Loose Parts Play in EYFS: What It Is and How to Use It

What is loose parts play?

Loose parts are open-ended objects and materials that children can use and adapt freely. Unlike a toy with one recognisable purpose, a loose part does not tell a child exactly what to do with it.

A wooden discs piece might become a coin, a plate, a wheel, or part of a repeating pattern. A cardboard tube could become a telescope, a tunnel, a musical instrument, or part of a large construction. Pieces of Fabric might be used to build a den, create a costume, or represent water in small world play.

The value comes from this flexibility. Children decide what the materials mean, how they can be combined, and when their original idea needs to change.

Common loose parts can include:

• wooden rings, wooden discs and wooden shapes
• Blocks and construction pieces
• Pebbles, Shells and pine cones
• Corks and wooden reels
• Tubes and guttering
• Bowls, Baskets and Containers
• Fabric, Ribbon and Scarves
• Pegs, Clips and connectors
• Crates, planks and cable reels
• Large natural materials

Loose parts can be used indoors or outdoors, on a small or large scale and across every area of an Early Years environment. The choice of materials must always be appropriate for the children’s ages, development and individual needs.

Why is loose parts play valuable in the EYFS?

Loose parts play places the child’s thinking at the centre of the experience. There is no model to copy and no single correct finished result. Children are encouraged to experiment, make decisions and find their own ways to use the available materials.

This connects closely with the Characteristics of Effective Learning: playing and exploring, active learning, and creating and thinking critically. When children investigate loose parts, they may:

• Explore what objects can do
• Test their ideas
• Make connections between materials
• Change their approach when something does not work
• Remain involved for sustained periods
• Create their own representations
• Review and improve what they have made

Birth to 5 Matters is non-statutory guidance produced by the Early Years sector to support practitioners in implementing the statutory EYFS. Its play-based, child-centred approach recognises the importance of children having time to explore, become deeply involved and develop ideas through experiences that matter to them.

Loose parts provision supports this approach because it gives children both freedom and agency. Practitioners provide a thoughtful environment, but children influence what happens within it.

How does loose parts play support the areas of learning?

Loose parts play is not a separate area of the curriculum. It is an approach that can support learning across the EYFS when resources are selected carefully and adults understand the possibilities within children’s play.

Communication and Language

Loose parts create reasons for children to communicate. Children explain what objects represent, share plans, negotiate roles and listen to other people’s ideas.

A collection of Tubes, Blocks and Fabric may prompt children to build a veterinary surgery. As they play, they name materials, describe positions, give instructions and develop a shared storyline.

Practitioners can introduce vocabulary naturally by commenting on what is happening: "You have arranged the stones in a repeating pattern" or "The tube is too narrow for that object to pass through." This language adds precision without interrupting the child’s ownership of the activity.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Loose parts can encourage independence because children select resources, make decisions and judge when their work is complete. Collaborative play also requires children to communicate their intentions, share materials and respond to different ideas.

Disagreements may arise, but these are opportunities to practise negotiation and problem-solving with appropriate adult support. When children persist with an unstable structure or adapt a plan that has not worked, they experience the satisfaction of overcoming a challenge. This can strengthen confidence and help them see themselves as capable learners.

Physical Development

Small loose parts develop hand-eye coordination and require children to grasp, position, stack, thread and manipulate objects. These actions can strengthen the hands and support increasingly precise fine motor control.

Larger loose parts create opportunities to lift, carry, push, pull and build. Moving crates, planks, blocks and tubes involves core strength, balance, coordination and spatial awareness. Loose parts play can therefore connect small-scale fine motor experiences with energetic, whole-body physical activity.

Literacy

Children may use loose parts to recreate stories, represent characters or build story settings. Stones, wooden figures and natural objects can become prompts for oral storytelling before children are expected to record their ideas in writing.

Letter shapes can be formed using sticks, Pebbles, buttons or wooden shapes. However, these activities are most meaningful when they sit alongside genuinely open-ended exploration. Loose parts should not become another worksheet in which every child is expected to reproduce the same adult-designed letter or picture.

Writing materials can also be added to the area so children can label constructions, make maps, write signs or record plans when this supports their play.

Mathematics

Loose parts offer particularly rich opportunities for mathematical exploration. Children can sort objects, compare quantities, create patterns, investigate shape and explore size, weight, length and capacity.

A child arranging Shells by size is comparing and ordering. Another distributing wooden discs between Bowls is exploring number and quantity. Children building with Blocks encounter position, shape, space and measure as part of a practical problem.

The adult can extend the thinking with an observation or question, but should avoid turning every arrangement into a counting exercise. Sometimes children need time to explore a mathematical idea before naming or recording it.

