SilvaStone: Loose Parts

Pathway 1: Read the theory

Thoughtful integration of loose parts

Loose parts are not simply natural materials. They are open-ended materials with multiple possibilities rather than predetermined purposes. Their power is that they help children move from being consumers of learning to creators of learning.

Never again will you see a stone or a twig the same way. A car tyre will take on many more dimensions; fruit baskets and photo frames will gain meaning and purpose beyond the original intention for which they were created. Shells, bark chips and chestnuts will magically be turned into literacy and maths resources. Number lines will never seem the same again, and what once was a boring counting lesson will transform into a playful opportunity for creative expression, not limiting any child's ability to express their understanding of the concept of number. The inclusion of a loose parts area in the classroom is a commitment to nurturing creativity and exploration.

The careful selection of open-ended, natural resources for this zone requires educators to invest time, both privately and alongside students, in identifying suitable materials. Educational excursions, such as nature walks, become opportunities to develop children's focus and discernment, training them to recognise materials that can enrich their loose parts collection. It is important to teach children not to damage nature in order to create their loose parts area, but rather to admire what nature has already provided and collect items that are no longer living organisms or attached to a living organism.

Simon Nicholson's Theory of Loose Parts

Architect Simon Nicholson first proposed the Theory of Loose Parts in 1971, arguing that inventiveness, creativity and discovery are directly related to the number and kind of variables in an environment. He described loose parts as materials that can be moved, carried, combined, redesigned, lined up, and taken apart in multiple ways (Nicholson, 1971). More than fifty years later, educational research continues to support this idea: the richest learning environments allow children to manipulate, redesign, invent, question and transform the world around them. It is not about the abundance of items, but about their purposeful selection to fulfil the intended learning objectives.

"See the potential in the ordinary, to find the extraordinary in everyday items."— J. Da Silva

The phrase loose parts is often misunderstood. It is not about filling a classroom with sticks and pinecones. It is about creating environments where materials have multiple possibilities rather than predetermined purposes. There are no instructions, no example to copy and no expectation of what should be created; only possibilities. This is the power of loose parts.

From consumers to creators

Traditional resources often position students as consumers. Loose parts position them as creators. Instead of following instructions, children design their own. Instead of solving teacher-created problems, they discover problems worth solving. Instead of replicating knowledge, they construct it. Rather than asking children to complete learning, loose parts invite them to create it.

Loose parts support constructivist learning, because children actively construct knowledge through interaction with materials, people and the environment (Piaget, 1952; Vygotsky, 1978). Modern neuroscience also supports the importance of hands-on learning: when students manipulate, test, revise and physically interact with ideas, learning becomes deeper (Kontra, Goldin-Meadow & Beilock, 2015). Children often think differently when they think with their hands. Open-ended environments also strengthen executive function, requiring children to plan, organise, collaborate, negotiate, revise, persist, reflect, regulate emotions and adapt their thinking (Center on the Developing Child, 2011). When a carefully balanced tower collapses or an engineering design fails, children do not simply rebuild a structure; they rebuild their thinking.

The teacher's role changes too. The teacher moves from instructor to researcher. Rather than asking, "What are you making?", the teacher begins asking: What are you trying to understand? Why did you choose these materials? What changed your thinking? What evidence supports your theory? What might happen if...? Documentation becomes as important as construction. The loose parts themselves are only half the story; the thinking behind them is where learning lives.

How creativity develops through loose parts

Autonomy. Children choose their own direction rather than following one correct method, taking ownership of the process.
Possibility. There is no single solution, no model to copy and no expectation of perfection, so children are free to generate many possibilities.
Experimentation. Children manipulate, test, revise and transform materials, thinking with their hands and learning from what changes.
Intrinsic motivation. Curiosity and the genuine joy of discovery drive the learning, not an external reward or a finished product (Amabile, 1996; Craft, 2005).

Four quick takeaways

Possibility, not purposeLoose parts are open-ended materials with multiple possibilities, not resources with one fixed, correct use.
Consumers become creatorsInstead of completing learning, children create it; they discover problems worth solving and construct their own knowledge.
The thinking is the learningThe materials are only half the story. Documentation matters as much as construction, because the thinking is where learning lives.
Creativity comes from possibilityCreativity does not emerge from expensive resources. It emerges from environments designed for curiosity.

Drawing on: Nicholson (1971) · Daly & Beloglovsky (2015) · Amabile (1996) · Craft (2005) · Piaget (1952) · Vygotsky (1978) · Kontra et al. (2015) · Center on the Developing Child (2011) · Gibson (1979).

