Loose Parts and Heuristic Play: A Practitioner’s Guide

What are loose parts?

Loose parts are open-ended objects that children can move, arrange, combine, separate and use in different ways. Unlike resources with one fixed purpose, they allow children to decide what an object represents or how it could be used.

A wooden disc might become a plate, steering wheel, coin or building material. Pebbles could be counted, arranged into patterns, transported in containers or added to imaginary play.

Loose parts might include:

• wooden rings and discs
• Corks
• fabric pieces
• Cardboard tubes
• Metal tins
• large shells
• smooth stones
• pine cones
• wooden spoons
• pegs
• ribbons
• baskets and containers
• construction pieces
• natural materials

The resources must always be selected according to children’s ages, developmental stages and individual needs. An object suitable for an older child may present a choking or other safety risk for a baby or toddler.

For Hope Education, valuable loose parts play begins with purposeful selection. More objects do not automatically create better provision. Children need manageable choices, enough physical space and time to investigate resources properly.

What is heuristic play?

Heuristic play is an exploratory approach commonly associated with babies and toddlers. Children investigate collections of everyday objects independently, discovering their properties through repeated handling and experimentation.

The word “heuristic” relates to discovering through experience. During a heuristic play session, children might fill and empty containers, stack objects, place one item inside another, compare sounds or investigate how materials move.

Practitioners usually provide a carefully selected collection of safe objects and receptacles rather than directing children towards a particular outcome. The adult remains nearby to observe, supervise and respond when needed.

Treasure baskets may introduce seated babies to a smaller collection of objects, while heuristic play sessions generally give increasingly mobile children more space to transport, combine and organise materials.

What is the difference between heuristic play and loose parts play?

The two approaches are closely connected, but they are not identical.

Heuristic play usually describes a planned exploratory experience for babies and toddlers using collections of everyday objects. The focus is on discovering physical properties and relationships through actions such as filling, emptying, stacking and transporting.

Loose parts play is a broader term. It can continue throughout the EYFS and may support construction, mathematics, storytelling, art, role play and outdoor learning.

In simple terms, heuristic play is one way of using open-ended objects, while loose parts can feature across many different areas of provision.

Why are loose parts and heuristic play valuable in EYFS?

Young children learn by actively investigating the world around them. Open-ended resources give them opportunities to make choices, repeat actions and notice the consequences of what they do.

Because there is no single correct outcome, children can explore at their own level. One child may repeatedly transfer objects between containers, while another creates a pattern, builds a structure or uses the same materials within a story.

Loose parts and heuristic play can support:

• Curiosity and concentration
• Independent decision-making
• Problem-solving
• fine-motor development and gross-motor development
• hand-eye coordination
• early mathematical thinking
• Communication and vocabulary
• Creativity and imagination
• Confidence and perseverance
• Understanding of cause and effect

These experiences can form a purposeful part of loose parts and heuristic play (hub) and sensory, messy and creative play when practitioners understand the learning possibilities and resist the temptation to control every outcome.

What does Birth to 5 Matters say about exploratory play?

Birth to 5 Matters describes young children as active learners who develop understanding through play, exploration, movement and relationships. It highlights the importance of enabling environments, sustained shared thinking and experiences that respond to children’s interests.

The guidance does not prescribe a particular loose parts activity or heuristic play session. However, its principles support provision in which children can investigate materials, develop their own ideas, make connections and revisit experiences.

Practitioners play an important role in making this possible. They select appropriate resources, organise an accessible environment, observe children’s actions and decide when interaction might deepen learning.

The strongest provision balances child-led exploration with informed adult support. Stepping back does not mean becoming passive; it means watching carefully and intervening with purpose.

What do children learn through heuristic play?

During heuristic play, babies and toddlers investigate properties such as size, shape, weight, sound, texture and movement. These concepts are not taught through lengthy explanations. Children begin to understand them through repeated physical experience.

