12 Tinkering and Loose Parts

READ FIRST– Learn about some of the benefits of block play by reading the noted section from the resource below.
- Read “Open-Ended and Creative Play” (p. 20) of The Wisdom of Play: How Children Learn to Make Sense of the World by Community Playthings (~1 minute read)
CHOOSE ONE– Select at least one of the resources below to learn more about tinkering and loose parts.
- Building the Future: Tinkering and Playful Learning by Mike McGalliard and Anne Wintroub (~7 minute read)
In this article, McGallaird and Wintroub describe how tinkering supports children’s development of STEM skills.
- Loose Parts 2: Inspiring Play with Infants and Toddlers by By Lisa Daly & Miriam Beloglovsky (~14 minute read)
In this article from Community Playthings, Daly & Beloglovsky share the historical beginnings of the theory of loose parts as well as the developmental benefits of this type of play for infants and toddlers.