Loose Parts: Inspiring Play in Young Children book cover — **Loose Parts: Inspiring Play in Young Children**Lisa Daly & Miriam Beloglovsky

Classroom Design book cover — **Classroom Design**J. Da Silva

Young Architects at Play book cover — **Young Architects at Play**Ann Gadzikowski

Check your understanding

Reflection questions

1. What are loose parts, most accurately?

2. What did Simon Nicholson (1971) argue in the Theory of Loose Parts?

3. How do loose parts shift a child's role in their learning?

4. When a carefully balanced tower collapses, what does the child really rebuild?

5. As loose parts are introduced, how does the teacher's role change?

Pathway 2: See it in practice

Look closely at your materials

Pause and look closely at the materials and environment of your classroom. Some materials have one fixed purpose and one correct answer. Others invite multiple possibilities. What does your classroom communicate about creativity?

A loose parts area is both structured and inviting, sparking children's desire to create and engage in open-ended play. Explore the examples below and notice the intention behind each one, and whether the materials are accessible and presented with care. Loose parts and purposeful provocations are actually two modules that overlap. Enjoy observing how loose parts can be used to create open-ended provocations, and, in other learning experiences, support creative expression.

Click on an image to enlarge it and study the image carefully.

Loose parts displays & provocations

Loose parts provocation with a card prompt

Using something as simple as a card with one instruction or question on it can transform your loose parts functionality.

A loose parts area left open for exploration

At times, leave this area open for exploration without an instruction or question.

A story brought alive with open-ended loose parts

Bringing a story like "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" alive in class is easily done when filling a tray with open-ended materials students can use to pretend or explore.

An open-ended outdoor loose parts messy area

Bring old household items to school; setting up an open-ended outdoor learning messy area can truly transform outdoor play.

Loose parts combined with fixed-purpose toys

Combining loose parts with fixed-purpose toys and materials opens up a whole new layer of creative and imaginative play.

Documenting students' authentic thinking and creations

Documenting students' thinking, speaking and exploration, and presenting their creations and understanding authentically back to them, requires educators to become comfortable with less than perfect creations and to celebrate authenticity.

Adults exploring open-ended creative sessions

Allowing the adults in the school to explore and experience open-ended creative sessions is imperative to laying a foundation in your school for a deeper understanding of why this approach is so valuable. Image taken by J. Da Silva in the Reggio institution, 2024.

An open resource centre inviting all subject areas

Creating an open resource centre in your school can invite all subject areas to explore provocations from a fresh and creative perspective. Image taken by J. Da Silva in the Reggio institution, 2024.

Materials moved between indoors and outdoors to spark curiosity

Bringing materials indoors from outdoors, or taking indoor materials outdoors, instantly sparks a sense of curiosity and invites exploration. J. Da Silva in the Reggio institution, 2024.

"Ordinary items take on a new form when strategically presented as a provocation for creative play."— J. Da Silva

A loose parts area to study closely — Look closely. Which materials here have one fixed purpose, and which invite multiple possibilities? Are children invited to explore, combine, transform and redesign them?

Look again, slowly. This time, notice the intention behind the way the materials have been chosen and presented, and what the space communicates to children about creativity.

Which materials have one fixed purpose, and which invite multiple possibilities?
Are the materials accessible to children, so they can see, reach, choose and return them independently?
Are they presented with care and intention, inviting children to want to engage with them?
Are children invited to explore, combine, transform and redesign the materials, rather than use them one correct way?
What does the classroom, as a whole, communicate about creativity and possibility?

Check your understanding

Reflection questions

1. When observing your materials, which question best reveals a loose part?

2. Why does accessibility matter when presenting loose parts?

3. What does presenting materials "with care and intention" communicate?

4. A material that children may explore, combine, transform and redesign is best described as…

5. Why can simplifying the choices, "less is more", be powerful?

Pathway 3: Listen & reflect

Environments that invite creativity

Sometimes it helps to close your notebook and simply watch. In this module we have chosen to share two valuable videos. The first is a longer, one-and-a-half-hour presentation from a fabulous organisation, We Skoolhouse: a deep dive into understanding loose parts and how to implement them effectively in your classroom. The second is a shorter, humorous explanation, for those of you who prefer hands-on, immediate application.

Walk into many classrooms around the world and you will find beautifully organised shelves filled with carefully chosen resources. Yet many of these resources have one thing in common: they have a predetermined purpose, a correct way to be used, and often a finished product that looks remarkably similar from one child to the next. Now imagine a different classroom, a basket of driftwood, smooth river stones, pinecones, copper wire, fabric, cardboard tubes, magnets and shells. There are no instructions and no example to copy. Only possibilities.

A single, quietly radical idea

"Children do not become creative because we teach creativity. They become creative because we provide environments that invite it."— Loose Parts: The Missing Ingredient in Developing Tomorrow's Creative Thinkers

Watch & reflect

Creativity cannot be taught through instructions alone. It develops when learners are encouraged to generate multiple possibilities rather than search for one correct answer. Loose parts naturally create these conditions, because there is no single solution, no model to copy and no expectation of perfection. They invite children to ask: What could this become? Is there another way? What happens if...? Could we improve it? Why did that happen? These questions lie at the heart of inquiry.