A child may discover that:

• A small object fits inside one container but not another
• Metal objects make different sounds from wooden objects
• A cylinder rolls while another shape remains still
• Some objects can be stacked
• A container feels heavier when it is full
• Objects fall when they are released
• Fabric can be pushed into or pulled from a container
• One object can be used to move another

Repeated actions are an important part of learning. A toddler who fills and empties the same tin several times is not necessarily stuck or disengaged. They may be testing an idea, refining a movement or confirming what happens.

How can loose parts support learning across the EYFS?

As children develop, loose parts can contribute to several areas of learning simultaneously.

How can loose parts support Physical Development?

Picking up, carrying, rotating and positioning objects can strengthen coordination and physical control. Smaller objects may support fine-motor development, while crates, tubes and larger outdoor loose parts encourage whole-body movement.

Children might use tongs, scoops, bowls and containers to transfer objects. They may balance wooden blocks, thread large rings or transport resources between areas.

Resources should provide an appropriate level of challenge without introducing avoidable risk.

How can loose parts support Communication and Language?

Shared exploration gives children reasons to communicate. They might request an object, explain an arrangement, negotiate resources or describe how something feels and moves.

Practitioners can introduce vocabulary such as:

• Smooth, rough, soft and hard
• Heavy and light
• Full, empty and half-full
• Inside, underneath and beside
• Roll, balance, stack and connect
• Longer, shorter, wider and narrower

Adults should allow children time to think and respond. A relevant comment or carefully timed question can extend language without interrupting sustained concentration.

How can loose parts support early maths?

Loose parts provide practical opportunities to explore number, pattern, shape, space and measure. Children can sort natural objects, compare quantities, create repeating patterns or investigate which items fit inside different containers.

Practitioners might provide counting resources, sorting bowls, wooden shapes or measuring containers. However, the activity should remain meaningful. Adding numeral cards to every collection does not automatically strengthen mathematical learning.

How can loose parts support imaginative play?

Open-ended objects can become whatever children need within their play. Fabric may become a river, cape or blanket. wooden discs could represent food, money or wheels.

This flexibility encourages children to think symbolically, develop stories and adapt resources according to their ideas. Loose parts can extend role play, small-world play and construction without requiring adults to define how each item should be used.

What resources are suitable for heuristic play?

A heuristic play collection should include varied textures, weights, shapes and sounds. Practitioners might select:

• wooden spoons and rings
• Metal cups and tins
• fabric squares
• Large corks
• Cardboard tubes
• Sturdy chains
• brushes
• large shells
• Smooth wooden objects
• baskets
• bowls
• Lidded containers
• Posting containers
• Drawstring bags

Objects should be robust, washable where appropriate and free from sharp edges, splinters, loose components or damage.

Practitioners must not assume that an everyday object is safe simply because it is familiar. Every item requires a suitability check before it is introduced.

A carefully chosen collection of loose parts play can provide useful variation without overwhelming children with unnecessary choice.

How should practitioners set up a heuristic play session?

A heuristic play session works best in a calm, uncluttered area where children have space to move and investigate.

Practitioners can:

• Select several types of suitable objects and containers.
• Check every item before the session.
• Arrange resources so that children can see and reach them.
• Remove unnecessary distractions.
• Allow children to choose what to investigate.
• Observe without demonstrating a “correct” use.
• Respond when a child seeks interaction or needs support.
• Invite children to help gather resources at the end where appropriate.
• Clean, inspect and store all objects after use.

The session does not need an elaborate theme. Its value comes from the relationships children discover between the objects.

What does effective heuristic play look like in practice?

In a toddler room, a practitioner provides wooden rings, fabric pieces, metal cups, cardboard tubes and several containers.

One child repeatedly drops rings through a tube and watches them fall. Another pushes fabric into a metal cup, removes it and begins again. A third child places several wooden objects into a basket before carrying it across the space.

The practitioner remains close, observing the children’s actions and ensuring the resources are used safely. When one child looks towards her after fitting a ring into a cup, she comments, “You found one that fits inside.”

