Loose parts play - from HumBee
by Prerana De, Supritha A
The world of a preschooler is one of imagination and magic. For many children, their creativity reaches its peak before the age of six. Surrounding them with various tools that light up their critical thinking is the key to enhancing the process
Keeping in mind that a child prefers to be around toys to play with, it's always a win-win to use your child's fun side to boost their brain development
When you put limitations on the play, kids don’t get a chance to actively contribute to it and end up barely engaging themselves in the activity. Here’s where you can introduce them to loose parts play!
What is Loose Parts Play?
Loose parts play is a type of play that supports invention, divergent thinking, and problem-solving skills. The material can be carried, moved, lined up, and redesigned in multiple ways. This allows children to explore the lengths of their creativity. When children interact with loose parts, they enter a world of wonder and “what if” that promotes the type of thinking that leads to problem-solving and theoretical reasoning. These enhance the children’s ability to think imaginatively and see solution, bringing a sense of adventure and excitement to child's play. Here’s how unstructured toys scientifically help with brain development.
According to Sergio Pellis, Ph.D., an expert on the neuroscience of play notes that play changes the structure of the developing brain in important ways, strengthening the connections of the neurons in the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain considered to be the executive control center responsible for solving problems, making plans and regulating emotions. Since loose parts play involves trying different activities without a particular goal, children get to try out diverse strategies during play. This results in intellectual development and an emphasized ability to process things.
“Children do not wait for our permission to think. Indeed, children are bursting with ideas that are always impatient to escape through language to connect and communicate with the things of the world” -Loris Malaguzzi.
Giving children something that has no constraint will lead them to an infinite number of opportunities to express their imagination to the world. This will not only help them express themselves but also give a sense of achievement. At HumBee, it is exactly this that our products enable. Our Loose Parts play set is backed with research, stimulating creativity and open-ended play possibilities for children. Get your Loose parts play set today!
