#Kinderchat Archive
#Kinderchat, glue, glitter, gogurt, bringing daily joy to twitter. Find us Mondays, 9 pm EST and 8:30PM London time when we talk all things Early Years!
Monday October 17, 2016
Hello there are so many times in my life when I feel like everything I touch is a loose part!
Christine in foggy SW Alberta. I have the September cold and am feeling drippy and a bit ticked.
I'm here but I guess I messed up the time - again! Ellyn in rural Alberta https://t.co/w13DUg1eD6
Hello, friends! Come out come out wherever you are!
Good evening ! I'm Liane from Abbotsford, BC, Canada! Tonight we are talking about loose parts!
Hello ! My name is Makayla, and I am a pre-service, elementary education teacher at Grove City College.
Today was the apple orchard/pumpkin patch and I am seeking warm comfort food! What is your favourite "warm up" food?
On a cold evening, nothing beats a nice, hot cup of tea
I like a cup of tea. Hearty, black tea with milk.
My favorite "warm up" food is hot chocolate!
Welcome and ! Sorry to hear you are sick!
Thanks, Liane! I fought bravely but it got me.
Hello! Lindsay from TX 1/2 day PK 1/2 day admin; taught and ADORED K for 5yrs! Comfort food: chicken and dumplings
Hello ! How are you tonight?
Welcome and that sounds perfect!! Maybe when we are done, I'll make that!
Too many great chats tonight all at the same time, don't know where to begin , ,
I'm still fighting it off, but need to get more sleep!!
Tired but looking forward to trying new things tomorrow! You?
Sleep is very important! And maybe Nyquil!
Warm up food: soup. Always soup!
Welcome! Wow! PK and admin?? That sounds tough! Ooh, your comfort food sounds good too.
Chilly. Can't seem to warm up after the field trip!
Thank you! it is so much tougher than I imagined it could be! https://t.co/T8NjMHSeLN
Welcome! Wow! PK and admin?? That sounds tough! Ooh, your comfort food sounds good too.
My apologies if I am slow on replying tonight! Trying to use my computer and not my ipad. This thing goes sooooo slowly.
Q1: What are some of the "loose parts" in your classroom?
Sorry if I am being dumb - can we provide a working definition of loose parts, esp for our new tchrs?
You're not dumb. I asked the same question last week. Loos parts can be thought of stuff 2 cre8 with.
A1: My blocks and my sand are filled with “loose parts”, so is art. They are just now “discovering” the loose parts in blocks
Let's go back a minute or 5,and consider what is a Loose Part in the classroom?If you use them,how would you define loose parts?
A1 Loose parts to move, carry, stack, put together and take apart include keys, shells, blocks, lids, and caps
I define “loose parts” as any kind of small (or not) items that can be used in an open ended manner.
I am a pre-service teacher, so I don't have my own classroom. But, I am looking forward to hearing from others!
I consider loose parts to be materials that can be moved, carried, combined, taken apart, used in a multitude of ways.
I asked myself the same question. That is why I was interested in hearing other educators answers!
A1) last week I had magnetism kit out f
or Ss 2 explore
Loose parts can be pretty much anything, as long as they’re open ended and well… loose
Love this! Thanks. Today we hammered geodes and it was marvellous! https://t.co/GxlrdyP3Bv
Oh oh another must have is a log with nails and hammers it's brilliant our children will spend ages hammering!!!
A1: often, I find loose parts are used to represent other items (chestnuts are used for cooking, buttons as cake decorations)
Can they be commercially prepared things like Unifix or Pattern Blocks?
So, loose parts = STUFF that kids can play with that is not specifically "toys"?
Thank you for defining what a loose part is!
I LOVE the magnets! They are so much fun to explore with! What did your students discover?
We are trying screws and screwdrivers in pumpkins next week! Should be interesting!
Q1 Right now we have fall 'jewels' on the light table.
I'd like to set up a loose parts centre that is only natural products.
I absolutely think so! Now others may disagree, but I think if they are open ended, they count!
That sounds like an awesome fall activity! The children can learn and have fun all at the same time.
That sounds so cool! I am sure the students really enjoy that!
I think so too but they may have more limited play value
this activity looks like so much fun!!!
Q2: For new teachers, finding loose parts can be time consuming. How did you acquire "loose parts" for your classrooms?
In my block area I use all wooden loose parts. I’d love to add some chestnuts, pinecones, etc to it
A2 Got the keys from the hardware store (duds!) and other "junk" from families who donated
I have had great success combining the two - pattern blocks + "jewels" or jenga blocks + buttons...
A2: I love to go to a little shop in Bar Harbor ME where they make wooden creations. They always sell bags of “extras”
That looks so cool! Great idea!
A2 ask friends,family,send a note with Ss asking families to contribute
Have done this too but insist each goes back to its own bin
they can fill a tin can with matchbox cars and it takes 4 strong magnets 2 lift.
So the kiddies never attach the loose parts, right? They just create with them??
A2: but on a day to day level- you can find them anywhere. Pine cones/chestnuts, rocks. The dollarama has tons of stuff
That is really cool! I love that community extras can be incorporated into the classroom!
I too have gone to lumberyards to retrieve scraps that would just be discarded.
Great idea! I never though about leaving the tin cans out!