Understanding the World

Natural loose parts help children notice texture, colour, pattern and change. Leaves become brittle, pine cones change, and wet stones look different from dry ones. These observations encourage curiosity about the natural world.

Children can investigate which materials roll, float, sink, bend, stack or absorb water. Tubes and guttering can be used to explore movement and flow, while mirrors, transparent shapes and light panels introduce reflection, colour and shadow.

Using reclaimed materials can also create early opportunities to talk about reusing resources and caring for the environment. Materials should be selected responsibly and must remain safe, clean and suitable for the children using them.

Expressive Arts and Design

Loose parts enable children to create without requiring every finished piece to look the same. They can arrange transient art, build models, invent characters or combine materials as part of imaginative play.

Because objects are not permanently fixed together, children can change their compositions repeatedly. A pattern can become a face, a landscape or something entirely abstract. The materials can then be returned and used differently by another child. This process helps children explore colour, form, texture and composition while retaining ownership of their creative decisions.

What is the difference between loose parts and ordinary resources?

Many familiar Early Years resources can function as loose parts. The difference lies partly in how they are presented and used. A set of blocks offered only with instructions for building a specific model provides a more closed task. The same blocks presented with tubes, fabric, figures and natural materials create a wider range of possibilities.

An object can be considered a useful loose part when children can:

• Move and reposition it
• Combine it with other materials
• Use it to represent different things
• Explore it without one fixed outcome
• Return to it with a new idea

This does not mean all Early Years resources should be open-ended. Puzzles, games, books and equipment designed to teach or practise particular skills also have an important place. A balanced curriculum includes both open-ended exploration and thoughtfully guided learning.

How should practitioners introduce loose parts play?

A large collection of unfamiliar objects placed out at once can overwhelm children and make the area difficult to manage. It is usually more effective to begin with a small, carefully chosen selection.

Choose materials that offer contrast. For example, combine solid wooden pieces with soft Fabric, Containers, Tubes and a few natural objects. This gives children different properties to investigate without creating excessive visual clutter.

Initially, practitioners can explore alongside the children. Rather than demonstrating a finished product to copy, model curiosity:

• "I wonder whether these pieces will balance."
• "I’m trying to find something that will fit inside this tube."
• "These objects feel different. This one is rough and this one is smooth."
• "I wonder how we could join these materials."

This shows children how to investigate without deciding the direction of their play. As children become familiar with the resources, practitioners can observe which materials are used frequently and which possibilities are missing. New items can then be introduced in response to children’s interests and developmental needs.

What is the adult’s role in loose parts play?

The adult is not absent from loose parts play. Their role is to prepare the environment, protect time for exploration, observe carefully and decide when involvement will deepen learning.

Effective adult support might include:

• Naming an action or material
• Helping children communicate a shared plan
• Introducing a relevant piece of vocabulary
• Making an additional resource available
• Supporting a child to solve a problem
• Drawing attention to a pattern or change
• Recording a significant example of learning
• Recognising when to step back

Too many questions can disrupt concentration. Asking children repeatedly what they are making may also suggest that every arrangement must represent a recognisable object. Comments are often more effective than questions. "You have used every large stone around the outside" acknowledges the child’s work and provides language without demanding an immediate response.

At Hope Education, we know that this balance requires professional judgement. Practitioners bring value not by controlling every outcome, but by understanding when a child’s thinking would benefit from time, language, encouragement or a carefully chosen addition.

How can loose parts support sustained shared thinking?

Sustained shared thinking occurs when a child and adult, or two children, work together to develop an idea, solve a problem or clarify their thinking. Loose parts create natural opportunities for this because children frequently encounter practical problems.

A bridge may collapse, a tube may not reach or a container may be the wrong size. The practitioner can join the thinking without taking over:

• "What have you noticed about the pieces that stayed up?"
• "Is there another way we could connect these?"
• "How could we make space for both vehicles?"
• "Which material might be strong enough?"
• "What could we try next?"

The aim is not to lead the child quickly to the correct answer. It is to keep the thinking moving while allowing the child to contribute ideas, test them and draw conclusions.

How can loose parts be used outdoors?

Outdoor loose parts play allows children to work on a larger scale and involve their whole bodies. Crates, tyres, planks, pipes, Tubes, cable reels and pieces of Fabric can support construction, den-making and imaginative play.

Children can transport materials, build pathways, create vehicles or change the layout of their environment. Natural materials are also especially meaningful outdoors. Sticks, leaves, Pebbles, mud, water and sand can be gathered, arranged and combined as part of children’s investigations.

