Loose Parts Nature Play

Building creativity one leaf and bolt at a time. Join Dr. Carla Gull, educator and mother of four boys, as she talks about getting outside and exploring loose parts.

Heather TeachOutside Taylor 11/11/2024

Megan Gessler 09/28/2024

Natural Start Alliance Conference 09/04/2024

The Loose Parts Police: Can we buy loose parts? 08/11/2024

Listen to voices from the US Play Coalition Conference! 04/30/2024

Nüdel Pod with Marcus Veerman 03/11/2024

Treasure Baskets with Dr. Laura Wilhelm 01/31/2024

Loose Parts Voices from NAEYC! 12/12/2023

Loose Parts in Action with Lisa Daly 11/22/2023

Setting Up an Inviting Space with Little Barn Owls 11/03/2023

Stonework Play with Diana Suskind 10/20/2023

Enjoy this conversation with Juliet Robertson from Scotland! 10/02/2023

Embracing Fire as a Loose Part 09/05/2023

Beyond Ecophobia 07/25/2023

Nature is Naturally Inclusive 07/05/2023

Worms, Glorious Worms! 05/31/2023

Celebrating Special Days with a Loose Parts Mindset 04/20/2023

Getting Comfortable with Risky Play 03/13/2023

When You Wonder, You’re Learning: Meet the Authors 02/01/2023

When You Wonder, You're Learning 01/12/2023

Sense of Wonder 12/23/2022

Sense of Wonder Book Pick: “For most of us, knowledge of our world comes largely through sight, yet we look about with such unseeing eyes that we are partially blind. One way to open your eyes to unnoticed beauty is to ask yourself, "What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?” ― Rachel Carson “Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.” ― Rachel Carson “It is not half so important to know as to feel.” ― Rachel Carson “The years of early childhood are the time to prepare the soil. Once the emotions have been aroused - a sense of the beautiful, the excitement of the new and unknown, a feeling of sympathy, pity, admiration or love - then we wish for knowledge about the object of our emotional response. Once found, it has lasting meaning.” ― Rachel Carson “Many children... delight in the small and inconspicuous.” ― Rachel Carson “It is more important to pave the way for the child to want to know than to put him on a diet of facts he is not ready to assimilate.” ― Rachel Carson “The lasting pleasures of contact with the natural world are not reserved for scientists but are available to anyone who will place himself under the influence of earth, sea, and sky and their amazing life.” ― Rachel Carson “If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder … he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.” —Rachel Carson Discussion Questions: What is a sense of wonder? How do we regain the sense of wonder in ourselves? How do we share the sense of wonder with our children? How can we share and rediscover the sense of joy and wonder with children? What other resources help you with wonder? What’s the difference between wonder and curiosity? If you want to witness a natural display of a sense of wonder, just observe a child. A child’s whole world is viewed through the eyes of wonder and excitement. A child has no judgements of why things are so, but rather a child is in awe of life and views life through innocence, purity and curiosity. –Mary Paleologos Join us! THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023 8 PM – 9 PM, Eastern Time Book--Loose Parts Learning in K-3 Classrooms: Loose Parts Play Facebook Page: Loose Parts Play Facebook Group: Inside Outside Michiana Facebook Page: Loose Parts Nature Play Website: /episode/index/show/loosepartsnatureplay/id/25415427

Creativity, Playground Ideas, and Nudelkart 11/07/2022

Cultivating Confidence: An Interview with Ronnie Green 10/18/2022

Getting Outside with Tweens and Teens 09/30/2022

Social Emotional Learning and Loose Parts 08/25/2022

Junior Ranger Program in Kenai Fjords 08/07/2022

Getting Started with Loose Parts 07/04/2022

Loose Parts Nature Play Kits: Something for Everyone! 06/24/2022

Loose Parts Nature Play Kits: Something for Everyone! Why Have Kits? Grab and go Organized materials Find your stuff Versatile Accessible for more people How to use: storytime, grab one for a hike, follow children’s interests, family days, check out at your center, send home kits, children’s free choice, rotate Types of Kits: Book extensions: Not a Stick, Mama Built a Little Nest, An Egg is Quiet, A Nest is Noisy Animal focus: Woodpecker’s Wham, squirrels, beaver, insects, bird nests, spiders Building: wooden blocks, mini bricks, cardboard tools Play: stick play, mud kitchen, music and movement, water play, dramatic play, fort play Natural phenomena: wind, natural loose parts, sound, gardening, senses Art: nature play dough, watercolors or painting, paper, small loose parts, chalk, ephemeral art General outdoor tools: tweezers, magnifying glasses, binoculars, twine, buckets, etc. Academic/curricular: measuring, stonework play (literacy), numeracy, map making, animal architects, faces/emotions, shapes What to Include: books, pictures, tools, “sparks” or ideas for play, puppets, materials, interesting combinations, natural items Type of Bags/Containers: clear plastic bags, muslin drawstring backpacks, backpacks, reusable grocery totes, IKEA bags, crates, baskets, dishpans, wagon Labels: stencils, laminated tags/pictures, fabric labels, numbered system, have children decorate, wooden laser engraved labels Storage: hooks on a wall at child height, cart, rod with s hooks, large tubs, cubbies, outdoor shed Funding: grants, use what you have, donations, special fundraiser, collect nature, garage sales Tips: Supplement with nature found outside—use your space and nature! Keep an Inventory/Master List to find your materials Consider a checkout system for families Regularly purge and evaluate bags and materials Allow children to choose what kits to take outside each day Use a materials list for each bag to visually help keep everything together Group connected items together Involve children in creating kits customized for their play! Book--Loose Parts Learning in K-3 Classrooms: Loose Parts Play Facebook Page: Loose Parts Play Facebook Group: Inside Outside Michiana Facebook Page: Loose Parts Nature Play Website: /episode/index/show/loosepartsnatureplay/id/23531513

Nest Building Time 05/04/2022

Stick Play! 04/08/2022

Loose Parts Nature Play

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