking

of playing, of speaking.

A hundred always a hundred

ways of listening

of marveling of loving

a hundred joys

for singing and understanding

a hundred worlds

to discover

a hundred worlds

to invent

a hundred worlds

to dream.

The child has

a hundred languages

(and a hundred hundred hundred more)

but they steal ninety-nine.

The school and the culture

separate the head from the body.

They tell the child:

to think without hands

to do without head

to listen and not to speak

to understand without joy

to love and to marvel

only at Easter and Christmas.

They tell the child:

to discover the world already there

and of the hundred

they steal ninety-nine.

They tell the child:

that work and play

reality and fantasy

science and imagination

sky and earth

reason and dream

are things

that do not belong together.

And thus they tell the child

that the hundred is not there.

The child says:

No way. The hundred is there.

Loris Malaguzzi (translated by Lella Gandini)

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The child is made of one hundred. The child has a hundred languages a hundred hands a hundred thoughts a hundred ways of thinking of playing, of speaking.

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Foundation: Symbolic Play - Child Development (CA Dept of Education)

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Driven to Discover: How Thinking Skills Develop Through Everyday Play and Exploration

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Watch how thinking skills develop through everyday play and exploration. From Magic of Everyday Moments - Series 3. During the first three years, children are learning about spatial relationships - or how things fit together - and use this skill to solve everyday problems. Thinking skills - such as understanding cause and effect, how things fit together, classification, and symbolic [...]

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44 Small World Play ideas | small world play, small world, tuff spot

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Nov 15, 2020 - Explore Kinderoo Children´s Academy’s board “Small World Play” on Pinterest. See more ideas about small world play, small world, tuff spot.

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59 WINTER LOOSE PARTS ideas | winter preschool, winter activities, preschool activities

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Jan 14, 2022 - Explore Lori Shaw’s board “WINTER LOOSE PARTS” on Pinterest. See more ideas about winter preschool, winter activities, preschool activities.

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Tips for Using Prop Boxes in Dramatic Play Try to get computer paper boxes donated to store items between use. Label neatly with contents of box. Not all prop items or ideas are appropriate for all ages

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The stages of artistic development in children and how understanding them can help you be a better artist or educator.

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The art of creating: Why art is important for early childhood development

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Art exploration is not only fun and entertaining, but also educational. Here are some tips for growing your budding artist.

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My conversation with the Center for Playful Inquiry's Susan Harris MacKay and Matt Karlsen ignited an intense curiosity about how early learning spaces might become zones for creativity, which sent me to the library (or three) to investigate Reggio Emilia. One text in particular, In the Spirit of the Studio: Learning from the Atelier of Reggio Emilia (2015) powerfully conveyed to me the potential of the atelier (French for studio; this piece will use the words interchangeably).

In the book's foreword, Steven Seidel of the Harvard Graduate School of Education describes studios as "spaces where minds can and must pursue their thoughts without censorship or shame, where there is time for looking, listening and freedom of expression, and where there is commitment to go deeper into ... questions of creativity, imagination, expressivity and research." He continues, "When I first visited Reggio and saw the schools for myself, I thought that this was the closest I'd ever been to an avant-garde movement in education."

Another essay in this book, Barbara Burrington's "Melting Geography: Reggio Emilia, Memories and Place," describes the formation of an atelier at the University of Vermont's Campus Children's Center in 1999. An atelier, she writes, "is not only about the arts. Nor is it about something in addition to the work we do in the classroom. Rather, it is about linking the experience of teachers' lives with the children's lives and waking up together in the world of a new geography."

👉 A Story to Tell: The Campus Children's Center at UVM

I caught up with Burrington to find out more about her studio experience. She cautioned me that while the atelier arose in Reggio, Italy, those who draw inspiration from the concept must not be afraid to incorporate their own cultures. Otherwise, she said, it's trying to plant an olive tree in Vermont. "You're probably not going to get a good crop."

Researching the concept of the studio, I consulted other sources and spoke to additional practitioners besides Burrington. Based on what I gathered, here are the five key ingredients for a dynamic early learning atelier.

A space. Burrington recommends "a dedicated space for longer-term, cross-age explorations" but adds that it doesn't take a big budget. In Vermont, they repurposed their staff room, and the greatest expense was shelving. The right space will also support documentation, a key concept in Reggio.

Ben Mardell, who recently left a decades-long career with Harvard's Project Zero, where he helped develop the Making Learning Visible resources, now runs the atelier at Newtowne School in Boston. He calls the atelier "a center for kids to learn about specific topics, but also a place for adults to learn about kids' thinking." He credits Reggio's leaders for referring to infants as "scientists with hypotheses."