Outdoor loose parts can support:

• Large-scale construction
• Obstacle courses
• Den building
• Water channels
• Mud kitchen play
• Transient art
• Small world landscapes
• Sorting and pattern-making
• Imaginative role play

Practitioners should agree clear expectations for moving larger objects. Children may need to learn how many people are required to carry a particular item, where resources can be positioned and how pathways will be kept clear.

How should loose parts be organised?

Loose parts should be visible enough to inspire children but organised well enough to remain usable. Shallow Baskets, compartment trays, transparent Containers and low-level shelving allow children to see what is available.

Natural materials may work well in baskets, while smaller wooden pieces can be separated into trays or Bowls. Simple picture and word labels can support children in selecting and returning resources independently. However, storage should not become so rigid that children are discouraged from combining materials across different areas.

A practical system should help practitioners:

• Check resources efficiently
• Remove damaged items
• Monitor the suitability of natural materials
• Rotate resources when necessary
• Notice which materials children use
• Restore the environment without excessive workload

Not every loose part needs to be available every day. A consistent core collection can be supplemented with additional resources that respond to current interests or curriculum intentions.

How can settings manage safety in loose parts play?

Loose parts must be selected for the specific children who will use them. A resource suitable for older Reception children may be completely inappropriate for babies, toddlers or children who continue to explore objects with their mouths.

Before introducing a material, practitioners should consider:

• Size and potential choking risk
• Sharp edges, splinters or breakages
• Toxicity and unknown coatings
• Cleanliness and possible contamination
• Allergies
• Entanglement or suffocation risks
• The weight of larger resources
• How and where an object will be used
• Individual children’s development and behaviour
• The level of supervision required

Button batteries, strong magnets and other dangerous components must never be included in a loose parts collection. Settings should also avoid unidentified reclaimed materials whose contents, treatment or previous use cannot be verified.

Natural materials should be checked for mould, thorns, sharp points, animal contamination and poisonous species. Fabric, Ribbon and cord require careful consideration because long pieces may create entanglement risks.

Risk assessment should support worthwhile play rather than remove all challenge. A large plank may provide valuable opportunities for teamwork and physical problem-solving, but children need suitable boundaries, safe handling guidance and active supervision.

The current EYFS statutory framework remains the primary source for safeguarding and welfare requirements. Birth to 5 Matters can support pedagogy, but it does not replace statutory responsibilities or setting-specific risk assessment.

How can loose parts play be made inclusive?

Inclusive loose parts provision offers different ways to explore, create and communicate. Some children may enjoy a large collection of mixed materials, while others may find this visually or sensory overwhelming. Smaller collections, clearly defined trays or a quieter workspace can make participation more manageable.

Consider providing:

• Large pieces that are easier to grasp
• Lightweight materials
• Easy-grip containers and tools
• Objects with contrasting colours
• A limited choice presented clearly
• Materials with varied but predictable textures
• Non-verbal ways to plan or communicate
• Seated and floor-level working areas
• Additional time to explore without interruption

Practitioners should observe individual sensory preferences. A child who avoids rough natural materials may engage readily with smooth wooden shapes or soft Fabric. Another may seek heavy objects, repetitive arranging or tactile exploration.

The objective is not for every child to use the same materials in the same way. It is to ensure each child can make choices, develop ideas and experience genuine ownership of their play.

How can curriculum leads evaluate loose parts provision?

Loose parts provision should be evaluated by the quality of children’s engagement and learning, not by the number of baskets on display. Curriculum leads might consider:

• Do children make independent choices?
• Can materials be combined across areas?
• Do children sustain and develop their ideas?
• Are adults able to recognise the learning taking place?
• Is there an appropriate balance between observation and interaction?
• Are resources suitable for the children using them?
• Does the collection reflect different interests and ways of learning?
• Are safety checks clear and manageable?
• Is the approach supporting, rather than increasing, practitioner workload?
• Can staff explain why particular materials have been provided?

Loose parts should earn their place in the environment. If an item is never used, creates a repeated safety concern or offers little developmental value, it can be removed or replaced. The goal is thoughtful provision, not an ever-growing collection.

What does effective loose parts play look like?

Effective loose parts play is purposeful without needing to produce a permanent final object. Children make choices, combine ideas, encounter problems and change their approach. They may work independently, alongside others or collaboratively.

The practitioner has selected safe, interesting materials and created enough time and space for exploration. Adults recognise the learning taking place, contribute sensitively and resist the temptation to direct every outcome.

For Hope Education, loose parts play reflects what strong Early Years practice does best: it trusts children as capable learners while ensuring practitioners have the understanding and resources needed to support them. When loose parts are introduced thoughtfully, even simple materials can open the door to complex thinking, rich language, physical development and imaginative possibilities.