Perhaps the greatest lesson loose parts teach us is that creativity does not emerge from expensive resources. It emerges from possibility. A beautifully organised classroom is inspiring, but a classroom designed for curiosity is transformative. When children are trusted with open-ended materials, they begin to see themselves differently: not as learners waiting for answers, but as thinkers capable of asking better questions.

Check your understanding

Reflection questions

1. What is the central message of this pathway?

2. According to this pathway, creativity develops when learners are encouraged to…

3. Why do loose parts naturally create the conditions for creativity?

4. The questions loose parts invite ("What could this become? What happens if...?") lie at the heart of…

5. What do these videos conclude about where creativity comes from?

Pathway 4: Try it yourself

This week's challenge

Choose one loose-parts area in your classroom and redesign it so it invites children to create rather than consume. Start small: one shelf, one basket area, one corner. Designing a loose parts area may seem daunting at first, but once a culture of care is established, it becomes an ongoing provocation for creative ideas to come to life.

A redesigned loose-parts area in the classroom

Redesign one loose-parts area

Choose one areaSelect a single shelf, basket area, outdoor space or creative corner to focus on first. Avoid redesigning the whole classroom at once.
Remove single-purpose materialsTake out the materials that only have one fixed purpose and one correct answer.
Gather open-ended materialsCollect materials with multiple possibilities: natural, recycled and everyday items that can be moved, combined and transformed.
Sort the materialsGroup them by texture, function, size, possibility or invitation, so the collection reads as intentional rather than random.
Present beautifully and accessiblyArrange the materials with care so children can see, reach, choose and return them. Photograph the finished area as a visual guide for tidy-up.
Observe how children use themStep back and watch. Notice how children explore, combine, transform and redesign the materials, and what surprises you.
Document the thinkingCapture the thinking behind the construction, not only the finished creation. The thinking is where the learning lives.
Add gentle promptsPlace a question or provocation near the materials to support inquiry, without over-directing the play or prescribing an outcome.
Photograph before, during and afterTake a before photograph, photographs during the exploration, and an after photograph as an ongoing record.
Reflect on the changeReflect on how the children's creativity, collaboration and language changed, and what you will adjust next.

A redesigned loose-parts area, photographed before and after — Photograph the area before, during and after, and let the children help restore it to its beautiful state, ready for the next child to engage with.

A loose parts maths learning experience provocation — Step out of your comfort zone and try to create a loose parts maths learning experience provocation.

Loose Parts Lesson Planner

A printable, teacher-facing planner: an implementation plan for setting up a loose parts area, plus three ready-to-use lessons for Early Years, Middle Primary and Upper Primary.

↗ View Document ⬇ Download Document

Check your understanding

Reflection questions

1. What is the best first step in this challenge?

2. Which materials should you remove from the area?

3. How might you sort the open-ended materials you gather?

4. What is the purpose of adding a gentle prompt near the materials?

5. When you reflect after the activity, what are you looking for?

Pathway 5: Classroom management

Care, calm and collective ownership

Loose parts thrive inside a culture of care. The expectation that children maintain and restore the loose parts area is a fundamental, non-negotiable part of classroom management. It fosters pride, ownership and a calm, ordered space where creativity can flourish.

Teach children to care for the loose parts and to return each material to its place. Documenting the preferred layout with a photograph provides a visual guide, ensuring the area is restored to its original beautiful state during tidy-up time, ready for the next child to engage with. When children understand that they are caretakers of their environment, they learn lessons that extend far beyond the classroom: lessons about respect, sustainability and the impact of their actions (Malaguzzi, 1993).

Keeping loose parts calm, not cluttered

Return me to my spot. Use a photograph of the finished area as a silent, non-verbal guide for how the materials should be returned.
Work in progress. A "Work in progress, please do not tidy" sign protects an unfinished creation a child wants to return to.
Non-verbal cues. Point to the reminder photograph with warm eye contact and a smile, rather than correcting with words.
Less is more. Rotate and simplify the collection so it never becomes clutter. Taking items away and simplifying the choices is powerful.
Freedom with responsibility. Children are trusted to explore freely, and are equally responsible for restoring the space for the next child.
Accessible and ordered. Keep materials within children's reach while keeping the area calm, beautiful and easy to restore.

"Returning a space to its original beautiful state is a sign of respect and care for one's environment."— J. Da Silva

Loose parts across the phases

Loose parts should not disappear after the Early Years. The materials simply evolve alongside children's thinking. Notice how the same open-ended spirit grows as learners mature.

1 Early Years

Investigating through the senses, story, movement and imaginative play.