I have found I’ve gotten over that need this year, lol!
What a great idea! It is interesting that you can incorporate fall items as loose parts!
Hi guys! Sorry I'm late. Turns out toddlers protest bedtime. They'll regret it as adults, hehe. Kathleen from edmonton here!
I have had some kids want to attach things,and we usually discuss and decide.Some things they can't attach due to $$
Well, yes. Because then you can combine in new ways the next time. Also, sorting is a DAP task!
They will also regret not having naps as adults too :-)
Sometimes the most ordinary things make great loose parts. Here a Kinder made a vehicle out of "stuff" https://t.co/LCxlTl4Mzd
Hi Kathleen!! How are you doing?
So, have the people been doing Maker Space all this time?
Sometimes we sort, other times, not so much....
Fun fact: I used to have a basket for odds & ends I found on floor @ end of day. Became kids' fave centre...
Wow! That is so cool! It is always amazing to see how creative the children are!
It’s made my days just a little bit brighter, lol!
This is a GREAT way to find homes and you find fewer surprises in your pockets on laundry day! https://t.co/6tS0SCg4rG
Fun fact: I used to have a basket for odds & ends I found on floor @ end of day. Became kids' fave centre...
Q3: Loose parts can be overwhelming for teachers and kids! What tips do you have for teachers new to loose parts?
Hi! Hanging in there. Back at work today after missing a week and everyone was fabulous.
A3: Trust the kids & their creativity. Put out the materials & trust they will figure out how to play.
A3: If you're overwhelmed by loose parts not being very "planned", start with a small task (ex: make a face, create a track etc)
A3: You have to decide how much you can tolerate- do you care where the loose parts go at the end of the day? Organization?
One fella's creation from my box centre last year. Was so cool!
Great ideas! Thanks ! https://t.co/b0cdD1KieR
A3: If you're overwhelmed by loose parts not being very "planned", start with a small task (ex: make a face, create a track etc)
We do have to talk about what happens to the stuff at the end of our time. Take it home? Take a picture?
Right? I think those are important conversations to have.
This is HUGE for some! I never thought I cared about chestnuts being in with the buttons. I was wrong. … https://t.co/mPIVdRkV93
A3: You have to decide how much you can tolerate- do you care where the loose parts go at the end of the day? Organization?
Think about what it might look like if we trusted our students with their learning!
A3: Get a container and fill it with just that many items. Organization is key in our world. https://t.co/HAnMU5fM7p
That is awesome! We made leprechaun traps a couple of years ago. They were fabulous and well planned.
I'll take a photo and add it to their FreshGrade portfolio. Satisfies all parties.
My high school was based on trusting kids to learn. It was pretty amazing.
A3: I think a big part to keeping the loose parts "tidy" is the modelling piece. We need to show them what clean up looks like.
is now trending in Canada, ranking 49
Those chip-dip trays are AWESOME for sorting & organizing!
Back in the day, I used to get all the airplane food trays and use them!
This is more of a wonder than ?. How do you teach/comunicate to parents about the importance of loose parts?Do you? Should we?
And inexpensive at the dollar store! Plasticine is sometimes too heavy for them though! https://t.co/IXYKzkZwKR
Those chip-dip trays are AWESOME for sorting & organizing!
They SURE are! Great for adding loose parts to playdough too.
I was thinking of having the parents in for an open house in the afternoon where they can come and play with the loose parts.
Take a photo, explain the related outcome(s). Done.
/2 I guess I’ve never had a parent question me on it, so I’ve never felt the need to communicate the importance?
And also for my personal favourite: the craft supply buffet!
2/2 But I am always communicating the importance of play, and loose parts fits right in there
Q4:Because I LOVE the outdoor play of my students, how do you use loose parts in nature?
I live in Prince Edward Island, I like my sand area to reflect our beaches to an extent.
And as part of Q4: do you encourage the loos parrts of sticks and rocks?
That’s a great idea. Let them tinker and play for a bit!
A4 We collect from our playground, which is chock full of wonderful stuff
Yes! For Sure. Do I encourage them to swing them around or throw them? That’s a no
"Bookmarking" to read later! Exploring loose parts on our playground!
I'm so inspired and ready to get going on setting this centre up! Thank you all so much!
A4: I also like to bring nature in to the classroom- shells from the beach, rocks, driftwood, etc. All add to our classroom
Thank you for coming! It is an exciting journey. Please let us know if you need any help!
The kids also take bigger branches that have blown down and try to build forts with them. We don't have many, but they try!
Before we get ready to say good night, are there any great loose part resources, books or blogs that you'd like to share?
It’s time for me to meet my pillow! Maybe tomorrow I’ll sort those loose parts in the sand area… maybe not…
And I will NOT sort anything tomorrow.
Thanks for the excellent discussion tonight! As always, I am inspired to do more and be more!
Good luck with that! If you need any cheerleading, let me know!
Thank you for sharing your ideas, Carrie! Good night!
Thanks for all the great ideas and inspiration
Woohoo!! Let me know how that goes for you!!
There are also Facebook groups where people share their loose parts ideas. Check them out if you need some support!
Over and out, friends. Join us next week for 's baby shower!
Thank you for coming and for sharing ideas!
Have a great week, everybody! Thank you so much for the great ideas and discussion! Hope you find some fun loose parts!