👉 The Studio Approach to Early Childhood Education (Technology Rich Inquiry Based Research)

Materials. Brenda Fyfe, dean and professor emeritus, School of Education, Webster University; read our interview) says the studios of Reggio Emilia schools have "all these wonderful, rich materials for children to explore, which could be paper and paint and brushes and pencils of all kinds and soft materials and rocks or assorted things that they can use in their constructions."

The Reggio Alliance refers to "materials and media as languages for expression and learning." (Indeed, the approach's use of the word language harks back to the "bible" of Reggio, The Hundred Languages of Children). While working for the LEGO Foundation, designer, educator and play researcher Amos Blanton collaborated with the Reggio Children Foundation on the design of Scintillae, an atelier for exploring play, technology and learning. His latest project, Playing with the Sun, engages children and families in creative learning with sustainable energy.

An "artist." Also known as an atelierista, this educator is often trained in the visual arts, with the goal of facilitating what the Reggio Alliance calls "a new kind of dialogue." In the chapter of The Hundred Languages of Children that deals with the atelier, Vea Vecchi (one of Reggio's original atelieristas) speaks of "the visual language as a means of inquiry and investigation of the world, to build bridges and relationships between different experiences and languages." She describes the atelierista's job this way: "creating situations within which creative processes can be experimented with, grow and evolve."

Burrington notes, however, that the atelelierista doesn't have to be a professional artist. "You do need people who have the knowledge of those materials," she says. "That might mean taking some of your part-time teachers and creating a full-time system for staffing that space. Or you might invest in professional development so that all of your teachers have knowledge of how to use different media." Her atelier in Vermont benefited from a teacher who was good at sewing. "She started using fabric as a medium with children," she recalls. "The children drew monsters. Those monsters became patterns. Those patterns became pillows that were hand sewn in the studio."

👉 Playing with Loose Parts in the Atelier (Reggio-Inspired Network of Minnesota)

Creativity. Vecchi writes, "Above all, the atelier brings the strength and joy of the unexpected and the uncommon to the process of learning. It supports a conceptual change that comes from looking through a poetic lens at everyday reality." Burrington describes a long-term project dealing with the subject of memory, which sparked in-depth conversations influenced by the work of photographer Wendy Ewald.

In Spirit of the Studio, Pauline Baker writes, "Through interactions in the studio, a growing relationship develops between the child and materials, and this encourages children to invent, think, to problem-solve, to strategize, to create and to wonder about themselves and the world around them."

👉 What is "Reggio-Inspired"? A Detailed Guide for Early Childhood Educators (Research and Play)

Community. Partly because they had a limited budget, Burrington and her colleagues engaged parents and the community to collect materials and build the space. This process not only saved money. It also engaged adults in the creation of the studio and helped them feel invested in its success.

In addition, she invited artists from the community to take part in activities. A local stained-glass artist, for example, guided five-year-olds as they put on special gloves and used tweezers and glue. In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, Burrington, her colleagues and the children in their school began a community mural project that, she says, "gave the studio a soul."

Just as a collage comprises humble, disparate materials that add up to something new, the studio can give rise to unexpected connections and discoveries. In Spirit of the Studio, Charles Schwall writes, "When the atelier, as well as all our school environments, are continually developed and used in purposeful ways, they transform our everyday life in school into a living manifestation of the richness of children's potential."

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The Spirit of the Studio: A Reggio Emilia Concept Takes Root in America - Early Learning Nation

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My conversation with the Center for Playful Inquiry's Susan Harris MacKay and Matt Karlsen ignited an intense curiosity about how early learning spaces

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Engage your Early Learners using Provocations - Educa

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Explore the power of provocations in early childhood education. Learn how these Reggio Emilia-inspired activities can stimulate learning and find out how to effectively implement them in your preschool setting.

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In an effort to provide greater conceptual clarity about play-based learning and to promote shared understanding among stakeholders throughout the state, UNH Early Learning Coaching Team developed the following definition of play-based learning.

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While learning through play may seem appropriate in early childhood, the idea that it could be part of the fabric of daily life in K-12 classrooms and schools may sound like a radical idea. After all, school kids typically enjoy playing during recess - not while there is serious academic work to be done.

The authors of a new book say the traditional view of play and learning is a "false dichotomy" and that relegating play to the sidelines in schools is a mistake. Learning is helped by "experiences that are playful - that are joyful, meaningful, actively engaging, iterative, and socially interactive," and school really can be enjoyable they explain in A Pedagogy of Play - Supporting Playful Learning in Classrooms and Schools. The user-friendly book is the result of eight years of research led by a team at the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Project Zero (PZ), in collaboration with the LEGO Foundation and educators at schools in Denmark, South Africa, Colombia, and the United States.