Sensory exploration, storytelling, movement, symbolic representation and imaginative play.
Materials: stones, shells, pinecones, wooden blocks, fabric, baskets, sticks and leaves.

2 Lower Primary

Beginning to design with purpose, and to document their thinking.

Materials: magnets, mirrors, measuring tapes, connectors, cardboard engineering pieces, pulleys and recycled materials.
Children begin documenting predictions, theories, explanations and changes in their thinking.

3 Upper Primary

Loose parts become an innovation studio.

Materials: electronics, gears, robotics components, architectural modelling materials, engineering resources, recycled technology and digital design tools.
The key question shifts from "What can I build?" to "What problem can I solve?"

Use loose parts to set up a Learner Profile, Personal Learning Goals or classroom goals area that the students have access to while collectively working towards achieving their 10 to 20 points, bobbins or glass stones. A tangible visual such as this makes the process towards achieving their collective goal a present attribute in the classroom.

Three reflections on your loose parts

1. Care and restoration

Photograph the area's preferred layout as a visual guide, so children can restore it independently.

Quick note

How will I teach the children to return the loose parts to their beautiful state, without words?

2. Calm, not cluttered

Less is more. Rotate and simplify so the collection stays purposeful and never becomes clutter.

Quick note

Which materials could I take away to make the choices clearer and the space calmer?

3. Freedom with responsibility

Children are trusted to explore freely, and are responsible for restoring the space for the next child.

Quick note

How will I balance open-ended freedom with shared responsibility for the area?

Check your understanding

Reflection questions

1. In the SilvaStone philosophy, maintaining the loose parts area is…

2. How does a photograph of the layout support tidy-up time?

3. A child wants to return to an unfinished creation later. What helps?

4. How can you keep loose parts from becoming clutter?

5. As children move into Upper Primary, the key question shifts from "What can I build?" to…

Children do not become creative because we teach creativity. They become creative because we provide environments that invite it.

Now imagine a different classroom. A basket of driftwood. Smooth river stones. Pinecones. Copper wire. Fabric. Cardboard tubes. Magnets. Buttons. Pieces of bamboo. Old watch gears. Shells collected from the beach. There are no instructions. No example to copy. No expectation of what should be created. Only possibilities. This is the power of loose parts.

The phrase loose parts is often misunderstood. It is not about filling a classroom with sticks and pinecones. It is about creating environments where materials have multiple possibilities rather than predetermined purposes. Architect Simon Nicholson first proposed the Theory of Loose Parts in 1971, arguing that inventiveness, creativity and discovery are directly related to the number and kind of variables in an environment. More than fifty years later, educational research continues to support this idea. The richest learning environments allow children to manipulate, redesign, invent, question and transform the world around them. Rather than asking children to complete learning, loose parts invite them to create it.

Creativity cannot be taught through instructions alone. Creativity develops when learners are encouraged to generate multiple possibilities rather than search for one correct answer. Loose parts naturally create these conditions because there is no single solution, no model to copy and no expectation of perfection. Loose parts invite children to ask: What could this become? Is there another way? What happens if...? Could we improve it? Why did that happen? These questions lie at the heart of inquiry.

Traditional resources often position students as consumers. Loose parts position them as creators. Instead of following instructions, children design their own. Instead of solving teacher-created problems, they discover problems worth solving. Instead of replicating knowledge, they construct it. Loose parts support constructivist learning because children actively construct knowledge through interaction with materials, people and the environment.

Modern neuroscience also supports the importance of hands-on learning. When students manipulate, test, revise and physically interact with ideas, learning becomes deeper. Children often think differently when they think with their hands. Loose parts also support executive function. Open-ended environments require children to plan, organise, collaborate, negotiate, revise, persist, reflect, regulate emotions and adapt their thinking. When a carefully balanced tower collapses or an engineering design fails, children do not simply rebuild a structure. They rebuild their thinking.

The teacher's role changes. The teacher moves from instructor to researcher. Rather than asking, "What are you making?", the teacher begins asking: What are you trying to understand? Why did you choose these materials? What changed your thinking? What evidence supports your theory? What might happen if...? Documentation becomes as important as construction. The loose parts themselves are only half the story. The thinking behind them is where learning lives.

Loose parts should not disappear after Early Years. The materials simply evolve alongside children's thinking. Perhaps the greatest lesson loose parts teach us is that creativity does not emerge from expensive resources. It emerges from possibility. A beautifully organised classroom is inspiring. But a classroom designed for curiosity is transformative. When children are trusted with open-ended materials, they begin to see themselves differently. Not as learners waiting for answers, but as thinkers capable of asking better questions.

References: Amabile (1996) · Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2011) · Craft (2005) · Daly & Beloglovsky (2015) · Gibson (1979) · Kontra, Goldin-Meadow & Beilock (2015) · Nicholson (1971) · Piaget (1952) · Vygotsky (1978).