This brief response acknowledges the discovery without taking control. The children remain free to repeat, adapt or abandon their investigations.

What is the practitioner’s role during loose parts play?

Practitioners are responsible for creating the conditions in which independent exploration can happen safely and meaningfully.

Their role includes:

• Selecting developmentally appropriate resources
• Preparing an accessible environment
• Checking materials before and after use
• Observing repeated actions and emerging interests
• Modelling useful vocabulary when appropriate
• Supporting interaction between children
• Adding or removing resources with a clear purpose
• Recognising when a child needs help
• Recording significant learning without interrupting play

Adults should avoid repeatedly demonstrating what each object is “for”. Once a child has been shown that rings must be stacked or fabric must become a blanket, other possibilities may be unintentionally narrowed.

How can loose parts provision be made inclusive?

Inclusive provision recognises that children engage with objects, textures and shared spaces differently.

Some children may seek tactile experiences, while others prefer to use tools or avoid particular materials. A busy group session may be engaging for one child but overwhelming for another.

Practitioners could provide:

• Larger, easy-grip objects
• Lightweight alternatives
• Seated and floor-level options
• Individual baskets
• Smaller collections of resources
• Tools that reduce direct contact
• Familiar objects alongside unfamiliar materials
• Visual choice boards
• A quieter exploration space
• Additional time to observe before participating

Children should not be forced to touch a material or join a shared activity. Meaningful access may look different for each child.

How should loose parts and heuristic play be managed safely?

All resources must be assessed for the specific children using them. Close supervision is particularly important when babies and toddlers are exploring objects through touch and mouthing.

Practitioners should:

• Consider choking and ingestion risks
• Avoid sharp edges and trapping hazards
• Check for cracks, splinters and loose components
• Consider allergies and individual healthcare needs
• Select non-toxic, child-appropriate materials
• Clean resources according to setting procedures
• Remove damaged or contaminated items immediately
• Avoid long cords or loops that could create a hazard
• Consider the weight of objects children may lift or drop
• Supervise children throughout the session
• Store resources securely when they are not in use

Natural loose parts require the same scrutiny as manufactured resources. Pine cones, shells, stones and wood must be clean, suitable and checked regularly.

Thoughtful risk assessment should enable valuable exploration while reducing foreseeable harm.

What common mistakes should practitioners avoid?

One common mistake is providing an extremely large collection because loose parts are inexpensive or easy to gather. Too many objects can overwhelm children, clutter the space and make meaningful investigation more difficult.

Practitioners should also avoid:

• Using objects without checking their suitability
• Treating heuristic play as completely unsupervised
• Showing children one correct way to use each resource
• Interrupting repeated actions too quickly
• Replacing resources before children have explored them fully
• Expecting a finished product
• Turning every activity into an adult-led counting task
• Using small parts without assessing choking risks
• Collecting materials that are difficult to clean or maintain
• Creating complicated setups that increase workload without improving learning

Simple, well-maintained collections are often more valuable than elaborate displays.

How can educators get the most from loose parts play?

Begin by observing what children already do. Notice whether they transport, enclose, connect, line up, rotate, stack or arrange objects.

These actions can guide future provision. A child interested in transporting materials may benefit from baskets, bags and containers. Children repeatedly enclosing objects might explore boxes, tins and fabric. An interest in lining up resources could be extended with objects of contrasting sizes, colours or textures.

Change one element at a time rather than replacing the entire collection. Familiar resources give children opportunities to revisit ideas, build confidence and develop more complex investigations.

Brief observations and children’s comments can capture meaningful learning without creating unnecessary practitioner workload.

How does Hope Education support loose parts and heuristic play?

Hope Education understands that open-ended provision must support children’s curiosity while remaining practical for busy Early Years teams to organise, supervise and maintain. Durable containers, treasure baskets, natural materials and versatile wooden resources can create rich learning possibilities without prescribing a finished result. Purposeful selection helps practitioners offer variety, manage safety and respond to children’s interests while protecting the freedom that makes exploratory play valuable.