The manual

​

The purpose of the Loose Parts Play Manual is to support schools to introduce loose parts play into their daily routines, enhancing children’s opportunities before, during and after the school day. 

​

The Loose Parts Play Manual offers advice, information and examples from schools, nurseries and other children’s settings from four countries across Europe. It draws on real experience ensuring the manual is practical in nature, realistic about the challenges and optimistic about the opportunities.

 

We hope that you will find the manual a helpful and friendly companion to guide you along the path to a successful loose parts play project. Although primarily aimed at schools and other education settings, we hope the manual will be equally useful whatever your setting (school, nursery, childcare, youth club, holiday playscheme etc.).

 

Introducing loose parts play creates opportunities for the whole school community to become involved whether that is parents and carers, staff, the local education system or businesses and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Importantly, it is a process that children and teenagers can be fully involved in from the start. It nurtures children’s participation, with opportunities to look after and develop the project.

 

The overall purpose of the manual is to help you to:

●      introduce loose parts play into your school or setting

●      develop an effective environment to support play

●      work through typical steps on the journey to a loose parts play project  

●      find information or organisations who can assist you

●      sustain your use of loose parts as an ongoing and integral part of ongoing routines.

 

You might not need to read the manual from start to finish – some people will find it more helpful to dip into it as a reference point or use it when they need some information to assist with training, or a meeting with parents, or to get ideas. Use it in the way that feels most useful to you!

 

The manual is complemented by the Loose Parts Play Toolbox.  The manual contains background theoretical and practical information for using loose parts. The toolbox contains many helpful resources such as posters, templates and checklists for you to adapt and apply.