STEP INTO THE IMAGINASIUM
We wanted kids to experience the freedom, creativity and disorder of loose parts play, so we built a portable adventure playground! Introducing… the Wearthy Imaginasium!
Why movable resources are so valuable
In the 1970s, architect Simon Nicholson articulated ‘the theory of loose parts’: the idea that ‘[i]n any environment, both the degree of inventiveness and creativity, and the possibility of discovery, are directly proportional to the number and kind of variables in it’. He believed that loose parts in our environment allow for more creativity and engagement compared to static materials and environments. His theory has inspired educators and childcare providers across the world, and loose parts are increasingly being incorporated into school and childcare settings.
Loose parts play involves materials that can be moved, manipulated, constructed, rearranged, taken apart, put together, carried, combined, lined up, used alone and given a destiny that is determined by a child – rather than an adult, or manufacturer. Loose parts include natural objects such as stones, flowers, seeds, sticks, shells, pine cones and logs, as well as synthetic items such as balls, ropes, buckets, pots, fabric and boxes; they can include building materials and tools, scrap materials, and any number of found objects. The possibilities are infinite! Loose parts provide opportunities for unstructured, child-led play: they can be used in endless play scenarios with no specific set of directions, enabling children to manipulate and combine a variety of elements to help their play spaces and roles evolve to meet their purposes,needs and ideas.
Providing resources to children gives them the chance to take ownership of their play, just as so many of us did growing up.
Our aim in supplying these resources to children is to give them the chance to take ownership of their play, just as so many of us did growing up.
The Playship is totally mobile, easy to implement into an outdoor space, and packing up and down can involve the kids too. Below are a sample of the movable resources that will be available for the children to use.
What may look like chaos and mayhem is actually brain building in progress. Loose parts are like gym equipment for young minds - only a lot more fun!
Each object can have a thousand and one destinies as defined by the child’s imagination, rather than a manufacturer or an adult.
Every combination, manipulation, observation, construction, deconstruction, rearrangement, assembly and disassembly is like a series of ‘mind gym reps’. They blast brain function, pump their self-confidence, and help them to build a sense of capability in their world.
What may look like chaos and mayhem is actually brain building in progress. Loose parts are like gym equipment for young minds - only a lot more fun!
Each object can have a thousand and one destinies as defined by the child’s imagination, rather than a manufacturer or an adult.
Every combination, manipulation, observation, construction, deconstruction, rearrangement, assembly and disassembly is like a series of ‘mind gym reps’. They blast brain function, pump their self-confidence, and help them to build a sense of capability in their world.
The potential benefits for children in a nutshell:
Loose parts can:
spark curiosity, creativity, exploration and imagination;
increase physical activity and skills (in ways that can be more inclusive than sports-dominated active play);
help children experiment with negotiation, collaboration, relationship building and leadership; and
help children take risks, cultivate independence and confidence, and develop their planning and problem-solving skills.
