This weekend, I did something that I don’t usually do. I sat. Outside. For a long time. Not. Doing. Anything.
I listened to the wind. I watch the trees. I looked at the sky.
It was glorious!
There is something about nature and natural things that our minds and bodies crave.
And the natural world is a TREASURE TROVE of amazing {free} toys for children.
Think about all the ways these “toys” can be used in play.
+ sticks
+ shells
+ pinecones
+ driftwood
+ rocks
Here are some ideas to get you started!
MOVEMENT
+ build a building
+ create a face
LANGUAGE
+ sort by size or length or color
+ talk about similarities and differences
+ describe the texture or color of the objects
PLAY
+ pinecones make great figurines and sticks can delineate rooms in a pretend house or store
+ shells become great plates and cups in a pretend tea party
READING
+ take pictures of your child’s creations and make a “book” on PowerPoint to read together to revisit her creations
The possibilities are endless! Which is the GREAT thing about loose parts.
Free, fun, and it supports development better than most traditional toys (Trawick-Smith et al., 2014).
Research Source:
Trawick-Smith, J., Wolff, J., Koschel, M., & Vallarelli, J. (2014). Preschool: Which toys promote high-quality play? Reflections on the five-year anniversary of the TIMPANI study. Young Children, 69(2), 40-46. https://tinyurl.com/vw9xfrkc
