Loose Parts Play: Why Simple Things Create the Richest Learning

Loose Parts Play: Why Simple Things Create the Richest Learning

Across Muddy Nurseries, loose parts play is a key part of how we support high-quality early years education and early childhood development.

Whether families are looking for a nurturing baby room, a stimulating preschool environment, or high-quality childcare overall, loose parts play helps us create spaces where children can think, explore and learn deeply.

Loose parts may look simple — baskets, blocks, fabric, tubes and natural materials — but they offer rich opportunities for play-based learning and learning through play, supporting children’s development in ways that fixed toys often cannot.

What Is Loose Parts Play?

Loose parts are open-ended materials that can be moved, combined, redesigned, taken apart and used in many different ways. They don’t come with instructions or a set outcome — instead, children decide how they are used.

They might include:

  • natural materials such as stones, shells and pinecones

  • reclaimed items like cardboard tubes, boxes and fabric

  • everyday objects such as baskets, wooden spoons and tins

The concept was introduced by Simon Nicholson, who explained that creativity and learning increase when children have access to materials that can be adapted and reimagined, rather than objects with one fixed function. Loose parts play is a core element of high-quality early years play and sits at the heart of effective nursery learning approaches.

Fixed-Outcome Toys vs Open-Ended Learning

To understand the value of loose parts, it helps to compare them with toys that have fixed outcomes.

A fixed-outcome toy, such as a shape sorter, has one correct way to be used. Once the shapes are matched, the activity is complete. These toys can support specific skills, particularly in the early stages of learning.

An open-ended resource, such as wooden blocks, fabric and loose materials, has no single goal. The same resources can become something different each day — a structure, a landscape, a story or a collaborative project.

Open-ended play supports:

  • problem-solving

  • creativity

  • sustained concentration

  • flexible thinking

These are key foundations of the long-term benefits of nursery education.

Why Loose Parts Matter for Early Childhood Development

Research into early childhood development consistently shows that children learn best through active, hands-on experiences. Loose parts play supports:

* brain development through experimentation and problem-solving

  • fine and gross motor development

  • language and communication through shared thinking

  • emotional development through confidence and independence

This type of learning through play strengthens neural connections and supports executive function, helping children develop focus, resilience and self-regulation.

What We See in Practice Across Our Nurseries

Loose parts play looks different in every setting — and that’s exactly what makes it so valuable.

Sunshine Montessori Nursery, Wheeler End

During a focus on winter, children transformed their room into a loose parts wonderland. Entirely independently, they created slides, ice rinks, stepping stones, igloos and frozen ponds for penguins. Children joined in naturally, sharing ideas and extending the play over several days.

Little Ferns Nursery, Wendover

In our nursery in Wendover, children used planks, crates and fabric to design bridges and pathways, carefully testing which designs were strong enough. Others added small-world figures, turning their structures into detailed stories that evolved throughout the week.

Little Tots Montessori Nursery, Reading

At Little Tots Reading, children worked together outdoors to create a large obstacle course using loose parts. They experimented with balance, height and distance, adjusting their designs when something didn’t work. Over time, this became a shared project that developed planning, collaboration and confidence.

 

Little Tots, Stoney Heath

At Little Tots Montessori Nursery, Stoney Heath, block play and loose parts are a key part of our play-based curriculum. Using open-ended, natural materials, children design and build imaginative creations that are entirely led by their own ideas.

We have seen children use blocks and planks to create spaceships with walkways, adding pinecones and wooden rings as buttons and doorways, and wooden boards balanced between blocks transformed into a large, cosy robin’s nest where babies needed feeding. Through this play, children develop problem-solving, early mathematical thinking, collaboration and confidence, learning to test ideas and adapt their thinking in a supportive environment.

 

Suitable for All Ages

Loose parts are appropriate across the early years.

  • Babies explore through sensory experiences such as grasping, mouthing and banging

  • Toddlers focus on transporting, stacking and repetition

  • Preschool children plan, design, construct and use materials symbolically

This flexibility makes loose parts an effective approach across high-quality early years education and childcare settings.

The Theory Behind Loose Parts Play

Loose parts play aligns closely with established early years research and theory, including:

  • constructivist learning approaches

  • schema theory

  • Montessori principles, influenced by Maria Montessori, particularly independence, real materials and purposeful activity

These approaches underpin best practice in early years settings and reflect the recognised importance of early years education.


The “Rules” of Loose Parts Play (What Helps Most)

Loose parts play works best when adults understand how to support it without directing it. Some guiding principles we use — and encourage at home — include:

  • There is no right way to play

    If it’s safe, it’s valid. Lining things up, tipping everything out, or repeating the same action is all learning.

  • Repetition matters

    Doing the same thing again and again helps children build understanding and confidence.

  • Observe before stepping in

    Watching first often reveals what a child is exploring or trying to work out.

  • Ask open questions rather than giving instructions

    Questions like “What are you thinking?” or “How could we try that?” support thinking far more than showing children what to do.

  • The process is more important than the outcome

    Loose parts play isn’t about creating something to keep — it’s about the learning that happens along the way.

 Supporting Loose Parts Play at Home

You don’t need specialist resources to offer loose parts play at home. Many of the best materials are already around you.

You might try:

  • cardboard boxes, tubes and containers

  • fabric, scarves and ribbons

  • wooden utensils, bowls and baskets

  • natural items collected on walks

Offering a small selection at a time, allowing space for mess, and resisting the urge to tidy or direct too quickly can make a big difference. Loose parts play at home supports continuity between nursery and family life, helping children feel confident and capable in their learning.

Loose Parts Across Our Nurseries

Across all of our settings — including Little Ferns Nursery, Little Tots and Sunshine Montessori Nursery — loose parts play reflects our shared commitment to thoughtful, research-informed early years practice.

Our environments are designed to:

  • respect children as capable learners

  • encourage curiosity and independence

  • support meaningful learning through play

  • provide lasting nursery education benefits

In Summary

Loose parts play may look simple, but it is deeply purposeful.

It supports:

  • early childhood development

  • creativity and problem-solving

  • confidence and independence

  • meaningful learning through play

Across our nurseries, loose parts help us provide high-quality early years education that reflects how children truly learn best.

Sometimes the simplest materials create the richest learning experiences.