What does playful learning look like?

Playful learning is influenced by different cultures but A Pedagogy of Play co-author Jen Ryan, senior project manager at PZ, says certain patterns emerged across the countries they researched.

When playful learning is embraced in schools, students are given opportunities to:

Explore the unknown and "to find wonder - to be curious and to find meaning in their learning," explains Ryan.

Lead their own learning, make choices, and have ownership and empowerment.

Find joy in their learning, and experience feelings of enjoyment and delight.

The researchers offer five ways educators can support playful learning in their classrooms:
1. Empower students to guide their own learning.

Get to know kids' interests, strengths, and what they can contribute to the class. The more you understand your students, the more you can make meaningful connections between their lives and the curriculum.

Share decision-making responsibilities with students such as arranging the morning meeting, schedule, or classroom space to help them feel a sense of ownership of their learning.

Allow time for students to reflect on the new things they have learned or discovered. Play should be used with a purpose and help with learning goals.

2. Create a culture of collaborative learning together.

Build up relationships through play and look for ways for learners to connect to each other.

Build knowledge together through purposeful conversations. Check out Project Zero's Thinking Routine Toolbox for help.

Encourage a culture of feedback in the classroom where students can hear different perspectives about their schoolwork, including from peers. You can also ask students to lead feedback sessions and the Ladder of Feedback tool can help with the process. The authors suggest creating group norms for any comments such as "Be kind, be specific, and be helpful."

3. Encourage risk-taking and experimentation.

Lead kids in open-ended investigations with no "correct answers" to help them get more comfortable with the unknown. Explore the Selecting and Facilitating a Design Challenge and more resources via PZ's "For Educators" tab on the Pedagogy of Play website.

Model the learning that you want to see and be open to exploring something new with your students where you don't already know the answers. "The more we as adults can model for students what [experimenting] looks like and are transparent in our own vulnerabilities as educators, the easier it is for students to see that it's okay to do that," says Ryan. "There's a lot of learning that comes out of trying things, making mistakes, learning from those mistakes and moving forward."

4. Promote imaginative thinking.

Invite children to share stories and listen to other people's stories. For high school students, look at the Storytelling and Story Acting for Older Learners tool. Role-playing can be helpful too. Consider dressing up as a story book character yourself.

Pose questions that encourage curiosity and wonder. You might ask, "What have you noticed about the moon?" versus "What are the phases of the moon?"

Engage the senses and the body. Get creative - you don't need a ton of resources to promote playful learning. Ryan explains how, during a science lesson on plants in one of the schools in South Africa the researchers partnered with, a teacher encouraged her students to go outside to explore, search, and discover their own plants to bring back into the classroom to study.

5. Accept the different emotions that play can create.

Design joyful learning experiences. The PZ team suggests introducing an element of surprise - for example, you could begin a lesson without words, put a riddle up on the wall for students to solve, or turn your classroom into a "courtroom" or "café."

Use play to investigate complex issues. If kids are hesitant to talk about a challenging topic, use a playful strategy to introduce it. One of the ideas the authors suggest is to ask students to jot down their ideas or questions on slips of paper, crumble them up, and toss them around the classroom. Afterwards, the learners can discuss the comments in pairs or groups.

Help students work through any frustrations. Playful learning isn't the same as free play and can involve challenging moments, including having to negotiate or compromise with classmates. Be sure to celebrate when students successfully meet challenges or overcome frustrations.

The researchers invite educators to explore what playful learning might look like in their own communities, with the help of a Playful Learning Indicator Guide, and to document their experiences and processes in order to make them visible to others and enhance future student learning. A Pedagogy of Play also includes a chapter on what administrators, school leaders, and teachers can do to build a schoolwide culture of playful learning.

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A new book encourages playful learning in classrooms - for all ages

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pdg_k_play-based_learning_flyers_ - Sp25 ECE 1270-21 Creative Activities and Environments

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75 Best Inquiry Based Learning ideas | inquiry based learning, learning activities, reggio inspired

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Feb 7, 2020 - Inquirey Based Learning activities and ideas. See more ideas about inquiry based learning, learning activities, reggio inspired.

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More than just a chance to have fun, play is serious business when it comes to a child's health and development. From peek-a-boo to pat-a-cake and hide-and-seek to hopscotch, the many forms of play enrich a child's brain, body, and life in important ways.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) clinical report, The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children, explains how and why playing with both parents and peers is key to building thriving brains, bodies, and social bonds―all important in today's world. Research shows play can improve children's abilities to plan, organize, get along with others, and regulate emotions. In addition, play helps with language, math and social skills, and even helps children cope with stress.

