We tried an experiment this year and instead of bringing a craft activity, we brought some non-drying clay and some loose parts (bottle caps, glass gems, coffee straws, short craft sticks, wooden ice cream spoons, golf tees, slate stones and shells. We were a little nervous about providing such a basic, simple activity. Would the children know what to do? Would they even be interested?
We provided these materials with no instruction or guidance. Here is what they made.....
The kids were so engaged in this activity, they stayed at our booth longer and more focused than they have been in the past with other crafts we presented. Bonus: their parents had time to connect with each other while their children were occupied!
To read more about the benefits of loose parts visit our post "Time for Loose Parts"
Also check out "Beautiful Stuff: Learning with Found Materials" by Cathy Weisman Topal & Lella Gandini and "Loose Parts: Inspiring Play in Young Children" by Lisa Daly & Miriam Beloglovsky.
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