A Prescription for Play

Despite its many benefits, statistics show that the amount of time children get to play has been declining for decades. Tightly structured family and school schedules, more parents working outside the home, fewer safe places to play, and rising media use and screen time are among the reasons. For example, research shows the average preschooler watches 4.5 hours of TV each day!

Age-Specific Ideas for Playful Learning

Learning is best fueled by tapping into a child's natural urge to play, rather than just outside factors like test scores. As they actively engage with and joyfully discover their world, children gain 21st century skills that increasingly call for teamwork and innovation.

Birth to 6 Months

The AAP encourages parents to use play to help meet their child's health and developmental milestones, beginning from birth. Some examples of ways to do this:

Playful learning can start with a baby's first smile. Responding with a smile of your own is a form of play that also teaches a baby a critical social-emotional skill: "You can get my attention and a smile from me anytime you want―just by smiling yourself."

Imitate your baby's coos and babbles and have back-and-forth "conversation" using your baby's sounds as a prompt.

Show your baby interesting objects such as a brightly colored toy. Let her bring safe objects to her mouth to explore and experience new textures.

Place your baby in different positions so he can see the world from different angles.

7 to 12 Months

Make sure your baby has a safe environment to crawl and explore.

Give your baby opportunities to learn that her actions have effects-for example, when she drops a toy and it falls to the ground. Put a few toys within reach of your baby so he can take toys out and play with them.

Use a mirror to show your baby her different facial expressions.

Play peek-a-boo.

When choosing childcare and preschools, look for those that include unstructured playtime. Playful learning, where children take the lead and follow their own curiosity, should be the main focus of high-quality early childhood education.

Give your child blocks, empty containers, wooden spoons, and puzzles. Simple and inexpensive objects are some of the best ways to support a child's creativity. Remember, it is parents and caregivers' presence and attention that enriches children―not fancy electronic gadgets.

Give your child opportunities to play with peers. This is a good age to try a parent-supervised playdate.

Help your child explore her body through different movements-for example, walking, jumping, and standing on one leg.

Provide opportunities for make-believe play-for example, pretending to drink out of an empty cup or offering toys that enable pretend play.

Read regularly to and with your child. Encourage pretend play based on these stories.

4 to 6 Years

Provide opportunities for your child to sing and dance.

Tell stories to your child and ask questions about what he or she remembers.

Give your child time and space to act out imaginary scenes, roles, and activities.

Allow your child to move between make-believe games and reality-for example, playing house and helping you with chores.

Schedule time for your child to interact with friends to practice socializing and building friendships.

Encourage your child to try a variety of movements in a safe environment-for example, hopping, swinging, climbing, and doing somersaults.

Limit screen time to healthy levels. Age-appropriate media can have benefits for older children, especially if you watch and play with them. But real time social interactions and play are much better for children than digital media for learning.

Encourage your child's school to offer recess and playful learning approaches in addition to more structured learning approaches like reading, memorization and worksheets.

Play as a Toxic Stress Buster

In addition to boosting a child's health and development, play helps to build the safe, stable and nurturing relationships that buffer against toxic stress and build social-emotional resilience. The mutual joy and one-on-one interaction that happens during play can manage the body's stress response, according to the AAP. In one study, 3- to 4-year-old children, anxious about entering preschool, were two times more likely to feel less stressed when allowed to play for 15 minutes, compared to classmates who listened to a story.

Remember...

Giving your child plenty of opportunities to play is one of the best ways to help them grow into curious, creative, healthy, and happy adults equipped with the skills they need today. Next time your child asks to play with you, jump at the opportunity! Share the joy of discovery as you connect with each other and the world around you.

Additional Information & Resources

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play; playtime; development; play to learn; prescription to play; physical coordination; physical activity; social skills; coping mechanisms; pretend; learning; well-being; anxiety; thrive; thriving; friendships; social interactions

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The Power of Play - How Fun and Games Help Children Thrive

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More than just a chance to have fun, play is serious business when it comes to a child's health and development. From peek-a-boo to pat-a-cake and hide-and-seek to hopscotch, the many forms of play enrich a child's brain, body, and life in important ways.

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We have a huge selection of small, loose parts for construction, craft and play. With these constructions we didn’t use any glue, we used things like blu tac, pegs, elastic bands and paper clips to join everything together. My 4yr old loves the immediacy of being able to build things on his own with…

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Why Being Outdoors In Winter Is So Very Good For Kids | Tinkergarten

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Too cold outside? No way! Why outdoor play is possible no matter the weather.